The Edmonton Oilers have seemingly turned on the jets this season, lifting themselves out of the Pacific Division and into a playoff spot. Injuries and inconsistency notwithstanding, the Oilers look like a third-straight trip to the Stanley Cup Finals might be in the cards.
But the sudden optimism hasn’t precluded the Oilers from making a move on the waiver wire. On Sunday, the club placed two players on waivers, but for different reasons.
The first name to hit the wire is Noah Philp. Philp has appeared in 15 games this season. He’s contributed two goals and three points. However, he seemed destined to fall out of the lineup as injured regulars, such as Zach Hyman, returned. Unfortunately, Philp also went down, landing him on LTIR.
Philp has since come off LTIR and consequently headed back down to Bakersfield. Likely, the move is more of a practical one. Philp will need regular playing to get back into shape. The Oilers could call on him at some point down the line.
The Oilers will need Philp to be fully healthy and ready, as injuries could lead to his return to the NHL lineup.
Tomasek Leaves Oilers after Frustrating NHL Stint
As for David Tomasek, the club announced his placement on waivers was for the purpose of contract termination. The move wasn’t the result of any bad blood between the two sides. It was just a numbers game.
As Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal pointed out, Tomasek just wasn’t a good fit for the Oilers. The Swedish forward signed a one-year deal this past offseason, hoping to crack the team’s top six.
However, Tomasek just wasn’t able to find a foothold in the lineup. Moreover, the return of injured regulars squeezed Tomasek out of the lineup just like Philp.
As such, the Oilers and the 29-year-old agreed to terminate his contract so he could return to Europe. Assuming Tomasek clears waivers, the Oilers will bury the bulk of his $1.2 million cap hit for the remainder of the season.
That will be a major necessity as Kasperi Kapanen and his $1.3 million cap hit could be coming off LTIR soon. As such, the club will need the cap space moving forward.
Tomasek Could Still Get One More Shot at the NHL
The idea of Tomasek leaving the NHL and heading back to Europe is pretty much a foregone conclusion at this point. But then again, just because the Oilers weren’t the right fit, it doesn’t mean another team might not want give him another shot.
Who knows? Someone out there might entice Tomasek to come back to North America and give the NHL one more shot. It might not be a contender like the Oilers. It would have to be a team with cap space and a natural opening in their middle six. A team with an open spot down the middle could be a potential option.
While it’s tough to pinpoint who that team could be, there might be more than one out there. One has to think that rebuilding clubs would be willing to give Tomasek one more kick at the NHL can.
For now, that doesn’t seem like a possibility. But things could always change down the road.
Oilers Make Splash on Waiver Wire