In another pre-freeze move, the Edmonton Oilers have traded minor league forward Greg Chase to the Florida Panthers for future considerations. The move opens up a potential roster spot for the Oilers, who were at 49/50 contracts when the day began. The potential departure of Nathan Walker, who is on waivers, could open another slot. The Oilers also loaned Mark Fayne to the Springfield Thunderbirds (Florida’s AHL affiliate), though he—and his salary—will stay on Edmonton’s books.
Chase was selected by the Oilers in the seventh round of the 2013 entry draft, but has never quite found the scoring touch he had in the WHL as a junior player. Bouncing up and down between the ECHL and AHL without much success, he’ll get the chance for a fresh start in the Florida organization. The 22-year old still has plenty of time to improve and become a valued member of the Springfield organization, though the NHL seems a distant goal at this point.
More importantly, the Oilers now have room to make additional moves if they so choose. As we discussed recently regarding the Minnesota Wild and Toronto Maple Leafs, the absence of contract slots can very much hamper your ability to improve the team if an opportunity arises. The Oilers could end the day at 48 contracts, giving them the option to claim someone off waivers or deal away draft picks for extra bodies to help them on their current playoff run.