As expected, Drake Caggiula’s stint in the minors was short-lived. The team announced today (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled the veteran forward from AHL Bakersfield.
Edmonton re-assigned the 30-year-old back to the minors on Monday alongside defenseman Josh Brown (who notably wasn’t brought back up this time around). With the Oilers off until Friday, the demotions allowed them to exit LTIR for a few days and bank a bit of cap space. While Caggiula is on a contract for the league minimum of $775K, his remaining money is still more than the $382K they can afford per PuckPedia which means they’ll be back into using LTIR once the recall officially hits their books on Friday.
Caggiula has played in four games with Edmonton so far this season, all within the last four weeks. He has one assist in those outings while averaging a little over eight minutes a night of playing time while also spending time in a reserve role. He’s likely to still have a limited role on this stint with the Oilers as well. While he was held off the scoresheet on Wednesday, Caggiula has been much more productive with the Condors, recording five goals and four helpers so far.
With the recall, Edmonton’s roster now stands at 22 players, one below the limit. With them now back in LTIR, it wouldn’t be surprising to see that spot get filled in the near future.