EDMONTON, AB – Oilers General Manager & Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Stan Bowman held a virtual media availability on Tuesday to discuss the team’s decision to not match the offer sheets presented by the St. Louis Blues to restricted free agent forward Dylan Holloway and defenceman Philip Broberg.

Bowman’s opening comments:

Greetings to all! I appreciate the time you’ve taken to be here, and I’m aware there are many questions awaiting answers. I’m more than happy to provide those. It would be beneficial to begin with an update on what we’ve been doing since we received the offer sheets last week. I’ll provide some insight into our thought process and the decisions we made. Afterwards, I’m eager to hear your questions. So, when we received the offer sheets last week, our team immediately dove into action. Our aim was to thoroughly analyze our situation at that moment and consider every possible option. We didn’t eliminate any possibilities right off the bat. Our exploration led us to four potential courses of action.

Firstly, we considered matching both offer sheets. Secondly, we thought about matching Broberg’s offer but not Holloway’s. Thirdly, we entertained the opposite scenario: matching Holloway’s offer but not Broberg’s. Lastly, we contemplated not matching either offer. We dedicated multiple days to analyzing the potential outcomes of each scenario for the immediate, short-term (including the trade deadline and off-season), and long-term future of our team. Our goal was to envision how our team would evolve under each circumstance. After thorough consideration, we determined the scenario that best aligned with our current position.

The staff did an exceptional job. We meticulously analyzed and evaluated various options. During this process, whenever we identified matters that needed further investigation, I initiated numerous phone calls with the majority of the league teams over the past week. The purpose was to understand their roster strategies, whether they intended to transfer any of their players or add new ones. After exhausting all possibilities, we arrived at our current position, which is deciding not to match any offer sheets.

To put it simply, our decisions were not based on any concerns about the players. It was purely a business decision relating to our immediate and long-term roster viability concerning the salary cap. Once we decided not to match the offer sheets, we knew we would be receiving assets in return, which led to other transactions. The overall aim was to increase our flexibility and options for the future, which we believe we have achieved.

We didn’t limit ourselves to a single strategy for this season. Instead, we made several subsequent moves to incorporate a few young players, additional draft picks, and prospects. In retrospect, we faced a challenging situation, but I believe we made the best series of transactions to position ourselves well for training camp.

On having an older team with some veteran free agent additions:

There are several ways to perceive this. Undeniably, the recent events have shown that players primarily seeking championships are choosing the Oilers as their team. Each player’s decision varies based on their career stage. However, it was evident that those who chose Edmonton, probably forgoing higher offers elsewhere, did so due to the potential they saw in our team and their desire to be part of it. This is certainly an encouraging trend that we hope continues and aligns with our team’s goal. To ensure this happens in the future, we need to maintain a competitive team that becomes the first choice for players across the league who are focused on winning.

I wouldn’t assert that we’re solely focusing on veteran players. Indeed, older players do offer certain advantages, such as their range of experience and varied situations they’ve handled, making them valuable. However, our organization has also welcomed several younger players with NHL experience. These players, including Podkolzin and Ty Emberson, are striving to become regular NHLers.

This isn’t a black-and-white situation. Having younger players in the team can certainly be beneficial, as they bring a unique blend of energy and excitement, often driven by their novelty to the NHL or their limited years in the league. We certainly don’t shy away from including these players. However, it’s likely to be a mix of both young and more experienced players. The critical factor for us, particularly with players like Podkolzkin and Emberson, is their manageable salary cap hits. Given the current and future status of our team, maintaining salary cap space and flexibility is vital. Typically, contracts for young and veteran players have lower cap hits, while those in their prime often command higher salaries.

On the possibility of two younger players dictating the team’s salary cap position:

Returning to my initial remarks, our evaluation of our situation when we received those offer sheets led us to the decision that it was not the right move to limit our options for the future. This decision was less about the players’ abilities and more about setting ourselves up for success with multiple options. It’s currently August, and as every team faces ups and downs throughout the season, we want to be adaptable in response to players’ performances. Matching either or both of the offer sheets would have significantly impacted our salary cap for this season and beyond. Hence, we moved forward as we did.

On losing two defencemen from last season in Broberg and Cody Ceci:

Indeed, we do have that and it’s a fact. We are determined to ensure we have a robust defensive strategy before we hit the stretch run. At this stage, I believe we have numerous choices and players whom we are hopeful will be able to step in and fill a role. Thus, it’s accurate to say that our team composition isn’t the same as it was during Game 7 a few months ago. Therefore, one of our objectives is to provide these new defencemen an opportunity to demonstrate their skills to us.

While Stecher isn’t exactly a new face, he didn’t get much playtime towards the end of last season. We also have Brown and Emberson to consider. We need to give these three players a chance to prove their worth and potentially take on larger roles. We do have a different team than before and we’re hopeful that some players can step up. An added advantage of this situation is that it may allow us to save some cap space and potentially bring in new players if the need arises. This could be a possibility under the current circumstances.

On the start of contract extension negotiations with Leon Draisaitl:

It’s no surprise that there’s a strong interest in Leon, and as expected, we’ve begun discussions with him and his representative. However, I prefer not to delve into further details. From my past experiences, it’s ideal to keep these negotiations private, out of respect for Leon and his agent. This should not be interpreted negatively in any way; it’s simply not my place to impose timelines or specific expectations. Rest assured, we’ve initiated the process and will promptly inform everyone as soon as there’s any significant development.

On the injury status of Evander Kane heading into the season:

I need to clear up a few misconceptions, as there appears to be some confusion about how the process involving injured players, long-term injury, and cap hit replacements work. I’ll provide a short explanation here. When a player like Evander is injured, the plan for his recovery is a decision between Evander and his medical team. I don’t have any influence over this, nor is it appropriate for me to. My primary concern is to support Evander and ensure he recovers fully.

When an injury occurs, several possibilities can unfold. The injured individual might undergo treatment, participate in rehab, and gradually recover. There are instances where immediate surgery is the only viable solution. However, there are also cases where the path to recovery isn’t so clear-cut, presenting the player with different options to consider. It’s at this juncture we find ourselves with Evander, whom we fully support in his decision-making process. Therefore, whether he’ll miss a small portion of the season or, if surgery becomes necessary, a larger chunk, remains unknown. I am not privy to such details and Evander will discuss the best course of action with his medical team.

I believe the relevance to this discussion lies in the misconception that an injured player simply goes on long-term injury, eliminating the need for trades or causing no issues. This isn’t quite accurate. It’s important to factor in that player’s salary cap. They may be removed from long-term injury and included in your regular team cap, or if they’re sidelined for more than 24 days and 10 games, they can be placed on long-term injury. However, a plan to activate them once they recover is essential. This issue frequently arose in our discussions – while it’s possible to start the season with a player on long-term injury, if they’re out for at least a month, a strategy for their return to play is necessary, and proved to be a more challenging issue.

One aspect to consider is that with long-term injuries, no cap space is accumulated. Hence, if you’ve been using a long-term injury for a few months, and then the player is activated, you’ll start from zero cap space and will have to build it up. It’s challenging to build up a significant amount in just a month. These factors influenced our decision. Currently, we’re set to start the season without categorizing Evander Kane as injured. He’ll be treated like every other player. If he’s fit to play immediately, that’s excellent. If not, we won’t have any issues accommodating him once he’s healthy.

On the additions of Vasily Podkolzin, Ty Emberson and Paul Fischer:

To provide some background, I can discuss all three players in question. In situations like the one we faced last week, we typically consult our staff and any connections they may have with the players under consideration for team discussions. For instance, in Emberson’s case, I spoke to Kris Knoblauch, who had coached Ty in Hartford. Kris spoke highly of Ty’s game and appreciated having him on his team. This level of familiarity and comfort between a coach and a player can be incredibly beneficial when bringing in new talent, although it’s not often the case that they’ve previously worked together. This aspect was particularly helpful in this instance.

Clearly, Podkolzin was a top-tier draft pick, selected 10th overall, so his talent is undeniable. He had a stellar rookie year in the NHL, but since then, his career hasn’t followed the same trajectory. He has spent most of his time in the American League after a shift in management. It’s not uncommon for players to experience changes like this, and it’s not necessarily anyone’s fault.

I truly admire Podkolzin and his wide range of skills. He is undoubtedly a scorer with a powerful shot. He’s a strong, aggressive player with a physical edge to his game, which is something I’ve admired – his readiness to engage. He’s not only strong but also powerful. He can dominate the offensive zone, and when he doesn’t have the ball, he’s not afraid to tackle his opponents. This combination is impressive and I’m confident we can help him regain his previous form, not just from his draft year, but also from his first professional year.

Our coaching staff and team will work to bring out the best in him. Often, a fresh start is exactly what players like him need.

I’ve known Paul Fischer for a long time, having watched him grow up right here in Chicago. From his early days playing hundreds of games, to his time on the U.S. national team, I’ve seen his progress. Despite an injury during his draft year that potentially affected his draft position, his talent level has always been evident. I followed his performance at Notre Dame last year, where he shone as a freshman defenseman, playing a significant role on the team. He’s also a contender for the U.S. World Junior team. Paul is a likeable player with a good skill-set, size, and a combination of attributes that make him stand out. He’s young with room for improvement, but his character and determination to excel are commendable. I know him well personally, and he’s the type of player who will do everything possible to improve. It’s great that we’re building up our group here, focusing on player development. Our goal is to not only find young prospects but also to help them progress and develop quickly so they can reach the NHL sooner.

On Bowman’s initial reaction to receiving two offer sheets from the same team:

Undeniably, it was a challenging situation. Offer sheets are typically rare, and receiving two simultaneously is certainly unusual. However, my response was to simply buckle down and get to work. Once the offer sheets were received, I comprehend why fans or the media might spend a lot of time on various aspects, but personally, I didn’t get caught up in it. I was more focused on what comes next. We have a decision to make and a challenge to solve. It was certainly difficult to determine the best course of action. However, considering the entire scenario, I’m confident about successfully navigating this situation and creating options for the future.

On whether he harbours any negativity towards the Blues after the offer sheets:

I believe it’s necessary to distinguish between business and personal matters. I’ve been acquainted with Doug Armstrong for quite some time. Over the years, when I was based in Chicago and he was still in St. Louis, we’ve had numerous confrontations. However, I don’t perceive it in that sense. I comprehend that every manager could potentially utilize this, and it’s now our responsibility to respond appropriately and act in our best interests. Personal emotions should not interfere with situations like this. We need to establish a professional relationship with all the league’s managers, and I plan to uphold that in the future.

On the possibility of targeting any more players between now and the start of the season:

At this point, I believe that all options are open. It’s not beneficial for us to shut any possibilities down at the moment. Perhaps I should have made it clear earlier that we have new members in our team that we need to provide opportunities to. They joined us for specific reasons. In the case of Emberson, we recently traded for him. We want to give them a chance to prove that they can progress and be valuable to us. However, part of my responsibility is to explore the options available to us, be it through further trades or free-agent players currently on the market. That’s something I plan to do, though I can’t say for certain if it will lead to anything. Our limitations, particularly regarding the salary cap, remain unchanged, so we’ve ensured to maintain some flexibility for the future. To answer succinctly, yes, we do have the ability to negotiate with players and identify anyone who would be a good fit to join our team.