[Signing] Oilers sign Nikita Nikitin (2yrs, $4.5mil AAV). Blue Jackets get 5th round pick.

[RedHot25]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Making room for Erixon

In the minors?

I kid, I kid

[Drury18]

Originally Posted by ClubFlames

I want him to sign in the KHL now just for the hilarity it'll ensue.

Funny you mention that as this was on my Twitter timeline this morning:

Fedor Fedin ‏@FedFedRMNB 1h
Edmonton should've not let Anton Belov go. Pretty sure he and Nikitin are friends -- they played together for Avangard Omsk for 2 years.

[Mike F]

Oilers will have to either severely overpay to keep him from testing the open market or be very publicly snubbed.

I like where this is going.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

I agree with that quote from an agent........unless the term and money are silly, why would you skip out on the UFA auction to sign with the Oilers?

Not a bad move by MacT, not sure it will work, but it's a decent idea.

[Matt Reeeeead]

This is going to be a brutal contract. Something dumb like 5 years and 25M with buyout in year 3.

He's ok, and has added stability to top 4 of bad teams, but those teams also tried their darndest to improve on him every step of the way, eventually did, and became successful after they did so.

Maybe a step up for the Oilers. But certainly not really a solution towards being a legit contender long term.

[Ruttiger]

Originally Posted by Drury18

Funny you mention that as this was on my Twitter timeline this morning:

Then maybe Belov should have played better while in Edmonton. Not complicated really.

That being said, the addition of Craig Ramsay as an assistant is a solid step in the right direction to improving the performance of the d-men on hand. Not the final answer, but a positive step along the way.

[ricardodw]

This makes a lot of sense if the guy is a targeted UFA that a team wants to sign.

Who knows if your offer will get through to the guy on UFA day. By the time Nikitin takes the call from Edmonton he may have already decided that he wants to play for another team.

If this is a bad move by Edmonton how bad was the move by Garth Snow who gave away a 5th round pick to talk to Dan Boyle. Snow is looking to trade Boyle's rights kind of indicating that Boyle said nice offer but he wants to see what calls he gets on UFA day.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by Matt Reeeeead

This is going to be a brutal contract. Something dumb like 5 years and 25M with buyout in year 3.

He's ok, and has added stability to top 4 of bad teams, but those teams also tried their darndest to improve on him every step of the way, eventually did, and became successful after they did so.

Maybe a step up for the Oilers. But certainly not really a solution towards being a legit contender long term.

As for good UFA contracts there was Chara and ............

When you sign a UFA you get someone without giving up an asset but are always overpaying.

PS Hannan was a great UFA as was Morrison but they were very late signings and not at all targeted going into UFA day.

[FlamesAddiction]

It's not bad. At the very lease, it will be one guy that they can cross off their list early and can focus on other free agents.

The only down side is maybe the negative press that might happen if he turns them down. Since it isn't free agent season just yet and nothing much is going on, it would probably get more attention than it deserves. The Oilers might even make an outrageous offer just to avoid it because out of all teams in the NHL, they are probably the one that can least afford to look bad in these situations.

Not that all teams don't get turned down every year, but the Oilers are sort of stuck in a reputation shame spiral.

[Matt Reeeeead]

The term will be most important. Is this a contract that they want on the books when the vaunted prospects arrive and theoretically need to make cap related decisions (let's pretend for sake of the argument that will actually happen some day).

If I were them, I wouldn't mind overpaying on a short contract (even say something ridiculous like 3 years, 6M per year has basically no cap impact on them since they don't have good enough players yet, and doesn't hurt them cap wise in year 4 and 5 when he's done). If they do something like that, probably no harm, no foul, just an expensive bridge contract until the young'ens are ready.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Matt Reeeeead

The term will be most important. Is this a contract that they want on the books when the vaunted prospects arrive and theoretically need to make cap related decisions (let's pretend for sake of the argument that will actually happen some day).

The Oilers don't have any prospects, so no real risk there.

It's not a bad attempt by the Oilers. They need help anywhere they can get it, and Nikitin unquestionably would improve their defence. However, his addition would only be a baby step, and an expensive one if they hope to sign him.

[Weitz]

It can't really be a bad thing. Doesn't sign? Well at least you didn't give anything up like the islanders.

I think the only bad press it would lead to is on here. He doesn't sign everyone else just thinks he wants to test the market... No big deal..

[amazing_oilers]

Not a chance this doesn't get done. Wonder what number he will wear in Edmonton for the next 4 years?

[Ruttiger]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

The Oilers don't have any prospects, so no real risk there.

Just so we're clear, you wouldn't consider Nurse, Marincin, or Klefbom to be prospects?

[Lanny_McDonald]

What I would love to see, is Nikitin snub the Oilers for a big dollar contract and then sign with the Flames for less. Oh my, the hilarity that would ensue!

[ForeverFlameFan]

Bold moves MacT...

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by Ruttiger

Just so we're clear, you wouldn't consider Nurse, Marincin, or Klefbom to be prospects?

Nurse yes. I think the other two have a lot of work still before they are legitimate NHL prospects because they aren't really in a good development environment. So they may be good for an Oilers prospect, but that hasn't gotten the Oilers anywhere the last decade.

[calumniate]

'Once an Oiler always an Oiler'

Hehe

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Ruttiger

Just so we're clear, you wouldn't consider Nurse, Marincin, or Klefbom to be prospects?

Green text sucks, but my bad for failing to recognize that Oilers fans need help. Every team has prospects. The Oilers don't have many overall, and fewer still that would fit the narrative Matt Reeeed suggested about needing large raises that would warrant difficult cap-related decisions to be made.

Even your own GM admits the Oilers don't have much in the way of assets.

[Ring of Fire]

Edmonton will just be the stepping stone back to the KHL if he signs there. Edmonton just gives Nikitin a reason to want to leave the NHL to make more money in Russia.