Oilers GM Stan Bowman reveals remaining offseason plans and hints at a bigger move

Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman just closed the door on any last minute roster shopping, and he sounds completely fine with that.

Bowman told Bob Stauffer on Oilers Now this week that he doesn't expect the team to add another player before puck drop.

That might sting for fans hoping for one more forward before October, but there's a method behind sitting still.

The Oilers have spent years pressed right up against the salary cap, which meant almost no wiggle room once the season got rolling.

Bowman knows that pain firsthand. He explained that being cap strapped mid season turns every opportunity into a headache, since teams trying to dump salary rarely want to deal with a club that has nothing to offer back.

He recalled seeing useful, affordable players hit waivers in past Novembers only to watch rival clubs scoop them up because Edmonton had no room to offer anything back.

This time around, Edmonton is projected to open the year with more than four and a half million in space, according to PuckPedia.

That cushion means Bowman can wait for the right player to hit the market in November or December instead of overpaying in August just to fill a roster spot.

Staying quiet also hands more opportunity to the kids already in the system.

Matthew Savoie racked up 37 points last season despite averaging under 15 minutes a night, and there's a real path for him to grab a bigger role up front.

Isaac Howard got a taste of NHL action too after a huge 50 point rookie year in the AHL.

Neither Savoie nor Howard has signed a new contract yet, and Edmonton hasn't opened extension talks with Savoie despite him being eligible this summer.

That's a storyline worth watching as camp approaches. For now, the message from Bowman is simple.

The roster is set, the kids get their shot, and the real moves will wait until the season is actually underway.

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