Stan Bowman reportedly has two Oilers he wants off Edmonton's roster
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Stan Bowman appears locked in on moving two specific names off Edmonton's roster, and the timing lines up with what insiders have been hinting at for weeks.
Stan Bowman isn't wasting much time this summer.
According to a fresh report making the rounds, the Oilers GM has zeroed in on two names he wants off the roster, and by the sound of it, he isn't budging until something gets done.
The two players are Mattias Janmark and Spencer Stastney, and neither is a total shock if you've been following Oilers chatter lately.
"Stan Bowman is working on moving Mattias Janmark and Spencer Stastney."
- DB
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Both have been floated as trade candidates for weeks now, though the reasoning behind each situation is a little different.
Why Janmark could be the easier fit to move
Janmark has become something of an afterthought in Edmonton's forward group.
He has just seven goals across his last 194 games, and last season ended early after a February injury required season ending surgery.
With a deep, veteran heavy lineup up front, he's the type of depth piece other teams sometimes chase for penalty killing help and locker room value, even if the point totals aren't turning heads anymore.
Stastney's situation is more about roster math.
Edmonton is carrying eight legitimate NHL caliber defensemen for what will likely end up being seven spots, and Stastney, Ty Emberson and Shakir Mukhamadullin are all competing for the same couple of openings behind the established top group.
What it means for the blue line battle
Stastney is a left shot in a group that already has plenty of them, which puts him at a disadvantage in that competition.
Waiving him carries real risk since Edmonton could lose him for nothing, so shipping him out for even a modest return, maybe a bottom six forward, makes more sense for Bowman than gambling on waivers.
Nothing is official yet, but if this report holds up, expect movement before training camp wraps up.
Bowman has spent the whole summer making calculated tweaks to balance this roster, and this looks like the next step in that process.
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