Stan Bowman reveals new details on Oilers' next free agent signing
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Stan Bowman says the Oilers could bring in a tryout player as Edmonton deals with camp injuries, but nothing is close to being decided yet.
Edmonton is heading into training camp banged up, and it has general manager Stan Bowman thinking about outside options.
Speaking with Bob Stauffer on Oilers Now, Bowman addressed whether the team might look at professional tryouts to fill in the gaps.
The Oilers are already dealing with injuries to Frederik Andersen, Matt Savoie, Mattias Janmark and Alec Regula, and no firm timeline has been given for any of them to return.
Bowman weighs his options
Bowman made it clear he isn't ruling anything out, even if he isn't promising a move either.
He pointed out that plenty of solid players remain unsigned this late in the offseason, guys still hunting for a landing spot before camp opens.
According to Bowman, Edmonton isn't desperate for bodies, but it also isn't overflowing with them, which puts the front office in a spot where adding a tryout invite wouldn't be the worst idea.
“There are still some decent players out there who are trying to find landing spots. I'm not sure if we're going to go down that road.
We're not overflowing with players, but we also don't have a shortage of players. We're in that mode where yeah, we probably could try to bring a guy in on a tryout - not the worst idea."
- Stan Bowman
We're not overflowing with players, but we also don't have a shortage of players. We're in that mode where yeah, we probably could try to bring a guy in on a tryout - not the worst idea."
- Stan Bowman
With roughly $2 million in cap space still available, the Oilers technically have the flexibility to add a body if the right name becomes available.
Veterans like Vladimir Tarasenko, Evander Kane and Michael Bunting remain unsigned, giving Edmonton some intriguing names to keep an eye on.
What it means for camp
For now, Bowman's comments suggest patience over urgency.
Edmonton has leaned on this strategy before, and it paid off in the past.
Whether that approach leads to a tryout invite this time around remains to be seen, but the door is clearly still open.
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