The Oilers' offseason depth picture is taking shape, with Jason Dickinson and Connor Murphy reportedly closer to staying while others head to market.
The chatter came from a fan account run by Brandon. It sounds like Edmonton has made progress with Dickinson and Murphy, while Jack Roslovic and Adam Henrique are bound for free agency.
The same post added that Connor Ingram is highly unlikely to stay, with only a small chance he returns.
Big caveat right away. This is a fan account using "sounds like," not a plugged-in insider. Treat all of it as speculation, not reporting.
That said, the players check out as Oilers, so the depth picture is worth a grounded look.
The post laid out the whole supporting-cast shuffle.
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The real Oilers questions are bigger than depth pieces
Look at who's reportedly staying. Dickinson, 30, on a $4.25 million deal, and Murphy, a 33-year-old defenseman at $4.4 million. Useful, experienced bottom-of-the-roster pieces.
Then the names possibly walking. Roslovic, 29, who put up 36 points on a cheap $1.5 million deal, and Henrique, a 36-year-old veteran at $3 million.
For a cap-strapped contender, that's normal housekeeping. Keep the cheaper, useful bodies, let the pricier veterans test the market. None of it moves the needle on its own.
Because here's the thing. The decisions that actually define Edmonton's summer are much bigger than these depth calls.
The Darnell Nurse trade, complicated by a $6 million bonus due this offseason, is one. The goaltending hunt, with reported interest in Samuel Montembeault, is another.
And the Mike Babcock coaching saga, awaiting a ruling, hangs over all of it. Those are the storylines that matter.
The Ingram note fits that bigger theme, too. If Edmonton is chasing goaltending help, a depth netminder walking lines up with a crease the Oilers clearly want to upgrade.
Here's my read: take a fan account's roster predictions with a grain of salt. The broad direction, reshaping the supporting cast cheaply, is logical enough.
But the headlines won't come from whether Henrique walks. They'll come from the Nurse trade, the goalie, and the coach.
This is the undercard. The main event for Edmonton is still being written, and it's the part worth watching.
Should the Oilers re-sign their depth or let it walk and chase bigger moves?
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