Oilers shed cap with trade, what it could mean for a Canucks free agent

The Edmonton Oilers have cleared cap space in a trade with the Boston Bruins. The Oilers sent forward Viktor Arvidsson to the Boston Bruins in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round pick, with no salary retained.

While this trade could simply be the Oilers moving cap to be able to resign players like Jeff Skinner, John Klingberg and Connor Brown, it could also be the Oilers gearing up for a run at Brock Boeser.

With the chapter on Boeser all but confirmed to be closed in Vancouver, the Oilers have been one of the teams rumored to be interested in Boeser. While this move doesn't indirectly mean the Oilers will offer a contract to Boeser, or whether he would be interested in signing with the Oilers, it gives the Oilers some flexibility moving forward in free agency.

Boeser is likely to demand 7.5-8 million dollars on a long-term deal, so it may require a team like the Oilers to continue to move salary if they are planning to throw some money at one of the top free agent forwards like Boeser.