Is Adam Larsson playing his way into new contract with Oilers?

With the league trending toward more mobile defensemen and Edmonton needing to free up some salary this offseason, Adam Larsson seemed like a candidate to move on. The pending UFA has a $4.166 million salary, money that could be re-allocated to fill another area. However, Postmedia’s David Staples argues that the 28-year-old has played his way into earning another contract with the Oilers.

Of course, the question will be what price point works for both sides. Despite Larsson’s defensive efficiency, it’s hard to commit that type of money to a stay-at-home player. Something closer to $3 million would be more palatable from Edmonton’s side and would better reflect the current state of the market. However, if faced with the prospect of a pay cut, Larsson could justifiably want to see what his other options would be at that time. Staples posits that this isn’t a situation where re-signing Larsson could significantly alter Edmonton's expansion planning either with young blueliners Caleb Jones and William Lagesson standing out as probable targets for Seattle.

More from Edmonton:

• Teams will be looking for improved depth at the deadline, but GM Ken Holland told reporters, including Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, that it’s not a route the Oilers will be taking. Instead, he’s setting his sights on an impact acquisition but conceded they’re in a spot where they will need to match money to make it happen. They have just over $2.7 million in full-season LTIR room, per CapFriendly, but that amount includes Zack Kassian ($3.2 million) who is expected to be back at some point.
• Also via Spector’s column, defenseman Oscar Klefbom is set to undergo surgery in the next seven to 10 days. He’s dealing with recurring shoulder issues and was ruled out for the entire season before the 2020-21 campaign got underway. This procedure would seemingly put an end to any thoughts of him returning for the playoffs should they get there.
• Defenseman Kris Russell will not play Friday night versus Ottawa and is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury, relays 630 CHED’s Reid Wilkins (Twitter link). The veteran has had a more limited role this season, suiting up in just 19 games so far, recording six assists along with nearly two blocks per game while playing 18:03 per contest.