Oilers place veteran forward Kyle Turris on waivers

Turris has appeared in 21 games for the Oilers this season and has just one goal and three points.

The Oilers signed Turris back during the 2020 offseason after the Nashville Predators bought out the final four years of his six-year, $36 million contract. Turris’ deal with Edmonton is worth $1.65 million annually.

Turris cleared through waivers twice last season and spent a good chunk of 2021 on the team’s taxi squad. He appeared in 27 of Edmonton’s 56 games and didn’t suit up for the club during the playoffs.

If Turris clears waivers, the Oilers will save $1.25 million against the salary cap with him as a buried cap hit. If somebody claims him, the Oilers will be off the hook for the entirety of his $1.65 million cap hit. The former appears more likely than the latter.

Also, the Oilers have placed Tim Soderlund on unconditional waivers in order to have his contract terminated. Soderlund came back to the Oilers in the Duncan Keith trade from last summer and is currently playing for the team’s ECHL affiliate.

Given the cap savings from waiving Turris and the opening up of another contract slot, it’s possible to wonder if the Oilers have bigger plans on the horizon.