Rumor: Edmonton Oilers To Buy Out James Neal

On July 19th, 2019, the Calgary Flames traded James Neal to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Milan Lucic. This trade has been under scrutiny because these players were swapped by bitter rivals. After scoring just 7 goals with the Flames, Neal tallied 19 goals after being traded to the Oilers. Now it appears that the Oilers are prepared to buy out the remainder of Neal's contract.
GM Ken Holland stated that he is not interested in carrying another buyout against the salary cap, but according to Jonathan Willis of The Athletic,  he is reportedly flirting with the idea of making an exception for Neal. The Oilers will soon be facing a salary cap crunch, especially since the cap will remain frozen for the foreseeable future.

Neal has 3 years left on his current contract at $5.75 million per season. Although Neal tallied nearly 20 goals this season, his consistency remains questionable as he just turned 33 years old. Buying out his contract would allow the Oilers to clear $3.8 million in cap space. If the Oilers wish to sign a high quality free agent during the offseason, buying out Neal will be a necessary move.

Photographer: Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire