from Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal,

The truth is, while MacTavish has likely reached out to about a half-dozen agents in the sell-us-on-your-team window from June 25-30, the Oilers may want to go after somebody like Buffalo Sabres defenceman Christian Ehrhoff, but everybody’s eyes lit up when the Sabres on Sunday bought out the last seven years of his contract.

Quite possibly 10 teams might be in the hunt for the German-born defender; the Oilers can sell him on playing with his countryman Draisaitl, among other things, but you can bet the Detroit Red Wings will make a huge push for him.

Ditto for the Colorado Avalanche, who are also in the Niskanen pursuit, the Washington Capitals, the Philadelphia Flyers, the New York Islanders and the Minnesota Wild.

Ehrhoff has been paid $22 million of the $40 million he signed for and will get another $12 mil in the buyout, so he’s made out like a bandit. Now, the teams are lining up for the 32-year-old, who can easily log 20 minutes a game, but teams may be trying to give him dollars but not term at his age — like, say, four years at $5.5-million a season.

MacTavish knows players pick landing spots in free-agency for 1) money, 2) a shot at winning a Stanley Cup, 3) location and how cold it is in the winter, and 4) where your wife wants to live.

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