Vladimir Tarasenko is on Edmonton's radar right now, but the Oilers are treating this exactly like they treated Jack Roslovic last summer.
A new report earlier this week described general manager Stan Bowman's approach as slow and patient, with no urgency attached.
"The ask is too high at the moment. Nothing urgent or close at the moment. But things could change," the report read.
That is nearly identical to how Bowman handled Roslovic's free agency a year ago, working the market patiently before eventually getting a deal done.
The comparison carries some weight given how that situation actually played out for Edmonton.
Roslovic ended up departing this offseason after an inconsistent season, part of the broader roster reshuffle already reshaping Edmonton's forward group.
The Roslovic comparison cuts both ways this time
Betting on the same patient approach again raises a fair question about whether it actually pays off a second time.
Edmonton already has plenty on its plate elsewhere. Connor McDavid's own extension talk has floated numbers as high as $23 million a season.
The crease is also crowded, with Tristan Jarry, Frederik Andersen and newly acquired Devon Levi all in the mix heading into camp.
There has also been chatter connecting Edmonton to Pittsburgh winger Rickard Rakell, another name that would add to an already busy forward group.
Adding a name like Tarasenko to that picture would be a depth move, not a change in Edmonton's core identity.
For now, the asking price is reportedly the real holdup, and Bowman appears content to wait it out rather than overpay early in the summer.
The original post laying out Edmonton's approach is worth reading directly.
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Whether patience actually gets this one done, the way it eventually did with Roslovic, is something only the rest of the offseason will answer.
Should the Oilers just meet Vladimir Tarasenko's asking price now?
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