Oilers Pass On Lee Moffie

The Oilers did not come to terms with defenseman Lee Moffie, the man the club traded for just a month ago when they dealt Kyle Bigos to the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks ended up signing Bigos to an AHL-only contract, but the Oilers passed on Moffie.

Neal Livingston at Tend The Farm talked about it:

There’s a portion of the collective bargaining agreement that Lee Moffie and his agent really were dialed in on. It’s article 8.6(c), and it simply required the Oilers to sign Moffie prior to August 15th or he’d become a free agent. This week that date came, went, and left the defender unsigned, and the Oilers handing over his rights to the most winsome suitor.

Neal likes Moffie's game and thinks he'll catch on somewhere soon and surprise people. Perhaps it was Moffie's choice - the Oilers have a wealth of left-handed defensemen and not much room in the AHL to keep them. If the Oilers wanted to start Moffie in the ECHL, it may have led to a split.

The move (non-move) means that Olivier Roy is now the only thing remaining from the Kyle Brodziak trade made in 2009.