Souray demoted to the AHL
After spending the past week trying to move Sheldon Souray through trade, the Edmonton Oilers have been forced to send the veteran to the American Hockey League. Souray will have to go through re-entry waivers before he joins the Washington Capitals farm
team the Hershey Bears.
Souray proved to be too difficult for the Oilers to trade due to his mammoth $5.4 million salary. Instead the Oilers will remove the defenseman’s cap hit by placing him in the AHL with the Hershey Bears. Although the Oilers have their own farm team in the
Oklahoma City Barons they chose to lend him to the Bears. According to reports Washington has no plans of obtaining Souray and rather is simply providing a spot for the 34-year-old in order to improve their AHL team.
Before Souray can join the Bears he will have to pass through re-entry waivers. When the defender passes back through waivers National Hockey League clubs have a chance to claim him and only pay half his salary, while Edmonton pays the other half.
Souray and the Oilers ran into difficulty when Souray told the Oilers brass that he wanted to be traded out of the organization. The Oilers were unable to oblige Souray and told him not to report to training camp in September.
Although Souray is still a capable defender when he is healthy, he has struggled to stay fit throughout his career and missed the majority of last season because of a shoulder injury. Moreover, his contract of $10.8 million over the next two years is a difficult
one to move. Regardless, the Oilers are expected to continue to try and trade the Alberta native throughout the course of the season.
Last season with Edmonton Souray notched four goals and nine assists for 13 points in 27 games.
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