Summer Synopsis: Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers were a win away from capturing the franchise’s sixth Stanley Cup and first, since 1990 but fell to the Florida Panthers in seven games. The team shook off previous playoff disappointments to win the Western Conference but fell short of the ultimate goal. This summer the team has made a pile of personnel changes, replacing general manager Ken Holland with former Chicago Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman. The new management group wasted little time overhauling the roster and dealt with a very unorthodox roster situation last month with two offer sheets that saw them lose two young players for draft picks. It appears that Edmonton’s roster is still very much under construction, and they do have some flexibility heading into training camp.

Draft

1-32: C Sam O’Reilly, London (OHL)
2-64: G Eemil Vinni,  JoKP (Mestis)
5-160: LW Connor Clattenburg, Flint (OHL)
6-183: D Albin Sundin, Frölunda HC (SHL)
6-192: C Dalyn Wakely, North Bay (OHL)
7-196: C William Nicholl, London (OHL)
7-218: DBauer Berry, Muskegon (USHL)

The Oilers have one of the worst farm systems in the NHL and used the 2024 draft to try and replenish their many needs in the prospect pipeline. The Oilers moved into the first round and grabbed O’Reilly from the OHL’s London Knights. Edmonton was higher on the two-way center than most scouts but should end up with a player who can help them upfront. O’Reilly isn’t the quickest center, but he is elusive and has good offensive instincts that should allow him to create chances for linemates.

The Oilers selected a goaltender late in the second round, taking Vinni with the 64th selection. Many scouts had the Finnish goaltender as the most athletic netminder in the draft and the most complete. Edmonton has struggled to draft and develop goaltenders in the past but might have the goalie of the future in Vinni. The 18-year-old moves well, has good rebound control, and is a good size at 6’3” and 187 pounds.

The Oilers didn’t have another pick until the fifth round and they used it to select Clattenburg out of the OHL. The Arnprior, Ontario native won’t contribute much offensively but has no fear on the ice and is a big disruptor in the offensive zone. Some scouts believe that Edmonton reached when selecting Clattenburg, but the Oilers really don’t have another player like him in their organization.

Sundin is a two-way defenseman who will need to improve his skating if he hopes to become an NHL defenseman. He isn’t afraid to get physical and has good defensive instincts, controlling his gaps effectively and using his reach to break up plays in the defensive zone.

Trade Acquisitions

D Ty Emberson (San Jose)
D Paul Fischer (St. Louis)
F Vasily Podkolzin (Vancouver)
C Matthew Savoie (Buffalo)

Edmonton acquired Savoie from the Buffalo Sabres in a trade that was highly praised from an Edmonton perspective. Savoie was drafted ninth overall in the 2022 NHL entry draft and is an intriguing offensive prospect. His dynamic skating should allow him to flourish with the Oilers, particularly if he gets time on the power play, a place where he has excelled at every level. The 20-year-old is equal parts shooter and passer and can create offense in transition and with his playmaking. The knock on Savoie is his size as he stands just 5’9” tall. However, he doesn’t play like a smaller player and isn’t afraid to get into the dirty areas of the ice.

Podkolzin was acquired as a Dylan Holloway replacement and offers many of the same traits as Savoie (albeit at a lower skill level). The 23-year-old is a former tenth overall pick in 2019 and is also a speedy winger, with skill, who isn’t afraid to get physical. Despite his obvious talent, Podkolzin hasn’t been able to put it all together at the NHL level and has just four goals and five assists in 58 NHL games over the last two seasons. He is very much a project but should get an opportunity in Edmonton’s top nine given his offensive pedigree.

Emberson was brought over in the Cody Ceci trade and is a downgrade from the veteran defenseman despite offering a similar skillset. Emberson is a stay-at-home defenseman who won’t offer much offensively or jump in on the rush very often. He is a decent skater and can skate the puck out of trouble in the defensive zone, but his passing isn’t great and he tends to keep it simple rather than stretching out for breakout passes or moving the puck through traffic. He should be able to play in Edmonton’s bottom pairing this season.

UFA Signings

F Viktor Arvidsson (two-year, $8MM)
F Connor Brown (one-year, $1MM)
D Josh Brown (three-year, $3MM)
G Collin Delia (one-year, $775K)*
C Adam Henrique (two-year, $6MM)
F Mattias Janmark (three-year, $4.35MM)
F Corey Perry (one-year, $1.15MM)
G Calvin Pickard (two-year, $2MM)
F Jeff Skinner (one-year, $3MM)
D Troy Stecher (two-year, $1.575MM)

* denotes a two-way contract

Much of Edmonton’s work in free agency was to re-sign veteran players that they’d brought into the lineup over the past year. The Oilers brought back Connor Brown, Henrique, Janmark, Perry, Pickard and Stecher while adding low-risk options Skinner and Arvidsson to improve their forward group.

Skinner will be very interesting to keep an eye on this season as he has been a 40-goal scorer multiple times during his career and will have an opportunity to play with very high-end linemates in Edmonton. Skinner had just 24 goals last year but topped 30 goals in the two years before that and should have enough left in the tank to top 30 goals once again next season. Skinner has never played in NHL playoff games, holding the distinction of playing 1006 NHL games without a playoff appearance, but should finally break that drought this season with the Oilers.

The 31-year-old Arvidsson is a strong candidate for a bounce-back year having played just 18 games last season due to injury. The Oilers took a calculated risk in signing the two-time 30-goal scorer to a two-year deal but will be rewarded if he can stay healthy. Arvidsson had 15 points in 18 games last season and was fantastic the year prior, dressing in 77 games while registering 26 goals and 33 assists. Arvidsson is still a terrific skater which should translate well to Edmonton’s style of play, and he is a good shooter that can make plays with the puck on his stick. He should do well with the Oilers.

RFA Re-Signings

D Cam Dineen (two-year, $1.55MM)*
F James Hamblin (two-year, $1.55MM)*
D Noel Hoefenmayer (one-year, $775K)*
C Raphael Lavoie (one-year, $775K)*

* denotes a two-way contract

Edmonton had several restricted free agents to deal with this summer before receiving multiple offer sheets from the St. Louis Blues. Outside of the players they lost to the Blues, Edmonton was quiet on the RFA market, signing their remaining players to two-way contracts.

The most notable of the group is center Lavoie who had another strong season in the AHL last year. Lavoie is probably ready for the NHL, but given the Oilers’ forward depth, he might not receive an opportunity. Lavoie has great size and can skate, but his work in the defensive zone continues to hold him back from being a regular NHL contributor. If he can clean that up, he should get a long look at the NHL in the not-too-distant future.

Departures

D Philip Broberg (St. Louis, two-year, $9.16MM)
G Jack Campbell (Detroit, one-year, $775K)
F Sam Carrick (New York, three-year, $3MM)
D Vincent Desharnais (Vancouver, two-year, $4MM)
F Adam Erne (unsigned free agent)
G Ryan Fanti (Syracuse, signed AHL contract)
F Warren Foegele (Los Angeles, three-year, $10.5MM)
F Sam Gagner (unsigned free agent)
C Seth Griffith (Bakersfield, signed AHL contract)
F Dylan Holloway (St. Louis, two-year, $4,580,914)
F Brad Malone (retired)
F Greg McKegg (unsigned free agent)
F Ryan McLeod (traded to Buffalo)
D Markus Niemelainen (unsigned free agent)
F Carter Savoie (signed with TPS in the Finnish Liiga)

* denotes a two-way contract

Edmonton played the long game with Holloway and Broberg and it ultimately led to both players receiving offer sheets, and while it certainly stings to lose both players, it shouldn’t be an earth-shattering loss in the short term. Broberg had yet to establish himself as an everyday NHLer in Edmonton and Holloway was very much a fourth liner going into next season.

Beyond those two, Edmonton didn’t lose much talent this offseason. McLeod will hurt their depth up front a little bit, but Edmonton did a nice job filling out their forward ranks with other transactions.

Getting Jack Campbell’s contract off the books was an absolute must, and while it stings to pay a player for six more seasons not to play for your team, the short-term savings will allow the Oilers to bring in more depth during their competitive window. Campbell had become unplayable in Edmonton and needed a fresh start elsewhere, which Edmonton granted him when they facilitated his buyout.

Salary Cap Outlook

The Oilers will enter the season with roughly $945K in salary cap space but could see that number increase if Evander Kane is sidelined to start the season. Edmonton has room to make a move in season and could look to add a free agent or bring in a veteran on a PTO. The Oilers have a glaring hole on their second defensive pairing and will need to get creative to fill it. Long term, Edmonton’s salary cap situation is murky as they will have to sign their biggest stars (Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard) to long-term extensions over the next two years.

Key Questions

Will Draisaitl Re-sign? The Oilers are exactly ten months away from seeing Draisaitl walk out the door for nothing in free agency. While it’s rare for players of his skill level to hit the open market, it’s not unheard of. Edmonton finally showed they can win in the playoffs and build a team around Draisaitl and McDavid, they’ve done it with both stars on bargain deals, particularly Draisaitl who is counting just $8.5MM against the salary cap next season. It seems likely he will re-sign in Edmonton; however, it is not a foregone conclusion, and it could get interesting if he doesn’t sign before the start of the season.

Can The Team Find Another Gear? It’s not often that teams lose in the Stanley Cup Finals and return the following season but look no further than the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers to see that it is possible. Florida lost in the 2023 final and returned this past year to win it all, can Edmonton do the same? On paper, the Oilers look better upfront, and weaker defensively, how that will balance out remains to be seen, but they are certainly capable of making another run. Especially if McDavid and Draisaitl are firing on all cylinders.

How Will The New Additions Fit In?  Edmonton shuffled a lot of the furniture around in their forward group and will have to figure out a way to fit in two new top-six forwards without disturbing the existing chemistry. Arvidsson and Skinner are both veterans who have changed teams before and should be able to find their role in the new environment. However, nothing is guaranteed and there is always a risk when turning things over. On the backend is where Edmonton could feel some pain points, the losses of Ceci and Broberg aren’t insurmountable, but not having adequate replacements could become an issue as the season drags on.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.