- Dmitri Samorukov’s NHL debut with the Oilers last season was one to forget. He played 2:28 of the first period, was on the ice for two goals allowed, and then was on the bench the rest of the way before being quickly sent down to the minors. However, Bruce McCurdy of the Edmonton Journal points out that despite the fact that his NHL experience is limited to that one appearance, Edmonton might be hesitant to try to sneak the 23-year-old through waivers next month in training camp. After all, young defensemen with some size at a low price tag ($775K) are often appealing to rebuilding teams which could result in him breaking camp with the team over someone like Philip Broberg who remains waiver-exempt.
Oilers Rumors
Edmonton Oilers Sign Ryan Murray
The Edmonton Oilers have signed defenseman Ryan Murray to a one-year, $750K contract, adding some depth to their group.
Murray, 28, is coming off a year spent with the Colorado Avalanche, one which resulted in a Stanley Cup championship–though he had little to do with it. The veteran defenseman didn’t play a single game in the playoffs for Colorado and suited up just 37 times during the regular season, recording four assists.
Interestingly enough, Edmonton fans will certainly be plenty familiar with the player, given his connection to one of the most infamous draft misses in team history. In 2012, the Oilers decided to pass on Murray, one of a huge number of defensemen that were ranked highly, and select Nail Yakupov first overall. The Columbus Blue Jackets would nab Murray next–a move that still might be considered a mistake, after so many others from the first round went on to star in the NHL.
It’s never been quite that level for Murray, who simply couldn’t stay healthy through the early part of his career and lost important development time because of it. Even in his post-draft year of 2012-13, he played only 23 games for the Everett Silvertips, a trend that would continue as he transitioned into the NHL.
Now a decade after being drafted, Murray has played in only 432 regular season games at the highest level, despite seeing just a single AHL contest in his entire career. At times it has seemed like he is on the injured list more than he’s on the ice, something that he’ll try to change as he heads back to Canada for the first time in his career.
The Regina, Saskatchewan native is an interesting addition for the Oilers, who already project to have a pretty full blue line for the upcoming season. There’s absolutely no risk with a league minimum deal like this one, though it will put a little more pressure on a young player like Philip Broberg to perform, given he is still waiver exempt.
Brandon Davidson Signs In KHL
After seven NHL seasons and 180 games played, defenseman Brandon Davidson has signed a two-year contract with Kunlun Red Star in the KHL, per the league.
The writing was on the wall for Davidson who, at age 31, spent the entirety of the 2021-22 season in the AHL for the first time since 2013-14. A member of the Buffalo Sabres organization for the past two seasons, Davidson was an alternate captain for the AHL’s Rochester Americans last year and had six points in 23 games. Davidson last played in the NHL on March 16, 2021, in a game against the New Jersey Devils.
A 2010 sixth-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers, Davidson had made a home for himself in the mid-2010s as a stable seventh defenseman for the Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, and New York Islanders. He remained entirely in the NHL from 2015-16 until the 2018-19 season, where he was sent to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs for a brief stint as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks organization. He’s yet to play a full NHL season since.
Davidson is still decent minor-league depth and could very well get two-way offers or AHL deals when his KHL contract expires in 2024.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Edmonton Oilers
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2022-23 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
Edmonton Oilers
Current Cap Hit: $88,531,333 (over the $82.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts:
F Dylan Holloway (two years, $925K)
D Evan Bouchard (two years, $863K)
D Philip Broberg (two years, $863K)
As talented as the high-end players on the Oilers are, the team also possesses a number of exciting young players and prospects. A key player in Edmonton’s continued success is Bouchard, a talented two-way defenseman who had a breakout 2021-22 with 12 goals and 31 assists in 81 games, all career-highs to-date. This season, Bouchard could see increased time at the point on the powerplay. Bouchard’s 2022-23 will have a strong influence on what his next contract looks like, a further breakout setting him up for big money on his next deal, more than likely a bridge for what will be a 23-year-old defenseman.
The eighth-overall pick in 2019, Broberg made his NHL debut last season, getting into 23 games, tallying three points. At 6’3 and 199 pounds, Broberg brings good size to a two-way style of play and should figure to see regular NHL minutes this year. Having two years remaining on his ELC, the 21-year-old will focus on continuing to develop his game to succeed at the NHL level before turning to his next contract in the summer of 2024.
Another of Edmonton’s promising young players, and another former first-round pick, Dylan Holloway made his NHL debut last season in the playoffs, getting into just one game. Though he has virtually no NHL experience, a solid AHL debut last season (22 points in 33 games) and a tight cap situation in Edmonton set the soon-to-be 21-year-old up well to play regularly in the Oilers lineup this season.
Signed Through 2022-23, Non-Entry Level:
F Jesse Puljujarvi ($3MM, RFA)*
F Derek Ryan ($1.25MM, UFA)
F Mattias Janmark ($1.25MM, UFA)
F Devin Shore ($850K, UFA)
D Oscar Klefbom ($4.167MM, UFA)
D Slater Koekkoek ($925K, UFA)
G Stuart Skinner ($750K, RFA)*
G Mike Smith ($2.2MM, UFA)
* – Puljujarvi and Skinner will both be arbitration eligible
The most intriguing name on this list is no doubt Puljujarvi, a name that was featured heavily in trade rumors this offseason. Evaluating the player Puljujarvi is and what he is worth is an interesting proposition and one that he and the Oilers will have to chew on over the next year or so, and if they cannot decide, that may simply be up to an arbitrator. The former fourth-overall pick didn’t have the start to his career he and Edmonton had hoped for, but after returning to the NHL, he began to find a rhythm, scoring a career-high 36 points this season. If he wants big money, he’ll have to take another step forward this season, but even if Puljujarvi simply repeats, Edmonton will have to accept his legitimate market value. Given the tricky negotiations this summer, seeing the two sides head to arbitration next offseason wouldn’t necessarily be a shocking turn of events.
Ryan, Janmark and Shore all represent a similar brand of player: depth forwards who can play all 200 feet on the ice. All three also come at a particularly affordable price tag and with Edmonton facing tough cap decisions in the coming years, having pieces like these are incredibly valuable. Still, a team with this cap situation may have to sacrifice some veteran depth in lieu of younger, even more affordable talent. This won’t be an issue for Edmonton given the group of young players coming through their system. It’s unlikely any of these three will increase significantly in value this year, so should the team choose to keep one or two around, the door should be open.
Koekkoek, much like the three veteran forwards, is an important depth piece for the Oilers who could give way to younger talent. The 28-year-old is one of four left-handed defensemen on the active roster behind Broberg, Brett Kulak, and Darnell Nurse (Klefbom is likely headed to LTIR) and figures as the team’s seventh-defenseman. With Smith’s expected retirement (likely LTIR this season), Skinner slots in as the Oilers’ backup goaltender. Skinner is somewhat of an exciting option in the role, entering his age-24 season, he has been a highly-regarded prospect in Edmonton’s system and has just 14 games of NHL experience, though he’s impressed in that span.
Signed Through 2023-24:
F Kailer Yamamoto ($3.1MM, RFA)*
F Warren Foegele ($2.75MM, UFA)
D Tyson Barrie ($4.5MM, UFA)
Yamamoto has had an up-and-down career so far, but has the potential to be another among Edmonton’s group of dynamic forwards. After a pair of relatively unimpressive NHL stints as a 19 and 20-year-old, Yamamoto broke out with a strong 26 points in 27 games in 2019-20 and appeared to be another weapon for the Oilers, however he regressed to just 21 points in 52 games the year after. This season, the playmaking winger seemed to rebound with 41 points in 81 games, his 20 goals a career-high, but it still wasn’t the performance 2019-20 saw from him. Now almost 24, Yamamoto signed a two-year, $3.1MM contract this offseason. His performance on this deal will likely dictate whether he is viewed as the star many believed he could be, or a solid option for secondary offense in a team’s middle-six.
At 26, Foegele has established himself as a reliable secondary scorer and gritty two-way winger. Traded to Edmonton for Ethan Bear last summer, Foegele continued to bring his effective game over from Carolina. Although he’s not the most exciting player on the Oilers, Edmonton has two years remaining of a valuable role-playing forward that just about every Stanley Cup Champion seems to have at least one of. As the Oilers look to secure a Cup of their own, Foegele will play a key piece.
A longtime Colorado Avalanche star, Tyson Barrie struggled after being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2019-20. After that season, Toronto let him walk and Barrie signed a one-year deal in Edmonton. That turned out to not only be a great decision for Barrie, but also for Edmonton. The veteran defenseman rebounded strongly in 2020-21, recording 48 points in 56 games. He wasn’t as dynamic this year, with just 41 points in 73 games, but nonetheless found himself a key contributor in Oil Country. As Edmonton works around their cap situation, Barrie could be a casualty, more likely traded as opposed to bought out (if at all), given their depth of offensive talent on their blueline, specifically in that of Bouchard. Should he finish his deal in Edmonton, he may price himself out, especially if he continues to impress as one of the league’s highly-regarded powerplay specialists.
* – Yamamoto will be arbitration eligible
Signed Through 2024-25:
F Leon Draisaitl ($8.5MM, UFA)
D Cody Ceci ($3.25MM, UFA)
Frankly, there’s not much to say about Draisaitl. One of the game’s very best players with a very good chance to be Hall of Fame bound when all is said and done, his three years at $8.5MM per season isn’t cheap, but represents some of the best value in the NHL today. The German-born forward will spend those next three years trying to add a Stanley Cup to his resume and continue to build value for when he hits the UFA market just a few months before turning 30.
Like some other players on this list, Ceci has had himself a bit of an up-and-down career. Prior to the 2020-21 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins signed him to a one-year deal, where he took a big step forward, becoming a reliable shut-down defenseman in Pittsburgh. The Penguins ultimately let Ceci walk, however, and he signed in Edmonton on a four-year, $13MM contract. The contract was met with some skepticism, however Ceci continued his impressive play, showing his resurgence was no fluke. Now a part of the organization’s long-term plans, Ceci becomes part of a formidable right-side alongside Barrie and Bouchard.
Signed Through 2025-26 Or Longer:
F Connor McDavid ($12.5MM through 2025-26)
F Zach Hyman ($5.5MM through 2027-28)
F Evander Kane ($5.125MM through 2025-26)
F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins ($5.125MM through 2028-29)
D Brett Kulak ($2.75MM through 2025-26)
D Darnell Nurse ($9.125MM through 2029-30)
G Jack Campbell ($5MM through 2026-27)
Put simply, the Oilers have their core locked-up for a longtime. Looking at it one way, having seven roster players signed for at least the next four years, including arguably the best player in the world, puts a team in an enviable position, setting them up for several runs at the Stanley Cup. On the other hand, one could say it handcuffs the team in salary cap for at least that duration, preventing it from making any substantial moves to take another step. With Edmonton, that issue is ripe for debate.
In the first instance, the team has McDavid and Draisaitl together for the next three seasons guaranteed, cementing one of the greatest duo’s in league history. Add to them a top-pair defenseman in Darnell Nurse as well as secondary scoring in Hyman, Kane, and Nugent-Hopkins, all signed at least through the three-year window the organization has with the two superstars. Another asset the team hasn’t had in their recent history is a true number-one, All Star goaltender, which they now have signed long-term as well in that of Campbell. Even if the situation is less than ideal several years from now, the organization has all the pieces to make a few runs at a championship now, not to mention a pipeline of younger players, many of whom are still in the development stages.
From the other lens, the Oilers only have Draisaitl signed for three more seasons, who will then be due a massive raise, and McDavid for four more seasons, who may also be due a raise from his $12.5MM AAV. The players signed with real length are Hyman, Nugent-Hopkins, and Nurse, all of whom are talented, but aren’t the front-line stars that McDavid and Draisaitl are. Their cap hits, especially Nurse’s, could actually serve as roadblocks to extending the two superstars, and even if not, it may prevent the team from keeping their younger players or replacing others when their deals expire.
Ultimately, if the team can bring home a Stanley Cup, the poor cap situation it might find itself in down the road won’t be as sore of a subject – just ask the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, this analysis is looking ahead and projecting, and though a Cup or two makes things look better, when mapping out a salary cap structure over the next decade or so, one can guarantee the money, but not the championship.
Buyouts:
F James Neal (three years, $1.917MM)
D Andrej Sekera (one year, $1.5MM)
Retained Salary Transactions:
F Milan Lucic (one year, $750K)
Still To Sign:
This year was McLeod’s first full NHL season, recording 21 points in 71 games, with a brief stint in the AHL mixed in. The 22-year-old was one of Edmonton’s more important bott0m-six forwards and figures to play a prominent role with that group for years to come. Because he had just 21 points this season, and only one in 10 games in 2020-21, he won’t see too much of a raise over his ELC, however seeing as Edmonton is already over the salary cap and only has around $300K to offer once Klefbom and Smith are put on LTIR, finding a way to squeeze McLeod’s contract in will be a challenge regardless of the cost.
Best Value: Leon Draisaitl
Worst Value: Darnell Nurse
Looking Ahead:
Considering how little space the Oilers have to re-sign McLeod and the LTIR being used, they figure to have trouble managing the cap this season, limiting the flexibility they will have. But, with the talent the team possesses, few would blame them for believing they could utilize the group they have in front of them now to pursue the Stanley Cup.
Since the team has its core locked in for the most part over the next three years, they’ve set themselves up well, at least to avoid losing any key pieces while their window is open. When the salary cap ceiling increases in the next coupe of seasons, the organization will find increased financial flexibility, however much of this may be needed to re-sign their big two up front. Overall, the short-term future, even if complicated and with slim margins, is very promising for Edmonton, primarily having two of the league’s best players as a part of that payroll. The long-term projection does look a little troublesome in five or six years, but may be worthwhile so that Edmonton can open it’s window wide for a few seasons right now.
Oilers Showed Interest In John Klingberg Last Month; No Hearing Date Set For Evander Kane's Grievance
While the Oilers have been busy this summer between re-signing their free agents and bringing in a new starter in Jack Campbell, they took a run at landing one of the big fish on the open market as well. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports in the latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link) that Edmonton was hoping to work out a sign-and-trade to pick up John Klingberg with the veteran signing with a team that would have then immediately moved him with retention to help on the salary cap front. Montreal was believed to be a possibility as a team that would have facilitated the move. While that one obviously won’t happen (Klingberg signed with Anaheim last month), it’s a sign that GM Ken Holland is still looking to upgrade his back end.
- There remains no date set for the resumption of Evander Kane’s grievance hearing, relays Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter link). The Sharks terminated Kane’s deal last season citing a breach of contract, permitting him to become an unrestricted free agent. He signed with the Oilers for the stretch run and then inked a four-year, $20.5MM deal before free agency began to stay there but it remains to be seen what would happen if his original contract (which still had three years left at a $7MM AAV) was to be reinstated as a result of the grievance.
Woodcroft: Nurse And Draisaitl Should Be Ready For Training Camp
It appears as if the Oilers will have two of their star performers available for training camp as head coach Jay Woodcroft told 630 CHED (audio link) that both defenseman Darnell Nurse and center Leon Draisaitl are expected to be ready when team activities open up next month. Nurse played through the playoffs with a torn hip flexor and while it was speculated at the time that he would need surgery, that wound up not being the case. As for Draisaitl, he suffered what appeared to be a leg injury in the final game of the first round but still managed to go on a tear offensively in their last two rounds, putting up 23 points in just nine games.
Oilers Have Held Talks With Sam Gagner
Earlier this month, Oilers GM Ken Holland mentioned that he’d like to add more depth to his roster although, for the time being, he doesn’t have the cap space to do so once he re-signs RFA Ryan McLeod. But that hasn’t stopped him from having discussions with free agents and Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal reports that one of the players they’ve spoken with is veteran winger Sam Gagner.
The 33-year-old is no stranger to Edmonton having played for them on a couple of occasions in the past. He spent seven years with them after being drafted by them sixth overall back in 2007 before returning in 2019 for parts of two more seasons. With 317 points in 542 games with them, he sits 21st on their all-time scoring list.
Gagner hasn’t done a lot of scoring in recent years, however, with just one season of more than ten goals since 2016-17. Fortunately for him, the one time he did that since then was last season with Detroit when he put up 13 goals and 18 assists in 81 games, all but two of those coming at even strength. That type of depth scoring should be appealing to some teams but right now, it’s not a desirable market for veteran role players with so many teams at or near the cap ceiling.
Gagner is 33 games shy of reaching the 1,000 games played mark. At this point, it’s likely that he’ll have to settle for a minimum contract if he wants to have a chance of getting to that mark in 2022-23. A return to where it all began certainly makes some sense for the Oilers but only if they can find a way to free up enough cap space to bring him back for a third stint with the team.
Holland: McLeod Likely To Sign For One Or Two Years
The Oilers have one remaining restricted free agent to re-sign in Ryan McLeod. Speaking with 630 CHED (audio link), GM Ken Holland indicated that they expect to have the center signed by training camp on either a one-year or two-year deal. The 22-year-old spent most of last season with Edmonton, picking up 21 points in 71 games plus four more in 16 playoff contests. McLeod didn’t have salary arbitration rights so these talks could drag out closer to training camp. With the Oilers being pretty tight to the cap even after factoring in their LTIR-eligible players, getting McLeod signed for cheap will be critical so it wouldn’t be surprising if he ultimately settles for a one-year pact to keep the AAV as low as possible next season.
Oilers Still Hoping To Add Extra Depth
It has been a busy offseason for the Oilers. Jack Campbell is their new starting goalie while they parted ways with Duncan Keith (retirement) and Zack Kassian (trade). They were able to re-sign Evander Kane, got new deals done with RFAs Jesse Puljujarvi and Kailer Yamamoto, and had enough left over to add Mattias Janmark.
All in all, not a bad summer for GM Ken Holland. However, he told TSN 1260 (audio link) that he might not be done with his offseason work just yet:
There are some players out there that I’m still kind of looking at for the bottom part of the roster. Maybe would like to add someone on a one-year deal that is sort of undervalued because they didn’t get swept up over the first couple weeks of free agency.
Looking for late-summer bargains is becoming more of a common practice around the league especially as players continue to feel the squeeze of a leveled-out salary cap. There should be some quality players that have to settle for PTOs or low-cost one-year deals next month and Edmonton should be an appealing place for several of them.
However, how Holland plans to fit in another addition remains to be seen. Per CapFriendly, Edmonton is roughly $6MM over the Upper Limit right now while their two LTIR-bound players – Mike Smith and Oscar Klefbom – combine for $6.367MM. That only leaves a few hundred thousand to work with when the league minimum is $750K. For that matter, RFA Ryan McLeod is also in need of a new contract and after a 21-point season, he’ll almost certainly cost more than the minimum.
Accordingly, if Holland wants to make another addition – he specified his preference would be someone in their mid-to-late-20s – a trade will need to be made first. He has seen firsthand how difficult it is to move money this offseason after parting with a pair of draft picks (and sliding down in the first round) to move Kassian and with numerous teams in spots where they either have to clear money or want to clear money, he’s going to be hard-pressed to get fair value in any sort of cost-clearing swap.
Tyson Barrie had been speculated as a possible trade possibility earlier this offseason although the departure of Keith (even though they play different sides) could push Holland towards keeping the veteran around. Puljujarvi has been in trade speculation for months as well while Warren Foegele is another player who makes more than most bottom-six players do which could put him at risk of being moved.
If Holland has his way, there will be another newcomer on Edmonton’s roster in the fall. But to get there, someone else is going to need to be on the way out first.
Oilers Re-Sign Tyler Benson
The Oilers have agreed to terms with one of their remaining restricted free agents, announcing (Twitter link) that they’ve re-signed winger Tyler Benson to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will pay $750K at the NHL level while PuckPedia adds (Twitter link) that Benson will receive $275K in the minors. The contract has a total guarantee of $350K.
The 24-year-old spent most of last season with Edmonton but had a limited role. Benson suited up in 29 games with the Oilers but managed just one goal and one assist while averaging 8:33 per game. With the team needing to free up some cap and roster space to facilitate their eventual trade deadline acquisitions, Benson was placed on waivers in mid-March and passed through, allowing him to be assigned to AHL Bakersfield. Benson was much more productive with the Condors as he had a dozen points in 18 contests, allowing him to finish up the season on somewhat of a better note.
Benson opted not to file for salary arbitration last month and with a one-year, two-way deal being the eventual outcome, the decision to not go that route isn’t particularly surprising. He’ll get a chance to earn a roster spot again with Edmonton in training camp where having a cap hit of the league minimum will certainly work in his favor. However, with how he performed last season, the Oilers will be less hesitant to put him on waivers this time around so he will need to impress in the preseason to avoid being on waivers in early October.