Things are a little bit chaotic for the Edmonton Oilers as free agency is now just three days away.
The Oilers are currently without a general manager in place, as it was announced two days ago that Ken Holland will not be returning for the 2024-25 season. On top of that, they also have 9 pending UFAs along with two pending RFAs, and only roughly $9 million to sign them.
Capfriendly
One thing worth noting is that Capfriendly has all of Jack Campbell’s $5 million salary on the books, whereas that number dropped to $3.85 million once they sent him to the AHL. This offseason, a buyout feels likely, which for 2024-25, would save the Oilers $3.9 million. We’ll pretend today that’s the route they go, which will then increase the Oilers cap space to approximately $12.9 million.
Along with a Campbell buyout, the Oilers are also expected to move out the final year of Cody Ceci’s $3.25 million contract. For the sake of this story, we will assume they are successful in doing so, which would then give them roughly $16.15 million in space.
While it remains to be seen which UFAs they bring, or at least attempt to bring back, the general consensus is that both Connor Brown and Mattias Janmark will be re-signed. AFPAnalytics is projecting both players to earn roughly $1 million, which will take the Oilers cap space (assuming the moves mentioned above take place) down to $14.15 million.
Next up are RFAs Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway, who both had solid showings in the playoffs. Let’s say they elect to sign both to short-term, prove-it type deals at $2 million each. That would then bring the Oilers down to $10.15 million.
With those four players signed, the Oilers would need two forwards and two defencemen to fill out an 18-man lineup.
It’s no secret that they’re looking to add a top-four defenceman along with a top-six winger. If those two combine for $8 million, that gives the Oilers just over $2 million in space to re-sign a player like Desharnais to be the seventh defencemen, along with perhaps Corey Perry up front.
The Oilers roster would be filled out in this situation, albeit rather thin. They do, however, have some prospects, most notably Raphael Lavoie, who could push for spots next season.
Regardless of how exactly this plays out, the Oilers will have enough space to ensure they are a Stanley Cup contender once again in 2024-25. Things could get interesting in the years to come, but looking short term, there is no reason to sound off the panic button. Instead, fans can relax, sit back, and watch to see what moves Jeff Jackson and his staff make to try and improve this roster.
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