The Oilers and Mattias Janmark are reportedly nearing a one-year contract

It looks like another one of the Oilers’ unrestricted free agents will be taking a pay cut to return next season.

According to Mike Kelly of the NHL Network, the Oilers and Mattias Janmark are nearing a one-year contract that’s expected to be worth around $1 million. Jason Gregor also noted a few days ago that the Oilers had tabled a one-year, $1.1 million contract to Janmark.

The Oilers inked Janmark to a one-year, $1.25 million deal a few days into free agency last summer. He wound up as a salary cap casualty following training camp and cleared through waivers. Janmark was called up from the Bakersfield Condors when Evander Kane went on the Long-Term Injured Reserve in November and he remained with the Oilers for the rest of the season.

Janmark provided the Oilers with pretty much exactly what they would have been expecting from him based on his results from the previous season. He scored 10 goals and 25 points over 66 games for the Oilers, a stat line that nearly mirrors the nine goals and 25 points he put up with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2021-22. Janmark also averaged 1:57 per game on the penalty kill, the most of any Oilers forward.

If the report about Janmark is correct, he’ll be the second of Edmonton’s free agents to return at a cheaper salary cap hit than last season. Derek Ryan signed a two-year contract extension worth $900k annually, a decent cut from the $1.25 million annual salary he earned on his previous two-year deal.

While it might not seem like very much, saving $350k on a contract like Ryan’s is important for a cap-strapped team like the Oilers. They had to navigate a significant part of last season without a full active roster because calling up another player from the Condors would have put them over the ceiling. The savings on contracts like these can be the difference between the Oilers being able to carry a 23-man roster or not.