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Oilers place David Tomasek on waivers for purpose of contract termination
Edmonton Oilers David Tomasek
Photo credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
baggedmilk
Dec 26, 2025, 13:15 ESTUpdated: Dec 26, 2025, 13:21 EST
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Looking for a Boxing Day deal? May I interest you in a slightly used David Tomasek? According to the Edmonton Oilers’ social media accounts, the team announced Friday that it will be placing forward David Tomasek on waivers for the purpose of contract termination. According to a report from Swedish outlet Värmlands Folkblad, Tomasek is set to return to Sweden and play for Färjestad BK of the SHL.
Because the NHL’s holiday roster freeze is still on, David Tomasek will officially hit the waiver wire on Sunday as the next step in making his way back to Europe after a disappointing crack at the NHL. The 29-year-old signed a one-year contract back in April and appeared in 22 games with the Oilers this season, recording three goals and two assists while bouncing around the bottom six in the lineup. I thought Tomasek did some decent things with his hands out there, but I also worried about his ability to keep up. It wasn’t like our man was lightning on ice, you know? And with the minutes starting to disappear, it was fair to wonder if time was winding down for our latest SHL scratch ticket.
At the same time, it’s hard not to remember why David Tomasek thought he’d be a fit with the Oilers in the first place. Back in the summer, Gregor spoke to Tomasek about why he chose Edmonton and how he thought he might fit in with the roster. With the benefit of hindsight, you can start to see the holes in the plan.
Jason Gregor: Take me through the decision on why you chose Edmonton.
David Tomášek: I would say that it was maybe the personal contact with Stan Bowman and the team, we’ve been in touch for some time now, not just last year. They also came down to Sweden and wanted to introduce themselves, and we had a good chat about it. And I liked the idea about the team having a chance to skate with Leon and Connor, also is a great motivation to be around these best players, I would say, in the league.
Gregor: For fans who haven’t watched you play, can you describe your style of game and what they should expect to see?
Tomášek: It kind of depends on what role you’re going to get, but so far in Europe, I was able to be a point producer, having some skill and time on the power play. I see the ice well and I can make some plays. I also liked to use my size a little bit to create time and make plays. But here, I think it really depends on how the next weeks are going to be and what role I’m going to get or I’m able to fight for. When I was put in a role where I had to defend, I could do it and when I was in the top two-line role, I could produce. My style depends on what role I’m given.
Either way, the David Tomasek era is over, and he will be added to the list of players like Anton Belov, Joakim Nygard, and my beloved Gaetan Haas, who came over to Edmonton on cheap deals that we hoped would provide a huge ROI. And while a scratch ticket winner hasn’t happened yet, you know you’ll never win that sweet sweet lotto unless you play the game. Unfortunately, it didn’t work 0ut for the Oilers and Tomasek, but I wish him well on his journey to what’s next. It was a bummer to see the pictures on Reddit of him at the airport with his bag and sticks this close to Christmas.
Tomasek signed a one-year deal with Edmonton on April 2nd after wrapping up the 2024–25 season with Färjestad BK of the Swedish Hockey League.

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