July 1 wasn’t exactly a banner day for the Edmonton Oilers and GM Stan Bowman.
Through the early stretch of the off-season, the moves have been underwhelming. Even if you understood the need for cap space, moving on from Evander Kane, who had flashes of his vintage self during the playoffs, didn’t exactly have fans fist-pumping. Necessary? Sure. Exciting? Not really.
Even the much-anticipated Evan Bouchard extension left people uneasy, regardless of where you sit in the debate about the player’s status as a top-pairing defender.
If you’re a fan of Bouchard’s game, you’re probably frustrated that the Oilers once again walked a young cornerstone right into unrestricted free agency — the same mistake they made with Darnell Nurse, which ended up costing them a fortune. And if you’re more focused on Bouchard’s flaws than his offensive brilliance, you’re probably just straight-up mad that the team gave him $10.5 million a year.
Either way, the vibes were off.
There was hope that once free agency opened on Canada Day, the Oilers could make a splash. Maybe they could even take a swing at someone like Brock Boeser. They cleared out cap room by flipping Viktor Arvidsson to the Boston Bruins, but didn’t land any of the big names. Boeser stayed in Vancouver, and just like that, another “what if” slipped away.
To make matters worse, fan favourites Corey Perry and Connor Brown signed elsewhere. Not exactly the news you want when trying to build momentum after back-to-back Stanley Cup Final runs.
It didn’t take long for disappointment to turn into panic: “Are the Oilers even a playoff team anymore?”
Look, declaring winners and losers just hours into free agency is a dangerous game. Remember how hyped we all were for Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner last summer? Or how Nashville “Won the West” on July 1 by dropping $100 million on Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei? None of it really matters until the puck drops.
Instead of roasting the Oilers’ front office for not making a splash, I’ll give them credit. They didn’t make a mess, and they’ve kept their flexibility.
I wasn’t sure how to feel when I first saw the Oilers linked to Andrew Mangiapane. The early rumours had him asking for $5 million per year, and at that price, I was out. But they got him for $3.6 million on a two-year deal. That’s cheaper than Arvidsson and, in my opinion, a much better fit.
Last season, Mangiapane’s ice time dipped under 15 minutes per game for the first time in four years. Even still, he scored 14 goals (which would have been tied for eighth on the Oilers) while spending most of his time in Washington’s bottom-six. His most common linemates at 5v5? Lars Eller and Nic Dowd.
Now imagine him playing next to McDavid, Draisaitl, or even just in a more skilled middle-six role with players like Adam Henrique or Trent Frederic. If the chemistry isn’t there, he can still be a solid third-liner. And while he didn’t kill many penalties with the Capitals, he has done that in the past, and it’s something this group could use more of.
The Oilers aren’t done, either. If they want to run with 12 forwards, seven defensemen, and two goalies, they can send down Max Jones and David Tomášek (who’s waiver-exempt) and free up a little over $3 million in cap space. That’s enough to add another forward.
There’s also the nuclear option: Trade Adam Henrique, call up Noah Philp, and suddenly you’ve got $5.5 million in space to work with. I don’t think that’s likely, but it’s on the board.
More realistically, the Oilers could carry $1.9 million in space into the season, let it accrue, and have meaningful room at the trade deadline. Add in their 2026 second- and third-round picks, plus picks in each of the first three rounds in 2027, and they’ve got ammo to make noise later.
The bottom line is that the Oilers didn’t panic. They didn’t overspend. They kept themselves in a position to adjust later.
Yeah, it’s disappointing not to make a splash on July 1. And yeah, it stings to watch guys like Brown and Perry leave. But nothing the Oilers did this week hurts their shot at chasing another Stanley Cup. And sometimes, during Silly Season, that’s enough.