It looks like the Edmonton Oilers have their centre situation figured out, but changes could be brewing over the next couple of weeks.
One thing is for certain. The first-line and second-line centre spots are covered by two of the best players in the world. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will be the 1C-2C options for the Oilers for the 11th consecutive season.
It’s the two centre spots in the bottom six that have some question marks. The Oilers’ cap situation isn’t great, and two players who may find themselves traded or bought out to save room are Adam Henrique and Mattias Janmark.
If the Oilers choose to look elsewhere, who are some centres available to fill a bottom-six centre role this season?

Jack Roslovic

Another right-shot centre who is available this season is Jack Roslovic. He’s coming off a season with a career-high 22 goals, along with 39 points, his third-best total of his career. While not as strong as Giroux in the dot, Roslovic won 54.1% of his faceoffs, but took a little over 355 last season, well down from his totals in the 2022-23 season.
Unlike Tavares and Grioux, Roslovic is a fast skater and is projected to earn a little over $4 million on a three-year deal. If they’re shopping for a third-line centre, Roslovic would be a nice replacement for Adam Henrique.
Nov 23, 2022; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Arizona Coyotes center Nick Bjugstad (17) celebrates his goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Bjugstad

Remember when the Oilers traded Michael Kesselring and a third to the Arizona Coyotes for Nick Bjugstad? That was a pretty bad trade.
It wasn’t because of Bjugstad, as he scored four goals and six points in 19 games, as well as three goals in 12 postseason games, fine production from the bottom-six, right-shot forward.
He re-signed with the Coyotes, meaning the Coyotes/Utah Mammoth got Kesselring, a third, and Bjugstad for 31 games with the Oilers. The 32-year-old also popped off in 2023-24, scoring a career-high 22 goals and 45 points in 76 games.
Bjugstad’s play dipped in 2024-25, scoring just eight goals and 19 points in 66 games, along with a sub 50% faceoff. Still, he’s a big, right-shot centre who’d be a nice fourth-line centre. He’s projected to earn a little north of $2.3 million annually on a two-year deal per AFPAnalytics.

Cody Glass

One player whose name has been discussed around the Oilers is Cody Glass, who seemingly won’t be given a qualifying offer by the New Jersey Devils, thus making him an unrestricted free agent.
Another right-shot centre, Glass scored just six goals and 22 points in 65 games last season, but is a strong centre, with solid speed and an above 50% faceoff taker, winning 51.2% of the faceoffs he took last season.
Not just that, but Glass is only 26 years old and scored a career-high 14 goals and 35 points in 72 games back in 2022-23. If he’s available, he needs to be a top target for the Oilers as he’s the perfect third-line centre. Glass is projected to earn a three-year deal with an annual cap hit of $2.9 million per AFPAnalytics.

Christian Dvorak

Although he’s not a right-shot centre, Christian Dvorak could be an interesting centre the Oilers could look to bring in this off-season. Standing at 6’1”, 190 lbs,  Dvorak scored 12 goals and 33 points in 82 games last season, the fifth time he’s hit the 30-point mark in his career. He also scored 12 goals, the sixth time he’s scored in the double-digit mark.
Dvorak is a great skater with good speed. On top of that, the 29-year-old won 55.8% of the faceoffs he took last season, which has a sample size of over 1,000 draws. AFPAnalytics predicts Dvorak will sign a two-year deal worth just under $1.8 million annually. He’d be a nice replacement for Mattias Janmark.

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Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.