Silly Season is right around the corner. The NHL’s free agency period will open on Tuesday at noon ET, though we’ll surely start to hear about deals well before then.
The Edmonton Oilers made a salary cap-clearing move last week when they traded Evander Kane to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a draft pick. Since then, Trent Frederic and Kasperi Kapanen re-signed to new contracts, leaving the team with just over $11 million in salary cap room heading into free agency.
That should be enough space for the Oilers to re-sign restricted free agent Evan Bouchard and either Corey Perry or Connor Brown, two veteran wingers set to become unrestricted free agents.
A few hours after posting this article, the Oilers inked Bouchard to a four-year contract worth $10.5 million annually. Now they have roughly $500k in salary cap room.
If the Oilers are going to make any other major additions this off-season, they’ll have to make another trade to clear more cap room. Viktor Arvidsson, who’s signed for one more year at $4 million, is expected to be moved this summer, though he might become a more attractive option to teams who struck out on the open market.
Below are the players the Oilers have signed heading into the 2025-26 season, as well as the players who are set to become free agents on Tuesday.

Edmonton Oilers Salary Cap Commitments

  • F – Leon Draisaitl ($14 million)
  • F – Connor McDavid ($12.5 million)
  • F – Zach Hyman ($5.5 million)
  • F – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins ($5.125 million)
  • F – Viktor Arvidsson ($4 million)
  • F – Trent Frederic ($3.85 million)
  • F – Adam Henrique ($3 million)
  • F – Mattias Janmark ($1.45 million)
  • F – Kasperi Kapanen ($1.3 million)
  • F – David Tomasek ($1.2 million)
  • F – Vasily Podkolzin ($1 million)
  • F – Max Jones ($1 million)
  • F – Noah Philp ($775k)
  • D – Evan Bouchard ($10.5 million)
  • D – Darnell Nurse ($9.25 million)
  • D – Mattias Ekholm ($6 million)
  • D – Jake Walman ($3.4 million)
  • D – Brett Kulak ($2.75 million)
  • D – Ty Emberson ($1.3 million)
  • D – Troy Stecher ($787,500)
  • G – Stuart Skinner (2.6 million)
  • G – Calvin Pickard ($1 million)
  • Jack Campbell Buyout ($2.3 million)
  • Bonus Overage Carryover ($250k) 
  • Total Projected Cap Hit (~$95 million)
  • Salary Cap Ceiling ($95.5 million) 
  • Open Salary Cap Room (~$500k)

Edmonton Oilers Becoming Free Agents

  • F – Connor Brown (UFA)
  • F – Corey Perry (UFA)
  • F – Jeff Skinner (UFA)
  • D – John Klingberg (UFA) 
  • F – Drake Caggiula (UFA)
  • F – Lane Pederson (UFA)
  • F – Jacob Perreault (RFA)
  • F – Derek Ryan (UFA)
  • F – Cameron Wright (RFA)
  • D – Ronald Attard (UFA)
  • D – Connor Carrick (UFA)
  • D – Travis Dermott (UFA)
  • D – Phil Kemp (UFA)
  • G – Collin Delia (UFA)
  • G – Olivier Rodrigue (RFA)

Continue Reading About the Off-Season…


Presented by Litco Law

Litco Law has been serving Edmontonians and all of Alberta for over 50 years. A family-owned and operated company, their purpose is to balance the power for people who find themselves having to navigate the complex legal system. They can help with personal injury claims (like car accidents), employment matters (such as wrongful dismissal or severance package reviews), or if you’ve been denied long-term disability benefits. Litco Law is known for being experienced, responsive, and genuinely caring. You might not believe Lawyers You’ll Love™ exist—but they do. To learn more or book a free consultation, visit LitcoLaw.com.