September has arrived, and with less than a month to go before the 2026-27 NHL season begins, the free-agent market is getting tighter by the day. For players still without contracts, the clock is no longer a background noise - it’s the whole story.
Some will need to land deals fast. Others may end up staring at professional tryout offers if they want a shot at being on an NHL roster when opening night comes.
The forward group is where the most recognizable names remain. Vladimir Tarasenko stands out first.
The 34-year-old put up 23 goals and 47 points in 2025-26, numbers that would normally point to a new contract coming together without much drama. Instead, the market has been quieter than expected for him and his camp.
Tarasenko is one of several veteran forwards still looking for a landing spot. The list also includes Michael Bunting, James Van Riemsdyk, Evander Kane, David Perron, Reilly Smith, Jonathan Drouin, Philipp Kurashev, Tanner Pearson, Adam Henrique, Gustav Nyquist, Brandon Saad, Luke Glendening, Calle Jarnkrok, Curtis Lazar, Tomas Nosek, Ryan Reaves, and Patrik Laine.
Laine is a different kind of case. He’s only 28, but injuries have taken such a toll in recent seasons that his NHL future is very much in question. The talent has always been obvious; the availability has not.
On the back end, the names may not jump off the page quite as loudly, but there are still a few that have raised eyebrows. Logan Stanley being unsigned has surprised plenty of people, and the same can be said for John Klingberg and Carson Soucy.
The full group of remaining defencemen includes John Klingberg, Logan Stanley, Ben Hutton, Carson Soucy, Matt Grzelcyk, Jeff Petry, Mike Reilly, Nick Leddy, Adam Boqvist, Travis Hamonic, Derek Forbort, Colin Miller, Jake Bean, Matt Dumba, and Pierre-Olivier Joseph.
As with the forwards, a lot of these blueliners are veterans in the later stages of their careers. For some, the decision may come down to whether they want one more chance via a PTO or whether the next step is simply walking away.
The goalie market is shorter, as it usually is this time of year, but there are still names worth watching. Connor Ingram is the most notable of the bunch. He served as the Edmonton Oilers’ number-one goalie down the stretch of the 2025-26 season and into the playoffs.
Cam Talbot also appeared in 34 games, while the other three goaltenders were used only sparingly.
In Other News...
Oilers Linked To A Top Six Winger Worth Watching Closely
Kirill Marchenko has quickly become one of the more interesting names on the winger market, and the Oilers are among the teams keeping close tabs on the Columbus forward. Montreal has been mentioned too, but from Edmontons side the appeal is easy to see. He is a top-six type who can help a contender at a premium position, and any player with that profile is going to draw attention when the trade chatter starts to pick up.
The catch is that Marchenko does not sound like a simple rental situation, which is why this one bears watching rather than assuming. Columbus has plenty of reason to proceed carefully with a young winger like that, especially if other front-office business around the league keeps changing the market. Between Connor Hellebuycks confirmed trade request and the speculation swirling around Winnipeg, the wider NHL landscape is shifting fast, and Edmonton will have to decide how aggressively it wants to stay in the mix if Marchenko ever becomes available. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Face A Core Question As Their Cup Window Tightens
As Edmonton looks for a way to keep its championship window open, the contrast with Montreal is hard to miss. Juraj Slafkovsky recently described the Canadiens mindset as one centered more on winning than on maximizing paydays, and Montreal has backed that up by locking in a growing core with long-term contracts for Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Slafkovsky himself.
For the Oilers, the question is whether they can create that same kind of stability while dealing with a more individualized approach to negotiations. With the window tightening, the challenge is not just finding talent, but keeping enough of it together long enough to turn contender status into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers May Have An Overlooked Prospect Built For A Real Role
Josh Samanski has quietly put together a case that looks different from the usual prospect hype cycle in Edmonton. His AHL work and brief NHL look suggest a player whose value shows up in the details, with a positive influence on his line and enough defensive reliability to stand out in an organization still sorting through names like Ike Howard and Roby Jarventie.
The intrigue is not whether Samanski is going to score at a flashy rate. It is whether his game translates into something more practical for the Oilers, the kind of forward who can handle trusted minutes, help on the penalty kill and hold his own at five-on-five when the margins tighten. For a team always searching for cost-effective depth that can be trusted in real NHL roles, that is a development worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]