The Edmonton Oilers have built a roster with a lot of built-in security - and a lot of built-in complications.
By the numbers, 15 current Oilers players have some form of no-move or no-trade protection in their contracts, a sign of just how far the league has come from the days when those clauses were reserved for only the very top names. Players like the protection because it gives them control. For teams, it can make moving pieces around the roster a real headache.
At the top of the list is Connor McDavid, who has complete control over where he plays during his current two-year contract thanks to a full no-movement clause that runs through the 2027-28 season. He is followed by Leon Draisaitl, who also has a full no-movement clause and could remain in Edmonton for his entire career through the 2032-2033 season if he chooses.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is another Oiler with a full no-movement clause, and his deal runs through the 2028-29 season. Evan Bouchard’s no-movement clause doesn’t begin until 2027, covering the 2027-28 and 2028-29 seasons. Mattias Ekholm also has full no-movement protection through the 2028-29 season.
Zach Hyman’s setup is a little different. He has a modified no-trade clause with an eight-team trade list going into the season, and that list will expand to 10 teams beginning in the 2027-28 season, which is also the final year of his contract.
The Oilers also handed out more layered protection to several other players. Jake Walman’s no-movement clause runs until June 16, 2030, after which it becomes a 15-team no-trade list through the 2032-33 season.
Jason Dickinson has the same basic structure, with a no-movement clause until June 15, 2029 before it shifts to a modified no-trade clause with a 16-team list through the 2030-31 season. Connor Murphy got identical protection.
Ryan Shea’s deal includes a full no-trade clause through the first two years of his contract. Starting in 2028-29, that becomes a modified no-trade clause with a 10-team list through the 2030-31 season. Trent Frederic’s max-term contract is even more detailed: a no-move clause through the 2028-29 season, then a modified no-trade clause with a 10-team list for 2029-30 and 2030-31, before shifting to a 20-team list for the final two years in 2031-32 and 2032-2033.
There are also several players with more limited protection. Tristan Jarry has a modified no-trade clause that includes a 12-team no-trade list for each of the next two seasons.
Frederik Andersen’s one-year deal includes both a no-movement clause and a modified no-trade clause with a 15-team list. Vasily Podkolzin’s modified no-trade clause does not begin until the 2028-29 season, when it will carry a 10-team list.
Rounding out the group is Mattias Janmark, who has a modified no-trade clause as well.
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The name attached to the latest gamble is Devon Levi, a young goalie with a strong amateur and collegiate track record who arrives with plenty of intrigue around his upside. The questions follow him, too, and most of them center on whether his game can translate cleanly to the NHL level, where size concerns often shadow smaller netminders and leave Edmonton still waiting to see if this one finally sticks. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Still Have A Goalie Question Behind Linus Ullmark
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Samuel Ersson, acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs, is penciled in as the backup, but his NHL track record has left some room for doubt. That is why the clubs options in goal still feel a little open-ended, with another veteran name on the market giving the Senators something to weigh as they sort out who can best support Ullmark over the long haul. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Is About To Make Oilers History
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Now, with the season just getting underway, he is lined up to pass Kevin Lowe for the most games played in franchise history. Nugent-Hopkins is expected to tie the mark on Oct. 10 and move past it on Oct. 13 during an early-season road swing, a fitting next step for a player who has been at the center of Edmontons story for so long. [Read more 🡒]