The Edmonton Oilers still have work to do, and free agency opening on Wednesday gives them a chance to patch some holes without sacrificing assets.
Re-signing Jason Dickinson and Connor Murphy was a solid first step for GM Stan Bowman, but the roster isn’t finished. Edmonton is expected to enter free agency with $7.4 million in cap space, which keeps the margin for error pretty tight. That number could shift if Bowman manages to pull off a Darnell Nurse trade at the last minute.
The Oilers need more than just help in goal, even with the underwhelming goaltending market already identified. They could use another forward or two with Adam Henrique, Kasperi Kapanen and Jack Roslovic all expected to hit free agency. And if Nurse does get moved, another left-shot defenceman would also make sense.
Here are nine names Edmonton could chase once the market opens, along with AFP’s contract projections.
Ilya Mikheyev, RW, is one option if the Oilers want a middle-six winger who can chip in offensively and help on the penalty kill. The 31-year-old posted 18 goals, 18 assists and 36 points in 77 games in 2025-26, and he helped Chicago ice the NHL’s best PK last season.
A reunion with Connor Murphy could be part of the appeal. AFP projects a three-year deal at $3.5 million AAV.
Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, would bring more finishing touch. At 34, he’s not the same play-driver he once was, but Edmonton wouldn’t need that version of him.
He scored 23 goals and finished with 47 points in 75 games in 2025-26, and AFP has him at one year and $3.4 million AAV. He could be a natural fit next to Leon Draisaitl on the second line.
Patrik Laine, LW, is the swing-for-the-fences play. He barely played last season because of injuries, appearing in just five games and recording no points, but the price tag could make the gamble worthwhile.
AFP projects a one-year deal at $850,000 AAV with bonuses, which would make him a low-cost bet with real upside if healthy. He has long been a reliable 20-goal scorer when available.
Oliver Bjorkstrand, RW, offers steadiness. The 31-year-old had 12 goals, 20 assists and 32 points in 80 games in 2025-26, and while his offense dipped, he remains a strong two-way option.
AFP sees him at two years and $2.8 million AAV. He could slide into a third-line role, even alongside Jason Dickinson and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
Mason Marchment, LW, brings a different kind of value. He put up 19 goals, 26 assists and 45 points in 68 games last season, and his edge is part of the package.
He’s the kind of player who can make life miserable for opponents while still producing enough offense for a top-nine spot. AFP projects three years at $5.7 million AAV, which could make him one of the pricier options on this list.
Boone Jenner, C, checks the box for veteran grit. The 33-year-old scored 13 goals and totaled 38 points in 67 games, and he fits the mold of the kind of centreman the Oilers usually like.
Dickinson’s new deal may reduce the need, but Jenner could still make sense if Edmonton wants to move him to the wing and add his intangibles to the group. AFP projects three years at $5.2 million AAV.
Corey Perry, RW, is the familiar face in the mix. He was a strong fit in Edmonton the first time around, and he just kept producing last season with the Tampa Bay Lightning and LA Kings.
At 41, he still found a way to post 18 goals, 20 assists and 37 points in 72 games, and AFP has him at one year and $2.2 million AAV. He’s also shown he can handle a wide range of roles.
On the blue line, Carson Soucy, LD, looks like a straightforward veteran option if Nurse is out the door. The 31-year-old had five goals, seven assists and 12 points in 76 games, and while the offense is limited, he profiles as a dependable defensive defender. AFP projects two years at $2.2 million.
Logan Stanley, LD, is the bigger, harder-to-miss alternative. Edmonton knows him from his Winnipeg Jets days, and the six-foot-seven defender would bring size and a physical edge.
He had nine goals, 17 assists and 26 points in 76 games in 2025-26, but his underlying numbers were not pretty, and he fell out of favour with the Buffalo Sabres during this year’s playoff run. AFP projects two years at $3 million AAV.
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Oilers May Have Found The July Fix They Desperately Need
With free agency opening, Edmonton is still looking for a middle-six forward who can bring some offense without boxing the club into another expensive mistake. The Oilers have room to work with under the cap, and Matias Maccelli fits the sort of swing they can realistically take: a 25-year-old winger with real playmaking touch and the kind of offensive profile that stands out on a roster built around Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
The appeal is easy to see because Edmonton has already kicked this tire before, and the need feels familiar after a few recent July 1 additions did not move the needle the way the club hoped. Maccellis track record suggests he could help right away in a top-nine role, but the real question is whether the Oilers can turn interest into a signing before another team gets there first. [Read more 🡒]
A Major Oilers Blue Liner Is Suddenly At The Center Of Trade Buzz
With free agency creeping closer, the trade market around the NHL has started to tighten around some familiar names, and Darnell Nurse has suddenly become part of that conversation. Edmontons blue line has long been built with Nurse as one of its defining pieces, so any hint that he could be on the move naturally lands with extra weight for the Oilers, especially in a period when teams are probing the market and waiting to see which talks gain traction.
Nurse is being discussed alongside other high-profile players such as Dylan Larkin, Connor Hellebuyck, Jason Robertson and Zach Werenski, a sign of how much movement could still come before the offseason fully opens. For Edmonton, the immediate question is not just whether there is real momentum, but how far those discussions can go if the situation remains fluid and the list of workable landing spots stays narrow. [Read more 🡒]