The Edmonton Oilers kept four restricted free agents in the fold on Monday, issuing qualifying offers to Colton Dach, Robby Jarventie, Owen Michaels, and Spencer Stastney as the post-draft churn continued late in June.
Among that group, Dach and Stastney were the names who saw the most action in Edmonton’s lineup during 25-26, and both arrived via midseason trades. Stastney came over from the Nashville Predators in December and appeared in 36 games for the Oilers, finishing with one point. He was not used in Edmonton’s opening-round playoff series against the Anaheim Ducks.
Dach’s path was a little different. He was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks and joined the Oilers with Jason Dickinson ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline. In eight regular-season games, Dach posted four points, then added a point in five playoff games.
Jarventie also got a brief look with Edmonton this past season, skating in three games for the Oilers. Most of his year came with Bakersfield in the AHL, where he finished fifth on the Condors in scoring with 47 points in 61 games. He signed a deal in Switzerland in May, but the Oilers will keep his NHL rights.
Michaels, meanwhile, was signed in April to a one-year entry-level contract after producing 26 points at Western Michigan University.
Not every minor-league player got the same treatment. Edmonton chose not to qualify Matvey Petrov or Josh Bloom, making both unrestricted free agents. Bloom logged just three games in Bakersfield last season, while Petrov had been viewed as a player who might eventually develop inside the organization, but he never quite found that next gear and finished with 23 goals over three AHL seasons.
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Beyond the novelty, the move stands out because it opens a different kind of conversation about where elite womens hockey talent can fit into NHL development environments. Murphy, Kraemer and Primerano each arrive with a strong rsum from the womens game, and for the Oilers, the setup adds an unusual layer of interest to a camp that will already be closely watched for how players handle the jump in pace and expectation. [Read more 🡒]