The Edmonton Oilers spent July 1 creating something they haven’t had much of lately: real cap flexibility. By moving Darnell Nurse to the San Jose Sharks, the club opened up the kind of room that gave general manager Stan Bowman a chance to reshape the roster in a hurry.
Bowman didn’t sit on it. He used the space to bring in two goaltenders, two left defencemen and a few other pieces, leaving Edmonton with 22 of 23 roster spots occupied, one restricted free agent still unresolved in Colton Dach, and close to $6 million available to work with between now and the trade deadline.
That’s the upside. The other side is that the roster still has some unfinished business, and plenty of it.
A week after the July 1 flurry, the Oilers have more options than answers in a few key spots. One goalie will have to take control.
One defender will have to win a crowded race for a second-pairing job. And the fourth line is still very much up for grabs.
On defence, the biggest question starts with Ryan Shea and Jake Walman. Shea’s 2024-25 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins included 4:39 per game against elites at five-on-five, a jump of more than a minute from 2024-25.
He posted a 55 percent goal share and possession numbers that were above average compared with his teammates. Walman, meanwhile, played 5:16 per game against elites in Edmonton and finished with a 45 percent goal share, along with a possession number relative to teammates that lagged behind at -10.6 percent DFF rel.
Walman looks like the more obvious fit based on last season’s depth chart and salary commitment, but Shea brings a lot of value on the defensive side. That battle may end up hinging on which player works best alongside right-handed defenceman Connor Murphy.
In goal, the picture is just as crowded. Devon Levi has a clear route to becoming the starter eventually, but that probably won’t happen this season.
For now, he’s in a strong long-term spot with only two older veterans and their injury concerns standing in his way. The setup gives Edmonton a chance to ease Levi in while keeping the veterans fresh for the postseason.
Health will likely decide a lot here, because the odds of Frederik Andersen and Tristan Jarry staying healthy for the full year are not especially high. That could leave Levi paired with whichever veteran is available. If the playoffs force his hand, Levi has some strong recent evidence to lean on: a .917 save percentage across the last three AHL playoff springs, over 16 games.
The fourth line has its own competition, starting on the wings with Mathieu Joseph and Mattias Janmark. Joseph, signed by Bowman, can play both wings, skates well, kills penalties and comes at a $1 million AAV.
He also overlaps heavily with Janmark, which makes the fit even more interesting. Both players have value on the fourth line, and both can help on the penalty kill.
Joseph’s max speed is in the 77th percentile, which matches Janmark exactly, and both are depth forwards who can chip in offensively. If the roster gets tight, Joseph would seem to have the edge. A move for a right-handed centre could also force the issue.
The third-pairing picture is even more crowded. Shakir Mukhamadullin, Spencer Stastney and Ty Emberson are all in the mix, and one of Shea or Walman is expected to land there as well.
Emberson has the clearest case because he’s the only right-shot option. Mukhamadullin can play either side and is a strong skater.
Stastney brings penalty-kill ability, but his possession numbers after arriving from the Nashville Predators were not strong.
The likeliest outcome has Mukhamadullin and Emberson sharing the right side, with Walman or Shea on the left. Stastney, for now, looks like a trade candidate before the season begins.
At centre, the Oilers may still need another body. If Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Jason Dickinson handle the top three spots, the fourth-line job could come down to Josh Samanski and Owen Michaels. Samanski made a solid impression in a small audition last season, while Michaels is being talked about as a real option in the middle, even if it would be a surprise for him to win the job straight out of training camp.
Curtis Lazar is another possible answer, though roster space is already tight. If neither Samanski nor Michaels claims the role in preseason, the club has other forwards - notably Trent Frederic - who could slide into the spot. For now, that position remains fluid.
The bigger picture is that the roster still looks unbalanced. Bowman has said several times this offseason that the Oilers are exploring a skill forward for the top two lines, which raises a few questions.
Does that mean McDavid and Draisaitl are destined to share the top line full time? Is the target actually a skill winger?
And what does that mean for top prospect Ike Howard?
The defence may also be headed for more movement. There are too many options, and there are minor-league players such as Damien Carfagna and Josh Brown who could show up at camp and push for jobs. That leaves open the possibility of packaging two current blueliners in a trade to bring back a more significant piece.
There’s still another possible addition up the middle, too. The Oilers could use a more veteran No. 4 centre, even if it only raises the competition level in camp. Unless Ryan Nugent-Hopkins ends up as the No. 3 centre and Dickinson slides down, another centre could be added before training camp opens.
For all the noise already made this summer, the Oilers may not be done yet. A defensive tweak, more clarity at centre and maybe another top-six forward could all still be on the table. Bowman has the cap room to keep working, and right now that $6 million gives Edmonton plenty of room to keep changing the picture.
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