The free-agent market has slowed to a crawl with summer winding down, but the Edmonton Oilers still have a little room to maneuver. General manager Stan Bowman recently said the club would probably keep its remaining cap space to begin the season, though he left the door open to adding a forward if the right fit appears. And even in mid-August, there are still a few names worth circling.
If Edmonton does dip back into the market, the most obvious lane is up front. The Oilers have options, and the list includes a mix of scoring, veteran know-how, and grit that could fit different needs depending on how Bowman wants to use that cap space.
Vladimir Tarasenko stands out as the biggest swing of the group. Edmonton lost a couple veterans in Darnell Nurse and Adam Henrique this offseason, and Tarasenko offers the kind of offensive punch that could replace some of that experience while adding more firepower.
He put up 23 goals and 47 points with the Minnesota Wild last season and remains a former All-Star with a dangerous shot. His attacking style can create issues on the defensive side, but he still brings value.
Tarasenko is also a multiple-time Lady Byng Trophy nominee and a Selke Trophy nominee, and his speed and clean style would give the Oilers another skilled option in the middle of the lineup.
Reilly Smith is another veteran who would bring a very different flavor. He’s a Stanley Cup champion, and that matters in a room trying to get over the top.
Smith has frustrated Edmonton before as a member of the Vegas Golden Knights, but his track record says he could be useful rather than annoying if the Oilers brought him in. He turned 35 in the spring and still produced 16 goals and 26 points in 69 games last season.
Even while working mostly in bottom-six minutes over the past few years, he has remained an efficient shooter and a steady contributor. There’s also the leadership piece - the kind of presence that can help a team in the same way Corey Perry once did.
Eeli Tolvanen is the name that might surprise some people, especially this late in the summer. He had 36 points last season and has been consistent over the past few years with both the Seattle Kraken and Nashville Predators.
But his value goes beyond scoring. Tolvanen is a hard player to handle, blocks shots, and throws his weight around with plenty of bite.
He logged 187 hits last season, 237 in 2024-25, and 210 the year before that. At 27, he’s younger than the other veterans on this list and could command the highest price because of that age and steady production.
If Edmonton could land him at a manageable number, he’d be an interesting piece to slot around the team’s top talent.
Curtis Lazar would be the more modest move, but maybe not the least useful. A reunion is possible after he played 45 games for the Oilers in 2025-26 and finished with six points.
He’s not being brought in for offense, and that’s fine. In limited minutes, Lazar showed he can handle faceoffs and bring energy, which gives him a clear role if Edmonton wants depth without much financial commitment.
A low cap hit could let him settle into the fourth line and work with the team’s depth players without much pressure. There was enough there to make a return worth considering, and if he takes another step in 2026-27, he could help in a playoff push.
Bowman still has time to decide what to do with the cap space he’s holding onto, and the Oilers don’t need to force anything. But if they do choose to add a forward, these four remain legitimate options.
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