What a week for the Edmonton Oilers, right? In the interim, General Manager Jeff Jackson has been cooking as he tries to improve on last season’s Stanley Cup Final loss. In fact, there is even a petition to have him take on the general manager role full-time. Not too often, the fans call for someone to be the GM in Edmonton.
So far, Jackson has made a handful of signings that we will get to later. He has also somehow managed to retain almost all of the Oilers’ pending free agents heading into the offseason on very team-friendly deals. He has capitalized on Edmonton being a place that players want to be right now, with a competitive team led by two of the best in the business in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. He also made a tough but bold trade to acquire Matthew Savoie, who is likely already the Oilers’ top prospect.
With that, we wanted to cash in on the positive vibes in Oil Country this week and ask the fans which of the Oilers’ 2024 free agent signings you are most impressed by.
Want to take part in Sunday Census polls? We send them out every week on our Twitter at @oilrigEDM. Follow along or send in ideas for the next poll!
Adding another Skinner
The addition of Jeff Skinner to the Oilers forward group was deemed the most impressive free agent signing by fans as he captured an even 50% of the fan vote this week. He is joining Edmonton on a one-year, $3M contract.
Shortly after being bought out by the Buffalo Sabres, Skinner was very quickly pursued by the Oilers, with rumours linking the two parties starting as soon as free agency opened. By that evening, the deal was signed, and Edmonton had acquired the agile scoring winger.
This move was very low risk but comes with the potential for a high reward. Although Skinner’s production over the past five seasons fluctuates wildly, he will likely be put into a situation to succeed alongside two of the best playmakers in the league. Since his entire game is based on shooting and scoring, everything is in place for this to work out well.
Viktor, if ya can’t beat ’em, join ’em
The other high-profile forward the Oilers added is a former member of the Los Angeles Kings, who have lost to Edmonton in the first round of the playoffs three seasons in a row. Viktor Arvidsson agreed to join the Oilers on a two-year, $4M AAV deal, which was deemed the most impressive add by 46.1% of fans.
Arvidsson, a speedy and aggressive scoring winger, gives a winger upgrade for Leon Draisaitl that he has desperately been needing. The 31-year-old winger has scored 30 goals twice in his career and has totaled 61 points twice as well. So far, he hasn’t played with a player or passer of Draisaitl’s calibre.
The risk with Arvidsson is health. He has missed a lot of time over the past five seasons due to injury, including all but 18 games of the 2023–24 season. He insists he is fully healthy and ready to play. And going off of his 18 points in 23 games across the regular season and playoffs last season, all indications point to him telling the full truth.
Collin Delia providing goaltending depth
A little bit less of a high-profile signing is the deal given to goaltender Collin Delia. After buying out Jack Campbell, the Oilers needed another goalie to play in the AHL. Delia fills that need. However, a few fans are quite high on Delia, as he finished third in this week’s poll with 3.1% of the vote.
Delia joins the Oilers on a one-year deal with a $775k cap hit. But he is likely not going to see NHL time as the tandem of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard served the team well last season.
He will instead be tasked with joining Olivier Rodrigue in the AHL with the Bakersfield Condors to split games down there. Although Delia doesn’t have the greatest stat line in recent seasons—even in the AHL—it is important to find someone who understands the backup role and can fill that need on a team.
Josh Brown as a low-risk defensive depth signing
After the departure of Vincent Desharnais, the Oilers were in the market for a big, physical defender to add to their defensive depth. In comes Josh Brown. However, this signing was the least popular amongst fans, with just 0.8% of the fan vote.
Although Brown fills a need, he was not a popular choice of player to do so. Luckily, he comes with just a $1M AAV over three seasons, so his contract is easy to bury in the AHL .
Brown’s play in recent seasons leaves a lot to be desired by many advanced stats models.
Nevertheless, the extra competition in these depth positions is useful as there are players who know the role and can jump in and out of the lineup when needed.
Which offseason signing impressed you the most? Drop a comment down below!
