The Edmonton Oilers have begun putting the pieces in place for their 2026–27 roster. With rumblings suggesting that pending UFAs Kasperi Kapanen and Adam Henrique will enter free agency, the Oilers will need to retain some players to replace them. The first of those has been finalized. On Sunday morning, the team announced a contract extension for pending UFA Jason Dickinson. The contract will run five years with an average annual value of $4M.
Dickinson, 30, was acquired by the Oilers at the 2026 Trade Deadline along with Colton Dach in exchange for Andrew Mangiapane and a conditional first-round pick. In 17 regular season games, Dickinson scored one goal and four points. In four playoff games, he scored two goals and added an extra assist.
With the signing of this contract, the Oilers have just shy of $10.6M in cap space remaining with 18 players on the roster. They have a need to sign two forwards, two defenders, and a goalie.
Is this a good contract for Jason Dickinson?
Dickinson, who will be 31 by the time the season starts, gets to sign one more lengthy deal to provide some security for his financial future. For the team, although the deal may be a bit on the long side, the AAV is slightly lower than was originally suggested by NHL insider rumblings. Although it may seem high for a player of Dickinson’s skill set, with the amount the salary cap is expected to rise in the coming seasons, by the time this deal finishes, it will barely make a difference. We are bound to see some sticker shock at the prices players are signing for this offseason as a result of this.
What role will Jason Dickinson play for the Edmonton Oilers?
With the expectation that Henrique will depart the Oilers on July 1, there is an opening for a bottom six centre. Jason Dickinson will fill that role. Dickinson is nearly six years younger than Henrique, and although the latter had much higher offensive potential than Dickinson, it never really came out as an Oiler. Dickinson, being more known as a defensive and shutdown centre, will be a better fit in this role.
Depending on how the Oilers utilize their centres, Dickinson should be the third or fourth line centre. Likely falling behind Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the depth chart, though Nugent-Hopkins could end up playing as a winger in the top-six. He will also be relied on as a top penalty killer.
The Oilers would be wise to play Josh Samanski near Dickinson when possible, to let the former learn how to fill that defensive centre role in the NHL. That is a likely career role projection for Samanski. As Dickinson’s contract and career wind down, the hope would be that Samanski can swap out with Dickinson on Edmonton’s depth chart.
