The Edmonton Oilers have had an awesome offseason to this point. Stan Bowman got the ball rolling on July 1 and made a handful of much-needed moves. He traded a liability, acquired a new goalie, and added some more pieces. The best part about all of this is that the team still has over $6M of cap space left to work with. This team is in desperate mode to win a Stanley Cup.
Can these free agency moves help them? Let’s review the best moves for the team so far.
The Darnell Nurse trade
Hands down, the best news out of Oil Country is that long-time Edmonton Oiler Darnell Nurse has officially been traded. Bowman dealt him to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Shakir Mukhamadullin and Zack Sharp. This move freed up over $9M of cap space for the team and moved one of their worst defenceman. As much as Nurse was loyal to the Oilers, it does suck to see him go, but a change was desperately needed.
At first glance, this trade is a win for the Oilers. Mukhamadullin can fill in as a solid depth defenceman while Sharp enters the Oilers’ prospect system. Sharp is currently playing with Western Michigan University and is developing into a solid defenceman. Overall, it was a great move for the Oilers. On the other hand, the Sharks get a veteran defenceman who gets a fresh start with a great team. The Sharks are looking to make a push to the playoffs next season, having brought in two veteran defencemen in Nurse and Jacob Trouba.
The cap space freed up from this move has already allowed the Oilers to go out and sign some players. However, the interesting part will be what they do with the remaining $6M. Should they use it to bring in another scoring middle-six forward?
Stabilizing the Oilers’ goaltending
Bowman brought in not just one goalie, but two. First up, he went out and signed veteran goalie Frederik Andersen to a one-year deal worth $1M. Andersen is coming off a Stanley Cup victory with the Carolina Hurricanes. He was the main guy in net until the Stanley Cup Final, where Brandon Bussi took over from him. Through 16 playoff games this year, Andersen posted a .910 SV% alongside a 1.89 GAA. He was arguably the playoff MVP for the Hurricanes until Jordan Staal took over in the Final. Overall, this is a solid signing for the Oilers. At 36 years of age, Andersen brings plenty of experience to the Oilers. His only downfall is having a lot of injury problems in the past.
The other goalie who has joined the organization is Devon Levi. The Florida Panthers originally drafted Levi, but he has spent his entire professional career with the Buffalo Sabres. He has bounced around between the NHL and AHL, but has failed to secure a full-time NHL role. Levi has struggled at the NHL level, with his last appearance coming in the 2024–25 season. Here, he appeared in nine games and posted a 2–7 record with a .872 SV%. On the bright side, Levi has done very well at the AHL level. He just needs to polish his game a bit.
With a goaltending trio of Tristan Jarry, Andersen, and Levi, is that enough to bring the Stanley Cup back to Oil Country?
Depth signings galore
Another very positive sign for the Oilers on the first day of free agency was bringing in depth signings. All of these were needed and are key to having a well-rounded lineup. The Oilers brought in three depth forwards and a top-four defenceman. The forwards include Kasperi Kapanen, Max Jones, and Mathieu Joseph. Kapanen and Jones were with the Oilers last season, and both did fairly well. Kapanen was easily one of the best performers in the playoffs, while Jones helps bring some physicality to the bottom-six.
Joseph has bounced between multiple NHL teams in his career. The 29-year-old has played for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Blues, and Los Angeles Kings. He now joins the Oilers with another chance to find a consistent role. Joseph will likely get the chance to compete for a fourth-line role. He can skate very well and be an effective piece to the penalty kill. Bowman signed him to a one-year deal, so it is a low-risk signing.
The final major signing was bringing in defenceman Ryan Shea. Shea spent the last couple of seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins and really broke out in 2025–26. Through 80 games, he recorded 29 assists and 35 points. Shea can serve as a solid replacement for Nurse. He will likely get bottom-pairing minutes with potential time on the penalty kill. The five-year contract that Bowman gave him is a bit surprising, but a $4M annual salary is respectable.
The lineup for next season already looks great, even with $6M remaining in cap space. Should the Oilers use that cap space this summer? Or save it to make a move at next season’s trade deadline?
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