Oilers 2025 Free Agency Preview: Middle-six help, goaltending lead needs

EDMONTON — The Edmonton Oilers figured they needed to get about five per cent better after they lost in seven games in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. Then, a year later, they lost in six games.

So, now what?

Touch the trophy, don’t touch the trophy. Open at home, open on the road.

The only thing you know for sure is that the two biggest July 1 pickups for the Oilers a year ago — Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson — were both healthy scratches and bit players in the Final against Florida. They didn’t help — enough — and that really hurt.

Skinner will not return, and Arvidsson is on the trading block as we write this.

“It didn’t work out for Arvy the way he wanted, or for us either,” GM Stan Bowman said. “We’ve been talking with some teams. We’ll see where that goes. For right now, he’s here. If we can find a spot for him, we’re willing to do that.”

If Edmonton is going to make up whatever ground is necessary to finally win a Stanley Cup, blowing it on July 1 is simply not an option.

Edmonton has four legit top-six forwards: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. They might be able to afford a fifth if he gives up some salary in exchange for a potential Cup run.

Their defence is set: Evan Bouchard, Mattias Ekholm, Darnell Nurse, Brett Kulak, Jake Walman, Troy Stecher and Ty Emberson. Barring a trade, Bowman won’t be tinkering with his defence before the Trade Deadline in March.

What they need is a couple of middle-six forwards — hopefully someone who can handle a few shifts next to Draisaitl on the second line — and a couple of solid penalty killers.

Then, there’s the goal crease.

The free agent crop is not great, so a trade is more likely here.

“Looking at the options that are out there … it’s going to be a process that we go through,” Bowman said. “Eventually, we’ll settle on the thing we think makes the most sense. When we find that sweet spot — the price is right, the player is the right player — then we’ll move.

“(But) we’re not at the place where we’re saying, yes, we’re definitely brining in new goalies.”

Roster size: 20/23
Salary committed to forwards: $53,511,666
Salary committed to defence:$23,487,500
Salary committed to goalies: $3,600,000
Salary committed to buyout: $2,300,000
Salary committed to carryover bonuses: $250,000

Potential UFA targets

Joel Armia, 32, RW, Montreal, $3.4M

Armia played the second-most penalty killing minutes among Montreal forwards last season, and would step into the third-line right wing spot vacated by Connor Brown — if he’s willing to take the pay cut. Edmonton is not the place for bottom-six forwards to hit a home run financially these days, but it is a place where a veteran like Armia — who has been part of one playoff series in the past four seasons — could take a run at his first Stanley Cup.

Brandon Tanev, 33, LW, Winnipeg, $3.5M

Here’s another veteran PK guy who’s never won. Tanev can still skate and adds some personality to a room, a guy who’s been around for 550 games — all spent as an energy guy who flies around and hits people. Again, he won’t get rich in Edmonton, but he could be a valuable part of a bottom-six rebuild.

Jake Allen, 34, G, New Jersey, $3.85M

We don’t love any of the UFA goalie crop, but if we had to pick one, it would be the veteran Allen. He’s made a career of fitting in wherever he’s needed in a tandem, and in Edmonton, that could mean 35-45 starts and a handful of playoff games — maybe more. We still believe Bowman will have to pry a goalie loose via trade, but Allen is the sharpest in a weak UFA group.

Joel Kiviranta, 29, LW, Colorado, $775,000

Always liked this Finn, since he scored a hat trick in the bubble as a Dallas Star. Here’s a cheap, responsible guy who was third among Avalanche forwards in PK minutes. A steady, fourth-line winger who doesn’t score much, but makes you that much harder to play against. He’s definitely in Edmonton’s price range.

Other potential fits

Andrew Mangiapane — Here’s a guy whose disruptive game would fit on a second line where someone has to dig out pucks for Draisaitl, the way Vasily Podkolzin did this past season. Mangiapane has infinitely more scoring touch, though.

Brock Boeser — If Evander Kane can play for the Canucks, why can’t Boeser fill that spot next to Draisaitl? Could you imagine a second line with those two finishers? Dare to dream…

Sean Kuraly — He made $2.5 million with Columbus last season, but the Oilers could surely use a physical banger like Kuraly in their bottom six. He’s beef up the fourth line, but would have to do it for closer to fourth-line money.