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The Edmonton Oilers find themselves in a precarious place at the moment. After consecutive appearances in the Stanley Cup final, the team is currently barely in a playoff spot. Edmonton sits seventh in the Western Conference standings, just four points away from missing out on the postseason.

While there are clear concerns about the current state of the team, the situation does not seem much better looking ahead. For starters, there have been rumblings that Oilers superstar Connor McDavid could contemplate his future this summer. A move away ahead of the 2026-27 season seems somewhat unlikely, but not out of the question.

On top of this, Edmonton’s financial situation is concerning moving forward. According to PuckPedia.com, the Oilers have around $16 million in projected cap space this summer. However, they have quite a few holes to fill because eight current players are set to be free agents after the current campaign. As a result, the club will have to get creative in fixing the roster.

One way to do this is to target upcoming college free agents. These are players who have gone undrafted in previous years and are set to finish out their collegiate careers. Typically aged 22-24, college free agents are overlooked, but perhaps more ready to contribute professionally. NHL insider Jeff Marek recently reported that the Oilers have scouted University of Michigan star T.J. Hughes. The senior will be free to sign with an NHL team once his current campaign ends.

Edmonton Oilers Eye College Free Agent to Boost Lackluster Prospect Pool

GettyT.J. Hughes currently captains the top-ranked Michigan Wolverines.

Hughes, 24, is widely regarded as one of the top upcoming college free agents. The center previously put up solid stats during his first two years in Ann Arbor. After a somewhat disappointing junior season, Hughes bounced back in a big way. He currently has 19 goals and 31 assists (50 points) in just 36 games during his final year with Michigan. The Wolverines are the top-ranked team in D1 men’s hockey.

Edmonton’s interest in Hughes certainly makes sense. Not only is the forward putting up impressive numbers, but the Oilers may not be able to grab a ton of top prospects via the draft. Due to recent trades, the club does not have a first-round draft pick until 2028. They also only have three total selections in the first four rounds over the next two combined years.

The Oilers’ current prospect pool is lackluster as well. According to The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler, Edmonton’s group of youngsters ranks 30th of the 32 NHL teams. Wheeler claims that winger Ike Howard is the club’s lone tier one prospect. They do have a few tier two players, including Hughes’ Michigan teammate Asher Barnett.

Oilers Looking to Find Next Bobby McMann

Edmonton potentially targeting a college free agent is not exactly a new tactic. The club previously signed Quinn Hutson from Boston University just last year. Hutson has enjoyed a solid first professional season with the Bakersfield Condors this season. The feisty forward has racked up 50 points in 54 games with the AHL affiliate.

While it can be difficult to predict how college free agents adapt to the NHL, Bobby McMann has been a recent success story. The former Maple Leaf has emerged as a solid NHL player over the last few seasons after being a college free agent. After failing to agree to a contract extension with the forward, Toronto recently traded McMann to the Seattle Kraken for two draft picks.

Christopher Moore Christopher Moore has been a Heavy.com contributor since 2025. With over a decade of experience in the industry, he has published thousands of articles reporting on multiple professional sports. He was previously a sports writer for World Soccer Talk, the Yahoo! Contributor Network, and the Maryland Sports Blog. More about Christopher Moore

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