Over the next few weeks, the Edmonton Oilers will hire a new coach. Once that takes place, general manager Stan Bowman will build a game plan for procurement and the club may sign internal free agents before July 1 and the opening hours of the frenzy.

In recent seasons, the Oilers have done poorly on the first day of free agency.

PlayerSigned (Years)Result

2022 (5)

Bought out 2024

2024 (2)

Trade to Boston 2025

2024 (1)

Poor fit for the team

2025 (2)

Trade to Chicago 2026

In 2022, the club invested heavily in Jack Campbell as the team’s starting goaltender on a five-year deal and bought him out two years later. Edmonton is still paying for it, as the buyout will remain on the books until the end of the 2029-30 season. The 2026-27 cap gouge on the Campbell deal will be $2.6 million. Overall, the club is signing well-known names early, but those players are not being deployed in a way that brings success.

In the salary cap world, teams can afford to sign top-flight players headed to free agency. A player like Zach Hyman, signed by the Oilers in 2021 while still in his 20s, is truly rare in modern free agency. Hyman has delivered five years of ridiculous value for Edmonton, and that contract represents the gold standard. The organization hasn’t been close on a free-agent acquisition since.

Scouring the current free-agent pool for July 1, 2026, there are no obvious targets with Hyman-level appeal. What’s the solution?

Stay at home on July 1

This year’s free-agent list isn’t strong compared to previous talent pools. As well, the salary cap is soaring ($104 million for next season) to new heights, and that could mean higher prices on the open market.

The Oilers have shown an inability to identify free-agent talent that can flourish in Edmonton. Free agency is the least efficient way to acquire talent across all teams, but the Oilers are especially prone to signing talent the team’s coach is unable to unlock. Therefore, sitting out the early days of free agency gives the team more cap room for later in free agency, at the deadline, and in case any useful players shake loose during the first few months of the season.

What would that look like? It would mean the 20 names on Chris Johnston’s big board at The Athletic would be signed before the Oilers made a phone call. That’s Alex Tuch, Evgeni Malkin, Bobby McMann, Ryan Mantha, Mason Marchment and other established NHL veterans who have proven themselves to be quality.

It also means shopping the less-travelled aisles of free agency and making bets on players who come with shortcomings in their game. That isn’t the ideal strategy for a team expected to compete for the Stanley Cup, but the organization has proven to be unwise in signing expensive free agents. There are other ways to win.

Finding solutions

Instead of signing an early-30s veteran winger, Bowman could improve the team via trade. Jordan Kyrou of the St. Louis Blues is available and young enough (28) to be a productive player for several years to come. Other teams are looking to offload younger veterans and there’s a value seam the club could take advantage of this summer.

It would require quality scouting for Bowman to target the correct players (like Kyrou). He has shown the ability to do it via trade (Vasily Podkolzin) in late summer and at the deadline (Jake Walman).

Unrestricted free agents to target

If the cap room goes out via the trade route, should Bowman shop in free agency? The answer is yes, but at the lower end and with young players who have some NHL experience as the targets.

These are long shots, but all are young, have areas of strength and wouldn’t cost a large amount in free agency.

Curtis Douglas is a Group 6 unrestricted free agent. That designation is for players under 25 who have played three pro seasons and played fewer than 80 NHL games in that time. Douglas is 6-foot-9, 245 pounds and has just shy of average foot speed. Considering his size, that’s a positive. He’s also good at goal suppression based on his five-on-five numbers with two teams last year. Douglas started 2025-26 with the Tampa Bay Lightning and was claimed on waivers in March by the Vancouver Canucks. He isn’t yet the sum of his parts, and there isn’t much offence, but Douglas is unique.

Joel Kiviranta would be a strong fit for the Oilers. He’s 30, undersized and doesn’t deliver a ton of offence, but he can kill penalties and play a responsible game. For a team like Edmonton, with so many forwards focused on offence, Kiviranta could be a useful winger.

Beck Malenstyn is a similar player. He’s bigger than Kiviranta and has more swagger. He hits like a truck and isn’t fun for opponents. The Oilers could use him because he helps defensively (2.5 expected GA-60 with the Buffalo Sabres last season) and he’s an effective penalty killer. Those are two areas of need for the club. He won’t score much, but placed on a line with some offensive flair, Malenstyn could contribute.

Vincent Desharnais is a giant defenceman originally drafted by the Oilers. He came to the NHL with Edmonton and had real success as a third-pairing enforcer who helped his team outscore opponents at five-on-five. He can also penalty kill. Desharnais would be a worthy target and wouldn’t break the bank.

Bottom line

Bowman should use his cap room in trades, seeking players who can play on the top lines or pairings. These players are usually available due to cap concerns, but a player like Kyrou has years of productive play ahead of him before the downturn. Using the July 1 signings above as a comparison, the Oilers would be using more cap dollars but getting a younger and more capable veteran. Kyrou over Andrew Mangiapane is a good decision.

The team should still use free agency. It’s possible management falls into another dream scenario with a modern Hyman, and Bowman should pursue those opportunities with extreme prejudice.

Until that player appears, shopping around the edges and looking for useful pieces is a better use of the team’s cap dollars and roster spots. The free agents listed above have value due to shot and goal suppression, penalty killing and the ability to impact the game physically.

It represents a change in direction for the Oilers, a long-overdue acceptance of organizational limitations.