Here\u2019s what the front office has to work through this summer.<\/p>\n
The Buyout Window<\/p>\n
The off-season gets moving shortly after the playoffs. The NHL\u2019s primary buyout window officially opens on the later of June 15 or 48 hours following the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final. It runs until June 30 at 5 p.m. ET, immediately preceding the start of free agency.<\/p>\n
Using a buyout is almost an annual summer tradition in Edmonton. The Oilers bought out Lauri Korpikoski in 2016, Benoit Pouliot in 2017, Eric Gryba in 2018, Andrej Sekera in 2019, James Neal in 2021, and Jack Campbell in 2024<\/a>.<\/p>\n The only scenario where a buyout makes sense is if the team needs immediate cap flexibility and can\u2019t find a trade partner. Last summer, Bowman was able to trade Evander Kane and Viktor Arvidsson for salary cap relief, which is preferable to stacking more and more dead cap charges.<\/p>\n The 2026 NHL Draft<\/p>\n The 2026 NHL Draft lottery is on Tuesday night, but we won\u2019t know the complete order of picks until after the playoffs have concluded.<\/p>\n The Oilers had the second-to-last selection in the previous two drafts because of their back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Final. This year, given the team\u2019s middling 41-30-11 record<\/a> and first-round exit, they\u2019ll have higher draft priority.<\/p>\n Bowman moved Edmonton\u2019s 2026 first-round pick at the 2024-25 trade deadline to acquire Jake Walman from the San Jose Sharks. The fourth- and fifth-round picks were also traded in separate deals, leaving the Oilers with their second-, third-, sixth-, and seventh-round selections this summer.<\/p>\n The Oilers didn\u2019t make their first selection in last year\u2019s draft until the middle of the third round. This year, they\u2019re set to head to the podium in the middle of the second round. Bowman can try to move down for added draft capital, or he can take a swing at a higher-upside prospect than the team had available last summer.<\/p>\n Round 1 \u2013 Traded to San Jose Sharks (March 2025)Round 2 \u2013 Own SelectionRound 3 \u2013 Own Selection\u00a0Round 4 \u2013 Traded to Boston Bruins (March 2025)\u00a0Round 5 \u2013 Traded to Nashville Predators (June 2025)Round 6 \u2013 Own SelectionRound 7 \u2013 Own SelectionRestricted Free Agents<\/p>\n The biggest story early last off-season for the Oilers was restricted free agent Evan Bouchard.<\/p>\n After losing both Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway to offer sheets by the St. Louis Blues in his first summer as general manager, Bowman didn\u2019t waste any time getting a deal done with one of the league\u2019s top puck-moving defenders.<\/p>\n Barring an unforeseen trade, this summer won\u2019t feature any major, long-term RFA contracts for the Oilers. Edmonton\u2019s two most notable RFAs are depth players Colton Dach and Spencer Stastney, while Roby Jarventie and Connor Ungar are a couple of interesting minor-league prospects in need of new deals.<\/p>\n F \u2013 Colton DachD \u2013 Spencer Stastney (Arbitration Eligible)F \u2013 Josh Bloom\u00a0F \u2013 Roby Jarventie (Arbitration Eligible)F \u2013 Owen MichaelsF \u2013 Matvei PetrovG \u2013 Connor Ungar (Arbitration Eligible)Unrestricted Free Agents<\/p>\n Jason Dickinson and Connor Murphy, the team\u2019s two biggest additions before this season\u2019s trade deadline, are both set to become UFAs. Given the long-term contracts signed by other recent deadline additions, Trent Frederic and Jake Walman, it\u2019s safe to assume that Bowman acquired the two former Blackhawks with the future in mind.<\/p>\n Other impending UFAs who impressed in Edmonton this year are Jack Roslovic, Kasperi Kapanen, and Connor Ingram.<\/p>\n Roslovic inked a one-year contract<\/a> shortly after the start of the regular season after not being able to find a multi-year deal in the summer. He made good on the show-me deal and finished tied for fourth on the team with 21 goals.<\/p>\n Kapanen scored 17 points over 41 games during an injury-riddled regular season, then chipped in four goals and six points in six games for the Oilers in the playoffs.<\/p>\n
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