According to a team announcement, the Edmonton Oilers have signed forward William Nicholl to a three-year, entry-level contract beginning in the 2026-27 season. Nicholl will presumably finish the rest of the 2025-26 campaign with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors.
The contract details for his entry-level contract are as follows, as provided by PuckPedia:
| Year | NHL Salary | Signing bonus | Potential performance bonuses | Minors salary |
| 2026-27 | $850K | $85K | NA | $85K |
| 2027-28 | $900K | $85K | NA | $85K |
| 2028-29 | $950K | $85K | NA | $85K |
Nicholl, 19, recently wrapped up his third season with the OHL’s London Knights. He did not start the season on time due to offseason surgery, which led him to finish with 15 goals and 26 points in 32 games, achieving a +10 rating.
Last season, in what would be his best performance in the OHL, Nicholl scored 21 goals and 57 points in 66 games with a +38 rating. He featured in the Knights’ postseason run last year, scoring one goal and totaling eight points in 17 games, which helped the team secure its third Memorial Cup championship in franchise history.
Still, there’s definitely an argument that Nicholl could use another year of seasoning at the OHL level. Edmonton selected Nicholl with the 196th overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft, so he’s not necessarily a top prospect that needs to be rushed to the professional ranks.
Factoring in his recent injury history, it’s somewhat surprising that the Oilers don’t give him a year to dominate the junior level before turning professional next season. Even if they had waited a year, Nicholl would only have been 20 years old, with plenty of time to develop further.
Regardless, the top brass at Edmonton feels he is ready, which means he’ll have the opportunity to test his mettle through the last few weeks of the AHL season. Even if his offensive prowess isn’t quite ready, his stature certainly is. Nicholl stands at 6’0″, 183 lbs, and has never been shy to engage in physicality while in London.