Speaking with Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, when asked about a contract extension, McDavid said, “We’re super comfortable [in Edmonton],” but an extension is also “three years down the road. We’ve got to kind of see where our lives are at and kind of go from there.” He went on to re-avow his commitment to winning a championship with Edmonton’s core. While the tonality of McDavid’s statement may raise some eyebrows, it really shouldn’t – the Oilers’ superstar isn’t exactly known for his unfiltered approach to interviews. While there is always the chance McDavid departs in free agency should things in Edmonton go horribly wrong over the next few seasons, it’s far from becoming a likely scenario, at least at this stage.
Oilers Rumors
Edmonton Oilers Make Changes To Scouting Staff
The Edmonton Oilers announced today that they have made several changes to their scouting staff as the team gears up for training camp. The club has named Rick Pracey as Director of Amateur Scouting while mutually parting ways with Tyler Wright.
The 52-year-old Pracey has been an amateur scout with the Philadelphia Flyers since 2014 and brings over 20 years of scouting experience to Edmonton. He has previously worked as a Director of Amateur Scouting with the Colorado Avalanche, a role he served in from 2008-14 during which time the team selected Tyson Barrie, Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, Ryan O’Reilly, and Matt Duchene.
A native of Hamilton, Ontario, Pracey’s professional playing career was short-lived as he played college hockey in Canada for both the University of Windsor and Wilfrid Laurier University, as well as a one-year stint in the UHL. After his playing career was over, Pracey joined the Avalanche in 2001 in an amateur scouting role and built his career from there.
For Tyler Wright, he moves on after just over four years with the Oilers. The 50-year-old came over to Edmonton in July 2019 along with Ken Holland after working alongside Holland with the Detroit Red Wings for six seasons. He served as Director of Amateur Scouting for all four years and was in the same role with the Red Wings for over six years.
It will be interesting to see where he lands given that the move was a mutual one for Wright and the Oilers. Wright’s work likely went by the wayside this year as the Oilers drafted just three players in June’s NHL entry draft after trading away picks in the Mattias Ekholm and Kailer Yamamoto trades.
Left-Side Defensive Depth Could Be A Challenge For Philip Broberg
- Although blueliner Philip Broberg is viewed as one of the Oilers’ top youngsters, Bruce McCurdy of the Edmonton Journal wonders if he could be a victim of what could be too much left-side defensive depth. Darnell Nurse and Mattias Ekholm are entrenched in the top two slots on that side while Brett Kulak has three years left on a deal worth $2.75MM which would be hard to move in this market. Those three present some roadblocks for Broberg who will be looking to establish himself as a full-time NHL player this coming season. If the 22-year-old gets a chance to play his off-side in the preseason, that might be his best chance of earning a significant role in 2023-24.
August Free Agency Update: Pacific Division
As even most mid-tier free agents are now off the market, it’s a good time to look at how each team has fared on the free agent market this offseason. We’re publishing a list of one-way signings (i.e., likelier to start the season on the NHL roster) by team, per division, to keep you updated on NHL player movement since the new league year began on July 1.
Asterisked players denote a restricted free agent. Double-asterisked players denote the contract starts in the 2024-25 season. We finish up with the Pacific Division. You can check out the list of Atlantic Division signings here, the list of Metropolitan Division signings here and the list of Central Division signings here.
Anaheim Ducks
*F Troy Terry (seven years, $7MM cap hit)
F Alex Killorn (four years, $6.25MM cap hit)
D Radko Gudas (three years, $4MM cap hit)
G Alex Stalock (one year, 35+ contract, $800K cap hit)
D Robert Hägg (one year, $775K cap hit)
Calgary Flames
D Jordan Oesterle (one year, $925K cap hit)
Edmonton Oilers
*F Ryan McLeod (two years, $2.1MM cap hit)
F Lane Pederson (two years, $775K cap hit)
F Connor Brown (one year, $775K cap hit)
Los Angeles Kings
**F Anze Kopitar (two years, 35+ contract, $7MM cap hit)
D Andreas Englund (two years, $1MM cap hit)
G Cam Talbot (one year, 35+ contract, $1MM cap hit)
G David Rittich (one year, $875K cap hit)
F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (one year, $775K cap hit)
F Trevor Lewis (one year, 35+ contract, $775K cap hit)
*D Tobias Björnfot (two years, $775K cap hit)
San Jose Sharks
G Mackenzie Blackwood (two years, $2.35MM cap hit)
*F Fabian Zetterlund (two years, $1.45MM cap hit)
D Kyle Burroughs (three years, $1.1MM cap hit)
F Filip Zadina (one year, $1.1MM cap hit)
F Givani Smith (two years, $800K cap hit)
Seattle Kraken
*D Vince Dunn (four years, $7.35MM cap hit)
D Brian Dumoulin (two years, $3.15MM cap hit)
*D William Borgen (two years, $2.7MM cap hit)
F Kailer Yamamoto (one year, $1.5MM cap hit)
*D Cale Fleury (two years, $800K cap hit)
F Pierre-Édouard Bellemare (one year, 35+ contract, $775K cap hit)
Vancouver Canucks
D Carson Soucy (three years, $3.25MM cap hit)
D Ian Cole (one year, $3MM cap hit)
F Teddy Blueger (one year, $1.9MM cap hit)
F Pius Suter (two years, $1.6MM cap hit)
*F Nils Höglander (two years, $1.1MM cap hit)
Vegas Golden Knights
*F Brett Howden (two years, $1.9MM cap hit)
*F Pavel Dorofeyev (one year, $825K cap hit)
Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly
Edmonton Oilers Sign Brandon Sutter To PTO
August 16: The Oilers have officially signed Sutter to a PTO, according to CapFriendly.
August 8: After missing the entirety of the last two NHL seasons, Sean O’Leary of The Score reports that the Edmonton Oilers have agreed to a professional tryout agreement with forward Brandon Sutter. An oft-injured player during his time with the Vancouver Canucks, Sutter has missed the last two seasons dealing with Long Covid.
With little cap space left to maneuver with, and the impending contract of restricted free agent Evan Bouchard, most pundits knew the Oilers were heading in this direction leading up to training camp. It is an interesting choice, as regardless of missing the last two seasons, Sutter had not played a full NHL season since 2016-17 with the Canucks, but will likely not be the last PTO the Oilers hand out this offseason.
When healthy, Sutter had historically been one of the better defensive centers in the game of hockey. Notably blocking a healthy amount of shots throughout his career, Sutter was also a mainstay on the Canucks penalty kill throughout much of his time with the organization.
If he does make Edmonton’s roster out of camp, it would be hard to imagine him as anything other than an extra forward on the team. The organization already has plenty of options down the middle in the bottom six, but Sutter’s experience and defensive tactics may sparingly earn him some minutes in a fourth-line role.
Long are the days when Sutter seemed like a regular 30-point bottom-six center option for most teams, but if the 34-year-old is still ready to play, there is a very low risk for the Oilers in this move.
Update On This Year’s August 15 Free Agents
Most NHL free agent business is dealt with in the early summer months. There is one important date later each year, however. August 15 marks the date when NHL teams lose their exclusive signing rights to most college-drafted players if they’ve graduated (or completed without graduating) college and are not yet signed to an entry-level contract.
Earlier this month, we published a list of players slated to hit the UFA market yesterday if not signed to an ELC within the coming days. However, the guidelines the NHL uses to determine a college graduate are some of the most complex sets of rules relating to contractual obligations in pro sports. That means it’s often impossible to glean a full list of players whose rights have expired (or not expired) until after the August 15 deadline has passed.
This year was no different, as CapFriendly issued multiple updates today on their X account regarding the list of August 15 free agents they’d made public earlier in the month. Three players who were slated to expire actually remained on their team’s reserve list: Calgary Flames 2018 fourth-round pick F Demetrios Koumontzis, Ottawa Senators 2018 seventh-round pick F Jakov Novak, and Senators 2018 second-round pick D Jonny Tychonick.
On the flip side, 12 players they expected to remain on teams’ reserve lists hit the free-agent market yesterday. With that in mind, we have a revised, accurate list of players who became unrestricted free agents yesterday. Asterisked players were not originally expected to come off their team’s reserve list.
Anaheim Ducks
*F Trevor Janicke (2019 fifth round, 132nd overall)
Arizona Coyotes
F John Farinacci (2019 third round, 76th overall)
*F Anthony Romano (2019 sixth round, 176th overall)
Boston Bruins
*D Dustyn McFaul (2018 sixth round, 181st overall)
Calgary Flames
*F Joshua Nodler (2019 fifth round, 150th overall)
Carolina Hurricanes
F Kevin Wall (2019 sixth round, 181st overall)
Chicago Blackhawks
F Jake Wise (2018 third round, 69th overall)
Colorado Avalanche
*F Matt Stienburg (2019 third round, 63rd overall)
Columbus Blue Jackets
D Robbie Stucker (2017 seventh round, 210th overall)
Detroit Red Wings
F Robert Mastrosimone (2019 second round, 54th overall)
*F Ethan Phillips (2019 fourth round, 97th overall)
Edmonton Oilers
F Skyler Brind’Amour (2017 sixth round, 177th overall)
Minnesota Wild
*D Marshall Warren (2019 sixth round, 166th overall)
New Jersey Devils
*D Case McCarthy (2019 fourth round, 118th overall)
*F Patrick Moynihan (2019 sixth round, 158th overall)
New York Islanders
D Christian Krygier (2018 seventh round, 196th overall)
F Jacob Pivonka (2018 fourth round, 103rd overall)
New York Rangers
*F Eric Ciccolini (2019 seventh round, 205th overall)
*F Riley Hughes (2018 seventh round, 216th overall)
Ottawa Senators
*F Luke Loheit (2018 seventh round, 194th overall)
Philadelphia Flyers
F Jay O’Brien (2018 first round, 19th overall)
San Jose Sharks
D Arvid Henrikson (2016 seventh round, 187th overall) Originally drafted by the Montreal Canadiens
Toronto Maple Leafs
D Ryan O’Connell (2017 seventh round, 203rd overall)
Winnipeg Jets
G Jared Moe (2018 sixth round, 184th overall)
Of the list above, Krygier and Pivonka are remaining in the Islanders organization on confirmed AHL contracts for 2023-24, although they remain eligible to sign with another NHL team should one come calling. All others are either returning to school for 2023-24, have contracts signed in other leagues, or are not signed for next season.
Notably, this is the official confirmation that the Flyers’ exclusive signing rights of O’Brien have lapsed. As compensation for not signing a first-round pick to their entry-level contract, the Flyers will receive a compensatory second-round pick from the league in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Oilers Prospect Shane Lachance Commits To Boston University
Boston University has added another NHL-drafted prospect to the mix as they announced (Twitter link) that Oilers prospect Shane Lachance will be suiting up for them next season.
The 19-year-old was drafted by Edmonton back in the sixth round in 2021, going 186th overall. He spent that season with the Boston Jr. Bruins of the NCDC before moving to Youngstown of the USHL in 2021-22.
Lachance is coming off a strong season with the Phantoms where he helped lead them to a Clark Cup title. In 62 games last season, Lachance, the son of former NHL blueliner Scott Lachance, picked up 33 goals and 21 assists while also chipping in with three goals and three helpers in nine playoff contests.
With this commitment, Edmonton is set to hold Lachance’s NHL rights through the 2026-27 season, giving the Oilers plenty of time to evaluate his development. He becomes the third NHL-drafted forward to join the Terriers for the upcoming season, joining Jack Hughes (Los Angeles) and Jack Harvey (Tampa Bay).
Oilers Could Backload Bouchard's Bridge Deal
- Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard is one of the top remaining restricted free agents and with Edmonton’s salary cap situation, a two-year bridge deal appears to be a foregone conclusion. To that end, Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal posits that Edmonton may wind up needing to back-load the contract, a move that will result in a higher qualifying offer. However, with the 23-year-old having two straight seasons of at least 40 points under his belt and an expectation of more upside to come, a higher qualifying offer would basically be a moot point anyway as his next contract, one that would carry arbitration rights as well, would almost certainly cost more than the qualifier.
Oilers Could Be A Team That Shops In PTO Market
- Postmedia’s Kurt Leavins suggests that the Oilers should be a team to keep an eye on when it comes to tryout offers closer to the start of training camp. Depending on what happens with the eventual new contract for RFA defenseman Evan Bouchard, Edmonton is likely going to need to have several players on the roster at the league minimum salary. They added a couple of those early in free agency (Lane Pederson and Drake Caggiula) but as the asking price comes down for free agents still unsigned, it could be an opportunity for the Oilers to bring in a low-cost upgrade.
What Cap Percentage Could McDavid And Draisaitl Take To Stay With Edmonton?
- Even with the salary cap expected to rise faster starting in 2024-25, it will certainly be difficult for the Oilers to keep both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in the fold. Postmedia’s David Staples posits that both middlemen – who could conceivably command the maximum 20% of the cap on their next contracts if they looked to get top dollar – might have to settle for something in the 14% range which, depending on how much the cap moves, could put their contracts both in the $12.5MM territory which is what McDavid is currently making. Can a team with two deals at that price point still have enough depth to seriously contend? That’s a question Edmonton certainly hopes they’ll have a chance to answer. Draisaitl is signed for two more years while McDavid is under contract for three more seasons.