The Edmonton Oilers have had little time to mourn their near victory after a gruelling battle with the Florida Panthers, who ensured that the Cup stays in South Florida. The Oilers’ management’s offseason discourse has recently been dominated by Connor McDavid contract negotiations, which seem to get nowhere despite prolonged talks and heightened chatter around the league.
There is enough reason to believe that the Oilers will not cut any corners when it comes to McDavid. They will ensure that the best player in the league stays in Edmonton and hopefully uses his infinite hockey wisdom to lead the team to lift the Stanley Cup one day. But it’s not just McDavid; the team has had quite a busy offseason overall.
What Were the Edmonton Oilers’ Major Offseason Moves?
Following the Stanley Cup goalie debacle, fans expected Stan Bowman to hurriedly add a goaltender to the roster to keep history from repeating itself. Consequently, the team added Matt Tomkins to its roster on a two-year contract with an average annual value of $775,000. Tomkins made three appearances in the 2022 Olympics for Canada and registered a save percentage of .963% and one shutout. Tomkins gathered NHL experience, playing six regular-season games with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2023-24 season. Earlier, on April 12, the Oilers signed goalie Samuel Jonsson to an entry-level contract.
On June 30, Kasperi Kapanen and Evan Bouchard were given one-year and four-year contract extensions, respectively. On July 1, the Edmonton outfit signed Andrew Mangiapane to a two-year contract, and on the following day, signed Curtis Lazar for one year. On July 8, the Oilers acquired Isaac Howard from the Tampa Bay Lightning.
On July 1, the Oilers traded away Viktor Arvidsson to the Boston Bruins for a fifth-round pick. The Philadelphia Flyers acquired forward Lane Pederson on a one-year, entry-level contract. Corey Perry, Connor Brown, and John Klingberg joined the Los Angeles Kings, New Jersey Devils, and San Jose Sharks, respectively. Defensemen Ronnie Attard and Philip Kemp were acquired by the Colorado Avalanche and the Pittsburgh Penguins, respectively. On July 11, the Sharks signed forward Jeff Skinner to a one-year, $3 million contract.
With the roster in place, the Oilers are gearing up for the preseason, which is just around the corner.
All You Need to Know About the Oilers’ Preseason
The Oilers’ preseason kicks off on September 21. The men in blue and orange will face the Calgary Flames at MT 6:00 p.m. in a split-squad game. The match will be available to watch on Oilers+ and CalgaryFlames.com. For those who want to experience the exhilarating atmosphere live, tickets for every preseason game will be available on Ticketmaster.
On September 23, at 6:00 p.m. MT, the Oilers will meet the Winnipeg Jets at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg. Fans can stream the match on Oilers+. The next two games will be held on September 24 and 26 at Rogers Place against the Seattle Kraken and the Jets, respectively. The games are scheduled at 7:00 p.m. MT. and can be streamed on Oilers+.
The September 28 game against the Vancouver Canucks will also see the Oilers on home ice at Rogers Place. The match is scheduled at 6:00 p.m. MT and can be streamed on Sportsnet. The Kraken and the Oilers will meet at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle for Preseason Game 3 on October 1 at 8:00 p.m. MT. The match will be available to watch on Oilers+. On October 3, the Canucks and the Oilers will battle it out at Rogers Arena in Vancouver at 8:00 p.m. MT. Sportsnet will have you covered for those who cannot travel to Vancouver.
All the preseason games can be listened to on 880 CHED. With that, Oilers fans’ anticipation finally ends as the league gears up to witness some on-ice action again.
