Decisions abound for the Edmonton Oilers as they look to tinker with what was, in Connor McDavid’s own words, an “average” team in light of their first-round exit from the 2026 playoffs.
With head coach Kris Knoblauch already fired, general manager Stan Bowman now faces the difficult task of reshaping the roster around McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Thanks to the NHL salary cap rising to $104 million, Edmonton is expected to have roughly $16.4 million in cap space this summer, but finding meaningful upgrades may not be easy.
One NHL insider is wasting no time delivering a tough reality check about the Oilers’ free agency plans.
Oilers’ Free Agency Plans Take Hit
The biggest issue facing Edmonton is the lack of high-end talent available on the unrestricted free agent market this offseason.
Many of the top players who were expected to become free agents have already signed contract extensions with their current teams, leaving behind what insiders are calling a very weak market.
After Evgeni Malkin re-signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL insider Marco D’Amico summed up the situation by saying, “The top projected UFAs at centre right now are Boone Jenner, Jason Dickinson and Scott Laughton.”
While Jenner, Dickinson, and Laughton are respected NHL veterans known for their physical, reliable play, none are viewed as elite top-line centers capable of dramatically changing a contender’s outlook.
That’s where the bad news begins for Edmonton.
If those players represent the best available center options on July 1, it highlights just how thin the market truly is. In most years, those types of players are viewed more as third-line support pieces than major franchise-changing additions.
The situation becomes even more concerning for the Oilers, considering Dickinson played a big part in Edmonton’s late-season charge. Per multiple reports, Dickinson is expected to demand a contract in the range of $5 million AAV, which might fall out of Edmonton’s price range. They could spread out the years and reduce the cap hit, but negotiations will not be easy.
After another exhausting season and a disappointing first-round exit, the expectation was that the Oilers would aggressively search for outside upgrades to better support McDavid and Draisaitl. Instead, the weak market could make it difficult to simply retain the players they’d want.
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Because quality centers are so scarce this offseason, demand across the league is expected to skyrocket. Teams with significant cap space, like Chicago, San Jose, or Utah, could easily outbid Edmonton for middle-six centers simply because there are so few alternatives available.
That creates a difficult situation for Stan Bowman.
If Edmonton looks to free agency to improve its center depth, the Oilers could end up paying premium prices for players who normally wouldn’t receive that kind of money.
In other words, free agency may not be capable of solving Edmonton’s biggest roster issues this summer.
D’Amico’s comments reinforce the growing belief that if Bowman truly wants to maximize the final years of McDavid’s current contract window, the Oilers may need to pursue major upgrades through the trade market instead of relying on July 1 free agency.
