Even as they compete for a 2025 Stanley Cup Final, the Edmonton Oilers have to prepare for the upcoming salary cap like any other team in the NHL.
Trailing 2-1 in the Final series, the Oilers currently have a projected cap space of $11.9 million. That number might seem manageable, but they also have several key contracts to address. Edmonton is set to see six unrestricted free agents hit the market: Connor Brown, Trent Frederic, Corey Perry, John Klingberg, Jeff Skinner, and Kasperi Kapanen, and one major restricted free agent: Evan Bouchard.
Why Bouchard’s Contract Means More Changes for the Edmonton Oilers
According to Harman Dayal with The Athletic, Bouchard’s next contract is expected to single-handedly eat up nearly all of the Oilers’ cap space this summer.
With the league’s salary cap ceiling climbing from $88 million to $95.5 million, there won’t be as many teams navigating stressful cap situations this offseason compared to years past. But Dayal listed four teams that are still going to be dealing with stressful situations: the Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, Colorado Avalanche, and, of course, the Oilers.
As mentioned, Edmonton’s case greatly depends on how much Bouchard is worth.
Oilers Evan Bouchard leads all defencemen in every goal category since the 2022 postseason pic.twitter.com/9d05hu7h60
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) May 29, 2025
Bouchard has scored the third-most points of all NHL defensemen over the last two years, behind only Cale Makar and Vancouver’s captain Quinn Hughes. Both Evolving-Hockey and AFP Analytics project the Canadian’s next deal to be around the $10.6-10.9 million range for eight years.
If that were to happen, Edmonton would only have just over one million dollars left in reserve after that extension is a done deal. While this isn’t a worst-case scenario for Edmonton, it’s not ideal when it comes to potentially losing players due to free agency.
For instance, right-wing Connor Brown could potentially look to cash in on his bounce-back season and price himself out. Another possible example is Trent Frederic, who hasn’t had much impact in the current postseason but will still certainly not be cheap due to his size, versatility, and previous scoring profile. Finally, there’s John Klingberg, whom the Oilers basically have no choice but to re-sign due to his high skill level when it comes to moving the puck.
In short, it’s 100% accurate that the Oilers are in a better spot than most teams, such as the Stars. After all, the Stanley Cup Champions will receive around $3,750,000, while the team that loses in the final will take home a check of approximately $2,250,000 based on Article 28 of the NHL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.
But even the Oilers’ participation in the Stanley Cup Final doesn’t guarantee they won’t lose a free agent or two this summer.
