Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman wasted no time making bold moves on the opening day of 2026 free agency. By trading Darnell Nurse and his entire $9.25 million cap hit to the San Jose Sharks without retaining any salary, Bowman created the cap space the Oilers needed to reshape their roster.
Armed with that cap space, Edmonton could have some pretty important breathing room at the next trade deadline.
Stan Bowman Details Oilers’ Cap Space Plan
Instead of making one big-money signing, Bowman focused on improving the roster in several areas.
He strengthened the blue line by signing Ryan Shea to a five-year, $20 million ($4 million AAV) contract to help replace Darnell Nurse. He also upgraded the goaltending by acquiring Devon Levi from the Buffalo Sabres and signing veteran Frederik Andersen ($2.8M) to a one-year deal.
Up front, Bowman re-signed Kasperi Kapanen ($2.6M) and Max Jones ($850,000) while adding Mathieu Joseph ($1M) and Eduards Tralmaks ($850,000) to bolster the team’s forward depth.
After those moves, the Oilers still have just over $6 million in cap space.
When asked how much room Edmonton has left under the salary cap, Bowman emphasized that the team is in a much healthier position than in previous years. “Yeah, I mean, we have some guys to sign. We’ve got to sign a couple RFAs still. So, it’s tough to sort of prognosticate that. But we have cap space. I think we’re not capped out like we’ve been in previous years,” Bowman said.
Rather than rushing to spend every available dollar, Bowman suggested the Oilers may enter the season with cap space still available.
“Whether we choose to spend it all in the next day or two, or we might just go into the year with some cap room finally. And I think having some flexibility to be able to pivot midseason when players become available, I think, is an overlooked thing for our group here. That’s a valuable asset for us,” he added.
Bowman said the Oilers are continuing to explore their options and remain engaged in discussions with potential targets. While additional signings are still possible, he emphasized that Edmonton isn’t looking to spend all of its remaining cap space immediately. “I would be comfortable if we went into the year with a good chunk of change,” Bowman noted.
That flexibility, however, doesn’t mean all of Edmonton’s remaining cap space is available. Bowman noted that a portion of it is already set aside for the team’s restricted free agents, including Shakir Mukhamadullin, who was acquired in the Darnell Nurse trade, along with Colton Dach and Spencer Stastney.
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Rather than exhausting every dollar in free agency, Bowman has left the Oilers with room to adapt. That flexibility could become one of Edmonton’s biggest advantages as the season unfolds and the trade deadline approaches.
