Championship contenders rarely escape scrutiny, especially when every major roster decision is viewed through the lens of winning the Stanley Cup. The Edmonton Oilers have embraced a new direction, but not everyone around the league is convinced their blueprint offers the best path forward.
As expectations continue to rise in Edmonton, one former NHL executive has openly questioned the philosophy behind the team’s recent spending.
Steve Werier Questions Oilers’ Spending in Free Agency
Former Florida Panthers assistant general manager Steve Werier believes the Oilers may have approached their offseason spending differently than he would have, even after the organization committed roughly $34.9 million in new contracts and extensions (excluding Connor Murphy and Jason Dickinson, who were signed before July 1).
Speaking on TSN’s OverDrive, Werier argued that allocating significant dollars to supporting pieces can be riskier than investing heavily in elite franchise talent.
“I think it’s way easier to say we spent a little bit extra on a franchise player and didn’t lose him than to say, hey, we have four or five million dollars to throw at fourth-liners,” Werier said.
Werier acknowledged that front offices can take different paths but suggested today’s NHL rewards teams that prioritize retaining cornerstone players over spreading money throughout the lineup.
Using Edmonton as an example, Werier pointed to how the organization redistributed financial flexibility after creating substantial cap room.
“They saved a lot of money on Connor McDavid,” he said. “They threw it around a little bit liberally, some might say, on some of the defensemen and goalies they allocated it to.”
Rather than criticizing individual players, his comments focused on the broader philosophy behind roster construction in an era of a rapidly rising salary cap.
Werier believes the economics of the NHL are shifting in favor of keeping superstars. “With the cap going up, you know, it’s going to be in the $130–140 million range,” he explained.
“I think you can build around those franchise guys much easier than you can say, ‘Hey, we lost Leo Carlsson. We have an extra $10 or $15 million. Let’s go see who’s on what’s become a super-thin free-agent market nowadays.'”
Edmonton’s offseason reflected an aggressive commitment to reshaping the roster.
The team moved Darnell Nurse’s entire $9.25 million cap hit to San Jose while bringing in Shakir Mukhamadullin (now signed on a 2-year, $3,500,000 contract) and Zack Sharp, and acquired goaltender Devon Levi from Buffalo.
They also added veteran Frederik Andersen (one-year, $2,800,000 contract), Ryan Shea (5-year, $20,000,000 contract), Kasperi Kapanen (one-year, $2,600,000 extension), Mathieu Joseph (one-year, $1 million contract), Max Jones (one-year, $850,000 extension), and Eduards Tralmaks (one-year, $850,000 contract).
The Oilers also secured new deals for Jason Dickinson (5-year, $20 million contract), Connor Murphy (5-year, $20.5 million contract), Spencer Stastney (one-year, $1,520,000 contract), Owen Michaels (2-year, $1,800,000 contract), and Mukhamadullin to reinforce both the NHL roster and organizational depth.
Despite these additions, Edmonton still holds $5,925,834 in available cap space entering the 2026-27 season, leaving general manager Stan Bowman sufficient flexibility to pursue an impact forward or preserve room for the trade deadline.
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Whether that remaining space becomes another opportunity or simply insurance, Werier’s remarks raise a larger question facing the Oilers: will spreading money across multiple contributors prove more valuable than concentrating resources around elite talent as the salary cap continues to climb?
