A recap of the first day of free agency for the Edmonton Oilers

As the first day of free agency is behind us, now is the time to look at roster updates. The Edmonton Oilers made some minor moves, but nothing too serious. They made their more important moves before the opening day of free agency. What pieces do you think the Oilers still need to acquire?

Bowman started early before free agency

Stan Bowman got things started early in the Oilers offseason. The team made its first significant move when they traded forward Evander Kane to the Vancouver Canucks. This was no surprise as there were rumours about him being moved for quite some time. Kane brought some much-needed muscle to the Oilers’ lineup. However, his play brought some liabilities to the team. The forward faced some health problems during his time in Oil Country and took plenty of bad penalties. It was time for both sides to go their separate way.

Another move was re-signing forward Kasperi Kapanen to a one-year deal with a cap hit of $1.3M. Kapanen was a fairly valuable forward for the Oilers down the stretch. He scored the overtime and series-winning goal against the Vegas Golden Knights in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Kapanen also brings some speed to the bottom-six forward core. It was smart to keep him around as he is a cheaper option than Connor Brown.

Lastly, a significant move was when Bowman re-signed defenceman Evan Bouchard to a four-year contract worth a total of $42M. This was a crucial move to keep the core together for years to come in Oil Country. This deal is something similar to what Connor McDavid could look to sign either this offseason or next. With these positive moves improving the team, there were some unfortunate losses in free agency.

Players on the move

There were multiple former Edmonton Oilers who were on the move this offseason. First up was Viktor Arvidsson. He had a disappointing season with the Oilers, where he put up 27 points in 67 games. Things just never worked out in Edmonton, as he was even a scratch at some points during the playoffs. Bowman traded the forward to the Boston Bruins for a 2027 fifth-round pick.

A key piece on the move is veteran forward Corey Perry. The 40-year-old had a phenomenal season with the Oilers. He provided 19 goals in the regular season, helping set a positive example around the team. Perry was arguably the best goal-scorer for the Oilers throughout their entire playoff run. He finished the playoffs with 10 goals in 22 games, just one less goal than Leon Draisaitl. Perry signed a one-year deal with the rival Los Angeles Kings. His deal has a cap hit of $3.5M, which is way too expensive for the Oilers. Perry now joins former Oilers Cody Ceci, Warren Foegele, and Manager Ken Holland in Los Angeles.

A couple of other depth pieces that have moved on from the Oilers include Connor Brown and John Klingberg. Brown served as a solid depth piece for the Oilers over the past few years. He played well for the Oilers when they needed it. Klingberg was just a depth piece that can easily be replaced. Lastly, Assistant Coach Glen Gulutzan is moving on to become the new head coach of the Dallas Stars. He was an assistant coach in Edmonton for the last seven years.

And just before the day ended, the Oilers snuck in a deal with former Calgary Flame, Andrew Mangiapane. The forward signed a two-year $3.6M AAV contract. He should be an excellent addition on Draisaitl’s wing, which is what the team had hoped for with Arvidsson.

Changes still need to be made

The key issue for the Oilers remains in the net. Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard are not a good enough goalie tandem to bring home a Stanley Cup. Management did sign goalie Matt Tomkins to a two-year deal, except he will serve as a third goalie. They still need to acquire a legitimate starting goalie. Plenty of their goalie options have already been signed by other teams.

Some of the best options out there would have been to go after goalies John Gibson or Thatcher Demko. Unfortunately, they were too slow in trying to acquire either goalie. Gibson was acquired in a trade with the Detroit Red Wings and will serve as their new starter. Meanwhile, Demko was extended by the Vancouver Canucks alongside of teammate Brock Boeser. These goalies would have been more of an expensive option, but it would have been worth it for a team that is in win-now mode.

A couple of cheaper options they could have gone after included Dan Vladar, Joel Hofer, and Jake Allen. However, all of these goalies were signed before the Oilers could make a move. Vladar signed with the Philadelphia Flyers, Hofer re-signed with the St. Louis Blues, and Allen re-signed with the New Jersey Devils. With these goalies off the market, the Oilers must make a splash in the summer months to acquire a goalie.

Should the Oilers try to trade for Jordan Binnington? He is probably the best goalie that they could acquire in a trade. Another option could be Jeremy Swayman, but he may be too expensive for the Oilers to trade for. This needs to be the number one issue the Oilers must overcome this summer. Who do you think the Oilers should go after this offseason?