Edmonton Oilers’ 3 Best Contracts for 2026-27

“Podzy does a lot of things that a lot of people that don’t really understand hockey, they don’t see it. He does a lot of that work for me, and it lets me have a lot of time with the puck and sets me up in great situations where I lack that in my game,” Draisaitl stated last September. Podkolzin continues to grow his game, and he’s an integral part of this team. He keeps getting better and constantly puts in the work to improve his game.

The Russian winger is the type of player you want on your team. He’s physical, he’s positionally sound, and he has an incredible work ethic. Those are all attributes to build around. He needed to improve his shot and offensive instincts, which he worked on last summer, and it paid dividends. The 25-year-old added more offence to his game, which was important if he wanted to remain in the top six. He had a career-high 19 goals last season, after scoring just eight the season prior. Plus, he does most of his damage at 5-on-5. If he can continue his upward trajectory and become a consistent 20-goal scorer, this contract will age like fine wine.

Frederik Andersen ($1 Million)

The Oilers inked free-agent goaltender Frederik Andersen to a one-year deal with a $1 million cap hit, with another $1.8 million in performance bonuses. He will earn an additional $600,000 for 10 games played, $400,000 for 20 games played, and $200,000 for each playoff series won in which he plays at least 50 percent of the games. Those bonuses would be applied to next season’s salary cap. If he hits all these bonus incentives, the Oilers would’ve had a great season. Therefore, this is a great gamble for Edmonton.

While Andersen had a down regular season with the Carolina Hurricanes, he was lights-out in the playoffs. He posted a 1.89 goals-against average (GAA) and a .910 save percentage (SV%) in 16 playoff games. Unfortunately, he had a rough Stanley Cup Final, and injuries continued to plague him.

In comparison, Sergei Bobrovsky signed a three-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs with a $7 million cap hit. Bobrovsky had a poor regular season, like Andersen, and he’s one year older. Both goalies are Stanley Cup champions, but Andersen makes $6 million less. Plus, it’s a one-year deal, so if things don’t work out, both parties can move on. This is a low-risk, high-reward signing.

The 36-year-old veteran provides a security blanket between the pipes, with Tristan Jarry, Devon Levi, and Andersen competing for starts. The Oilers finally upgraded their goaltending, and they didn’t overpay to do so. Hopefully, he can help get the Oilers over the hump.

Connor McDavid ($12.5 Million)

Connor McDavid shocked the hockey world when he extended with the Oilers for two more seasons with a $12.5 million cap hit, the same as his previous eight-year deal. If anybody deserved a significant raise, it was McDavid. He took a discount to try and win a championship in Edmonton, and that’s admirable.

He’s still the best player in the league, but he isn’t being paid like one. He’s the seventh highest-paid player, behind Leo Carlsson, Kirill Kaprizov, Draisaitl, Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews, and Nathan MacKinnon. With the recent contracts handed out for elite players and the increased salary cap, the Oilers got a steal with this deal.

He recorded 48 goals and 138 points in 82 games, en route to his sixth Art Ross Trophy. The 29-year-old has shown no signs of slowing down, making his new contract incredibly valuable. The Oilers must take advantage of this “hometown discount”.

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