How much salary cap room do the Oilers have going into free agency?

Silly Season is right around the corner. The NHL’s free agency period will open on Tuesday at noon ET, though we’ll surely start to hear about deals well before then.

The Edmonton Oilers made a salary cap-clearing move last week when they traded Evander Kane to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a draft pick. Since then, Trent Frederic and Kasperi Kapanen re-signed to new contracts, leaving the team with just over $11 million in salary cap room heading into free agency.

That should be enough space for the Oilers to re-sign restricted free agent Evan Bouchard and either Corey Perry or Connor Brown, two veteran wingers set to become unrestricted free agents.

But if the Oilers are going to make any other major additions this off-season, they’ll have to make another trade to clear more cap room. Viktor Arvidsson, who’s signed for one more year at $4 million, is expected to be moved this summer, though he might become a more attractive option to teams who struck out on the open market.

Below are the players the Oilers have signed heading into the 2025-26 season, as well as the players who are set to become free agents on Tuesday.

Edmonton Oilers Salary Cap Commitments

• F – Leon Draisaitl ($14 million)
• F – Connor McDavid ($12.5 million)
• F – Zach Hyman ($5.5 million)
• F – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins ($5.125 million)
• F – Viktor Arvidsson ($4 million)
• F – Trent Frederic ($3.85 million)
• F – Adam Henrique ($3 million)
• F – Mattias Janmark ($1.45 million)
• F – Kasperi Kapanen ($1.3 million)
• F – David Tomasek ($1.2 million)
• F – Vasily Podkolzin ($1 million)
• F – Max Jones ($1 million)
• F – Noah Philp ($775k)
• D – Darnell Nurse ($9.25 million)
• D – Mattias Ekholm ($6 million)
• D – Jake Walman ($3.4 million)
• D – Brett Kulak ($2.75 million)
• D – Ty Emberson ($1.3 million)
• D – Troy Stecher ($787,500)
• G – Stuart Skinner (2.6 million)
• G – Calvin Pickard ($1 million)
• Jack Campbell Buyout ($2.3 million)
• Bonus Overage Carryover ($250k) 
• Total Projected Cap Hit (~$84.5 million)
• Salary Cap Ceiling ($95.5 million) 
• Open Salary Cap Room (~$11 million)

Edmonton Oilers Becoming Free Agents

• F – Connor Brown (UFA)
• F – Corey Perry (UFA)
• F – Jeff Skinner (UFA)
• D – Evan Bouchard (RFA)
• D – John Klingberg (UFA) 
• F – Drake Caggiula (UFA)
• F – Lane Pederson (UFA)
• F – Jacob Perreault (RFA)
• F – Derek Ryan (UFA)
• F – Cameron Wright (RFA)
• D – Ronald Attard (UFA)
• D – Connor Carrick (UFA)
• D – Travis Dermott (UFA)
• D – Phil Kemp (UFA)
• G – Collin Delia (UFA)
• G – Olivier Rodrigue (RFA)

Continue Reading About the Off-Season…

• What the Evander Kane trade means for the Edmonton Oilers
• How should the Edmonton Oilers approach their goaltending situation?
• Scouts not impressed with Oilers at 2025 NHL Draft
• Why didn’t Viktor Arvidsson work out with the Oilers?
• Oilers’ evaluation of the goaltending market could lead them to retain their current tandem
• Evan Bouchard nearing extension, four-year, $9.5-million AAV deal rumoured
• Why an eight-year contract for Oilers’ Trent Frederic isn’t as risky as you may think