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New Oilers Forward Reveals Reason He Snubbed Other Teams for Edmonton

Originally posted on Hockey Latest | By Daniel Lucente | Last updated Jul 9, 2025 12:47 PM ET

New Oilers forward David Tomasek revealed that he snubbed other NHL teams for Edmonton after a secret, unexpected visit from management to see him.

Edmonton signed a one-year, one-way, $1.2 million USD deal with Czech right winger David Tomasek, age 29, in early April.

Never throughout David Tomasek's NHL-less career had he assembled a monster season in Sweden like the one he just had for Farjestad, when he recorded 24 goals, 33 assists, and 57 points in total during the 2024-25 season, which gave Tomasek league MVP honors.

David Tomasek once narrowly avoided signing an NHL deal a year ago but renewed in Sweden instead. Today, he's jumping abruptly right across to North America, although not strange ground.

As a youth, he played hockey in Michigan, and he also spent two seasons playing in the OHL for the Belleville Bulls.

David Tomasek was never drafted in the NHL

Though undrafted, he had a versatile career in Europe playing in Czechia (Dynamo Pardubice, Sparta Prague), Finland (JYP), Russia (Amur Khabarovsk), and Sweden (Farjestad).

A season-ending injury had kept him out of the Czech Republic's jersey during this year's World Championship, but he's back to full fitness now and training in Prague.

Tomasek conceded that he had two or three NHL teams that were genuinely interested, but all other teams had two-way contracts to bring him aboard.

Did you have several NHL offers to choose from?
'I wouldn't say there were that many. Two or three teams that were more seriously interested. I had some discussions with Edmonton last year, but it didn't work out. Some clubs were only offering two-way contracts. I guess the deciding moment was when they visited me in Sweden - that always convinces you in some way.'

It wasn't until Edmonton's front office flew all the way to Sweden in a secretive, surprise move to see him that he signed on paper, he said, which was a gesture that really stuck in his head.

This article first appeared on Hockey Latest and was syndicated with permission.

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