Oilers Continue Contract Work Before Regular Season

Podkolzin is entering his second season with the Oilers, and he’s in a much better situation. The 24-year-old forward was a former top draft pick of the Vancouver Canucks, but he failed to reach that potential with his original franchise.

Last year in Edmonton was a notable step forward for the power forward. In 82 regular season contests, he recorded eight goals and 16 assists for 24 points while averaging 13:13 minutes of ice time per game.

In the postseason, he stepped things up another level. In 22 playoff games, he scored three goals and added seven assists for 10 points while playing a bit less time on the ice, averaging just over 11 minutes per game.

In addition to a new deal for Podkolzin, the Oilers are reportedly closing in on a deal with defenseman Jake Walman . The two-way defender is entering his first full season with Edmonton and the final year of a contract that pays him $3.4 million. NHL insider Frank Seravalli recently shared the update that while things keep plodding along with McDavid’s camp, Walman is closing in on an extension with the Oilers.

“I’m told that they’ve made progress on an extension with defenseman Jake Walman,” he said on NHL Insider Notebook on B/R Open Ice.

The 29-year-old is expected to sign a long-term deal with the Oilers when they finalize his extension.

“I believe they’ve been centered on a long term deal,” he continued. “We’ll see what that number comes in at when it does get done, but something to keep an eye on as the Oilers and Walman continue their discussions.”

It seems that everybody in Edmonton can get a new contract besides McDavid. The Oilers are now just two weeks away from opening night of the regular season and they are trying desperately to overcome back-to-back Stanley Cup Final losses. As Seravalli indicates, the team is trying to get the best team possible, but time is running out for all of these new deals to get done before the season kicks off.