Oilers lose NHL rights to three NCAA-drafted prospects

The Edmonton Oilers saw a handful of former draft picks hit unrestricted free agency on Friday.

Luca Munzenberger, Joel Maatta, and Tomas Mazura each wrapped up their fourth and final year of NCAA eligibility in 2025-26. Under NHL rules, teams retain the rights to drafted NCAA players until August 15 following their fourth college season.

The most notable of the three is Munzenberger, taken by Edmonton with the 90th pick in the 2021 draft. That selection came after the Oilers traded down in the first round from 20th to 22nd overall, adding a third-round pick from the Minnesota Wild in the process.

The pick was considered a reach at the time. Munzenberger was ranked by only one scouting service, slotted 214th by McKeen’s Hockey. The German blueliner played primarily a defensive role during his first three seasons at the University of Vermont before breaking through offensively as a senior in 2024-25, more than doubling his previous career high with 12 points in 31 games.

Despite a strong final season at Vermont, the Oilers chose not to sign Munzenberger to an entry-level deal. In July, the 22-year-old agreed to terms with Kolner Haie of Germany’s top professional league, signalling that his time with the organization was over before it began

Mazura and Maatta were both later-round picks — Mazura in the fifth round in 2019 and Maatta in the seventh round in 2022. Mazura didn’t begin his NCAA career until two years after being drafted, giving Edmonton a longer window to hold his rights. Maatta, meanwhile, was drafted following his freshman season, so his rights expired three years later.

After a strong 2023-24 season with St. Lawrence University, Mazura endured an injury-plagued 2024-25, posting one goal and 14 points in 17 games before signing with BK Mlada Boleslav in the Czech Extraliga. Maatta, who produced modestly in his first three seasons at Vermont, broke out as captain in 2024-25 with 27 points in 35 games and signed with TPS, one of Finland’s top clubs, in May.

The Oilers also technically saw the NHL draft rights to 2023 seventh-round pick Matt Copponi expire on Friday, though he’s still with the organization. After scoring 24 points in 40 games for Boston College last season, the gritty centre joined the Bakersfield Condors and showed enough in three games to earn a two-year, minor-league deal with the team.

Though it isn’t the same as an entry-level contract, players on AHL deals can still find their way to the NHL. A recent example is Vincent Desharnais, a seventh-round pick in 2016. After finishing his career at Providence College in 2019-20, the towering defender spent three seasons on minor-league contracts with Edmonton’s affiliates before finally signing with the Oilers in March of 2023.

Munzenberger and Maatta capped their NCAA careers with strong senior seasons and seemed like candidates for the Oilers to keep around on minor-league deals in Bakersfield. However, both will likely earn more in top-tier European leagues next season, where strong performances could draw interest from other NHL clubs rather than leaving them to wait for an opportunity in Edmonton.

Below is a list of players drafted by the Oilers and when their NHL rights expire, courtesy of PuckPedia.