Oilers nearing deal with winger Warren Foegele

After acquiring Warren Foegele earlier this week, the Oilers are close to getting him signed to a new contract as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the two sides are closing in on a three-year agreement that would carry a cap hit of $2.75M. He was tendered a $2.25M qualifying offer at the beginning of the week.

The 25-year-old was acquired from Carolina in exchange for defenseman Ethan Bear, a deal that opened up a spot for Edmonton to turn around and sign Cody Ceci while also giving them some grit on the wing.  

Last season, Foegele played in 53 games for the Hurricanes, notching 10 goals and 10 assists while averaging a career-high 14:09 per game. He was a little quieter in the playoffs, however, scoring just once while adding a single assist in their ten postseason contests.

Foegele had made it known that he was hoping to have a chance at playing a bigger role and he could get that opportunity with Edmonton. The Oilers have used Zack Kassian in the top six at times to add some grit on their scoring lines and Foegele could conceivably fill that role with a bit more consistency. If that happens, a $2.75M price tag could turn into a team-friendly deal fairly quickly.

The contract, if finalized, would buy out the remaining two years of RFA eligibility as well as Foegele’s first season of UFA eligibility. He is eligible to file for arbitration tomorrow but it appears that won’t be needed now.