Oilers place two defenders on waivers as team approaches start of regular season

A couple of players are seemingly on their way to the minors.

On Thursday, the Edmonton Oilers placed defencemen Cam Dineen and Riley Stillman on waivers. If the two players were to clear on Friday, they can be optioned to the team’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.

Stillman came to the Oilers this past offseason, signing a two-year, two-way contract on July 1. His deal carries an NHL cap hit of $775,000 and a minor-league salary of $475,000. He joined the team after spending last season with the Carolina Hurricanes, though he spent most of the 2024-25 campaign with the Chicago Wolves, the Hurricanes’ top farm team.

The Peterborough, Ont. native played five games with Carolina, last seeing NHL action on April 17. In 35 games with the Wolves, he scored three goals and six assists for nine points, with a plus/minus of -9 and 58 penalty minutes.

Stillman has bounced around North America since turning pro in 2018. From spending a few years with the Florida Panthers, the team that took him in the fourth round of the 2016 NHL Draft, he has also had stints with the Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks, and Buffalo Sabres. He’s also made AHL stops in Springfield, Syracuse, and Rochester.

In 166 NHL appearances, the 27-year-old has scored four goals and 22 assists for 26 points. In 171 AHL contests, he has posted 12 goals and 29 assists for 41 points.

Dineen is entering his third year with the Oilers’ organization. After not seeing any NHL ice since the 2021-22 season, when he was a member of the Arizona Coyotes, the Toms River, N.J. native played in four games late last season. He didn’t register any points and had an even rating while averaging 17:11 of ice time. With the Condors, Dineen had his best season in pro hockey. In 59 games, he set career highs in goals (9), assists (34), and points (43).

The 27-year-old has posted seven assists in 41 NHL games. In 348 AHL contests, he has scored 34 goals and 137 assists for 171 points.

Dineen is heading into the final season of his two-year contract that he signed in June 2024. The deal has a cap hit of $775,000, with a minor-league salary of $350,000 this year.

The Oilers still have a few more days to finalize their lineup, as the deadline for roster submissions is Monday. Edmonton kicks off its 2025-26 regular season next Wednesday against the rival Calgary Flames.