Oilers trade deadline acquisition a contract extension

While the Edmonton Oilers have made several changes so far in the offseason and bid goodbye to more than a handful of players from last season’s roster, one player that GM Stan Bowman acquired at the Trade Deadline will be sticking around longer.

Forward Colton Dach, who was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks, has been re-signed to a two-year contract with a salary cap hit of $1.2 million. Dach was acquired along with forward Jason Dickinson in exchange for forward Andrew Mangiapane, a 2027 first-round pick, and a 2028 second-round pick.

Dach, a 23-year-old forward who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 218 pounds, appeared in 61 regular-season games during the 2025-26 campaign split between the Oilers and Blackhawks. He finished the year with five goals, eight assists and 52 penalty minutes, including four points (two goals, two assists) over his first eight contests with the Oilers after being acquired on March 6.

During the Oilers’ loss to the divisional rival Anaheim Ducks in the Western Conference Quarterfinal in April, he registered an assist while averaging 8:27 per game. His physically-driven play was also on full display, delivering 23 hits and blocking three shots during what was a far shorter stay in the playoffs than the Oilers were envisioning.

Known for his rugged style of play, the St. Albert, Alberta native threw 219 hits over the course of the regular season. That total ranked among the NHL’s top 15 despite him playing fewer games than every other player in that group.

Dach was originally taken by the Blackhawks in the second round (62nd overall pick) in the 2021 NHL Draft.