What type of contracts are the Oilers free agents projected to sign?

The RFA’s

Evan Bouchard

The Oilers have learned the hard way when it comes to bridging 25-year-old defenecemen. It’s time for the organization to show they learned from that mistake and lock up Evan Bouchard to a long-term deal. Connor McDavid advocated for his deal this week, something Bouchard’s camp surely loved to hear.

There’s been talk of his deal being “at least” $10-million per year, and the projected numbers are reasonable.

The Verdict: Worth it.

Noah Philp

There’s a real shot for Philp to be an everyday player next year. He returned to the pro ranks this year and got a 15-game look in the NHL, faring well with a pair of assists. His game progressed in the AHL with 19 goals and 35 points in 55 games.

Mattias Janmark is not a centre, and keeping Philp under $1-million in the NHL would be a win. Philp will also be waiver eligible next season.

The Verdict: Worth it.

Olivier Rodrigue

Rodrigue isn’t going anywhere, and he’s somebody who could see NHL minutes in the future for the Oilers. With some uncertainty surrounding Stuart Skinner’s future with the organization, it could clear a path for Rodrigue in the future.

The Verdict: Worth it.

The UFA’s

Jeff Skinner

I’m of the opinion that Skinner got the short end of the stick this year. His defensive deficiencies were apparent early this season, but I thought he committed himself to improving there and even when he did, he wasn’t rewarded with more ice-time.

While I would bring him back at a similar deal as the one-year, $3-million contract he played on this year, all signs point to him heading to free agency.

The Verdict: Not worth it.

Trent Frederic

We’ll have more in the coming days when his eight-year, $3.75-million-ish AAV deal gets finalized, but I’m optimistic about him. The rising cap is going to lead to some weird looking deals, and this price range for third-liners will soon be the new norm.

Frederic wasn’t near 100 percent in the playoffs and has shown he can be a productive player during his time with the Bruins. He said during his exit press conference that he’s comfortable with playing up the middle of the ice, and if he can be productive as a 3C, this deal will look even better.

The Verdict: Worth it.

Connor Brown

Word on the street is the Oilers are looking to re-sign Brown, who reportedly played with a broken toe in the Stanley Cup Final. He appeared to lose a step in against Florida, so an injury makes sense. Still, Brown had a strong season for the Oilers scoring 13 goals and 30 points in 82 games, adding five goals and nine points in 20 playoff games.

He can play up the lineup in a pinch, was very effective on the penalty kill and is clearly well-liked given his ability to pop out of cupboards for lineup reads. After playing on two consecutive one-year deals, he’s likely going to be looking for some term, and I’m okay with this.

The Verdict: Worth it.

John Klingberg

After a rough start that only got rougher due to injury, the fact Klingberg played as well as he did in the playoffs was nothing short of a revelation. I don’t foresee him being back with the Oilers, as Ty Emberson can be an effective 3RD well, and Edmonton could look for an upgrade mid-season.

The Verdict: Not worth it.

Corey Perry

I have a hard time seeing the Oilers letting Perry walk to free agency and if I’m the team, I’m trying to sign him to a league-minimum deal with performance bonuses. Perry has over $100-million in career earnings, and a difference of $500,000 to $1-million can be crucial for a cap-strapped team like the Oilers. Much like with Brown, there’s talk of the Oilers working to re-sign him and his “top priority” is to remain in Edmonton.

Perry’s shown there’s still gas in the tank with his 19 goals and 30 points in 81 regular season games and another 10 goals and 14 points in 22 playoff games.

The Verdict: Worth it.

Kasperi Kapanen

It was an up and down year for Kapanen after the Oilers claimed him on waivers last November. It took a while for him to find his game, and he would have stretches where he looked solid and others where he was a non-factor. That followed him into the playoffs, but he was an effective player when he was on his game.

I think this deal is reasonable for a depth player who showed he can slide up and down the lineup as needed.

The Verdict: Worth it.

Travis Dermott

Dermott signed with Edmonton just before the season kicked off, played 10 games for the Oilers, landed on waivers, and was claimed by the Minnesota Wild. He played nine games there, was waived again only for the Oilers to claim him. He played three games for the AHL Condors, but that was it.

Part of it was due to the Condors having too many vets, but some kind of injury was suffered in there, too.

The Verdict: Not worth it.

Derek Ryan

Ryan played 36 games for the Oilers this year, all but three of which came into the middle of January before he was waived. He would appear in 13 games for the AHL Condors after being placed on waivers, but there were rumblings late in the year he didn’t report. I don’t know what to make of it, but after four years as a great soldier for the Oilers, it’s time for both sides to move on.

The Verdict: Not worth it.