LOOKING AT WHICH OILERS FREE AGENTS HAVE SIGNED WITH NEW TEAMS
Out of any team in the National Hockey League, the Edmonton Oilers had one of the best openings to free agency.
They finally got two scoring wingers to play alongside Leon Draisaitl, signing Viktor Arvidsson to a two-year, $8 million deal, and Jeff Skinner to a one-year, $3 million deal. Arvidsson only played 18 games last season, scoring six goals and 15 points, but had 26 goals and 59 points the season prior. Skinner had 24 goals and 46 points in 74 games but had 35 goals and 82 points in 79 games the season prior.
They also managed to re-sign an entire line, as Mattias Janmark signed a three-year, $4.35 million deal, Adam Henrique signed a two-year, $6 million deal, and Connor Brown signed a one-year, $1 million deal. Other re-signings include Corey Perry, Troy Stecher, and Calvin Pickard while signing quite a few depth players.
However, what about the players that didn’t re-sign? Where did they end up, and how much are they making? Let’s find out.
Vincent Desharnais signed with Vancouver
After playing just two seasons with the Oilers, the ever-reliable Vincent Desharnais signed a two-year, $4 million deal with the Vancouver Canucks with a cap hit of $2 million annually.
For all the signings the Oilers have had upfront, this is a rather sizable loss for the Oilers on the backend, as Desharnais and Brett Kulak formed a solid third pairing. Moreover, Desharnais’ penalty killing will be lost as well.
As of now, they replaced him with Troy Stecher, which isn’t ideal, but it’s still early.
Warren Foegele signed with Los Angeles
Last season with the Oilers, Foegele scored 20 goals and 41 points in 82 games, with both tallies being a career-high. On top of that, he scored three goals and eight points in the postseason, really becoming a factor in the Stanley Cup Final.
Well, that translated to the Los Angeles Kings signing Foegele to a three-year, $10.5 million deal with an annual cap hit of $3.5 million and a modified no-trade clause. Foegele killed penalties and played in the middle six, forming chemistry with Leon Draisaitl. However, he’s not that big of a loss.
To replace Foegele, the Oilers signed Jeff Skinner to a one-year deal worth $3 million. Not only is it a cheaper contract, but Skinner is a six-time 30+ goal scorer, even scoring 40 goals in his first season in Buffalo back in 2018-19. He’s just two years removed from arguably his best season, scoring 35 goals and 82 points.
Sam Carrick signed with the New York Rangers
Acquired alongside Adam Henrique in a trade deadline deal, Sam Carrick had a solid season with the Anaheim Ducks and the Edmonton Oilers, scoring 10 goals and 17 points in 77 games. The right-shot centre also had an assist in 10 postseason games.
It took a while to become a mainstay in the National Hockey League, but Carrick’s three-year, $3 million deal with the New York Rangers with a $1 million annual cap hit is a good indication that he’ll continue to be a regular.
Due to the Oilers’ forward depth, there wasn’t a signing that replaced Carrick. The right-shot centre is a solid penalty kill that offers depth scoring, but the Oilers already have Derek Ryan, and there’s a solid chance Adam Henrique, a player who had 24 goals and 51 points last season, will be their fourth-line centre.
The Oilers also signed a Carrick, right-shot defenceman Connor Carrick to a one-year, league-minimum deal. He’ll likely play in the AHL throughout the season.
Jack Campbell signed with Detroit
Jack Campbell’s five-year, $25 million deal with a cap hit of $5 million each season was a disaster the second it was signed. Although he had a .914 save percentage and a 2.64 goals-against average for the Leafs before signing that deal, his second half of the season wasn’t great.
In his first season with the Oilers, he had an .888 save percentage and a 3.41 goals-against average in 36 games. He played just five games with an .873 save percentage and a 4.50 goals-against average before being sent down to the American Hockey League. With the Bakersfield Condors, Campbell had a .918 save percentage and a 2.63 goals-against average in 33 games, but never got another shot with the Oilers.
At the beginning of free agency, the Detroit Red Wings signed Campbell to a one-year, $775,000 deal. There’s a good chance he’ll be their AHL back-up, as the Red Wings also signed former Oiler Cam Talbot, while top goaltending prospect Sebastian Cossa is set to take the starter’s role in net for their AHL team.
The Oilers re-signed Calvin Pickard to a two-year, $2 million deal with an annual cap hit of $1 million. He proved to be a competent backup, posting a .909 save percentage and a 2.45 goals-against average in 23 games. In three postseason appearances, Pickard had a .915 save percentage and a 2.21 goals-against average.
Edmonton also signed Collin Delia to a one-year deal worth the league minimum. The 30-year-old didn’t have a great season for the AHL’s Manitoba Moose last season, posting an .872 save percentage and a 3.55 goals-against average in 32 games.
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2024-07-05T12:42:43Z dg43tfdfdgfd