The main topic on Edmonton Oilers fans minds for the entire summer, but especially the past few weeks, has been the contract extension of superstar forward and captain, Connor McDavid. He has been eligible to sign since July 1st and as we near the start of the 2025-26 season, the pressure is amping up with plenty of rumours and speculation.
On the backburner though are a few other important players on the Oilers roster who are in need of contract extensions. Notably, defenseman Jake Walman — who the club acquired at the 2025 trade deadline — and forward Vasily Podkolzin.
Walman, 29, is entering the final year of a three-year contract he signed with the Detroit Red Wings that carries a $3.4 million annual average value (AAV). He is set to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) and is due for a major rise in pay coming off back-to-back seasons setting career highs.
After being acquired by the Oilers, he found himself fitting in nicely on the club’s second pair alongside Darnell Nurse. Given his importance to the team and their willingness to part with a first round pick and a prospect, he is due for a hefty extension and should be worth it.
Podkolzin, 24, is entering the final year of a two-year deal with a $1 million AAV and is set to become a restricted free agent (RFA). He was acquired by the Oilers last summer, not long before the start of the year and has found a good fit with the team, carving out a nice spot alongside star forward, Leon Draisaitl.
Recently, Draisaitl heaped massive praise on Podkolzin saying "He does a lot of great things for me, personally. I really, really love playing with him, he's a great player." Between the praise and his excellent fit, he too should expect a significant raise, especially if head coach Kris Knoblauch plans to keep him alongside Draisaitl, playing top six minutes.
This all leads to the recent rumours regarding these two Oilers players and their respective contract extensions.
Oilers extension rumours
Recently, Oilers longtime media analyst Bob Stauffer spoke about both players and their potential contract extension terms on his show, OilersNOW. The potential terms for either player is that Walman could get a six-year extension in or around the $6 million AAV range while Podkolzin could garner a three-year extension.
Walman will be 30 years old when his new deal kicks in and six years seems like a reasonable length for the defenseman who should be able to keep up his play for much of the contract. As well, if it comes in around $6 million per year, though it may seem rich now, given the soon to be big rise in the NHL salary cap ceiling, it is quite reasonable.
Podkolzin on the other hand, could be more of a risky move depending on the contract amount. He has struggled to carve out a consistent role in the NHL and despite his chemistry with one of the club's best players, it remains to be seen if it can hold up.
However, if the two sides are able to find a moderate rise in the AAV from his current $1 million, he should be worth it. The team will need to take risks in order to survive the next few years as they try to keep their contention window open for the Stanley Cup.