As the Edmonton Oilers drag themselves back into their first round playoff series versus the Los Angeles Kings, they've also called up six black aces from their AHL affiliate the Bakersfield Condors. As per Oilers Now host Bob Stauffer, this included forwards Matt Savoie, Noah Philp and James Hamblin, blue liners Cam Dineen and Philip Kemp, and goaltender Olivier Rodrigue.
One notable absentee from the group of black aces was Drake Caggiula, who this past season led the Condors with 24 goals, while also finishing third with 52 overall points and a +20 rating. As an unrestricted free agent, this led to the understandable question of if he had played his final game for the Oiles organization?
Dake Caggiula saying goodbye to the Oilers
This certainly seems to be the case, at least according to Josh Erickson of Pro Hockey Rumors who has Caggiula likely signing overseas in Sweden. Erickson goes on to note the forward has received strong interest from Swedish Hockey League clubs Brynäs IF and Djurgårdens IF ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Caggiula originally signed for the Oilers organization as an undrafted free agent back in 2016, going on to be a regular in the lineup in 2016-17 and 2017-18. However, he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks during the following season, and has not since played as regularly at the NHL level.
The 30-year-old eventually wound up back in Edmonton after signing a two-year, two-way deal ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. He subsequently got another opportunity at the NHL during this season, but only managed one assist in seven appearances for the Oilers, albeit while averaging just 7:18 of ice time per contest.
Any way back to the NHL for Drake Caggiula?
You don't want to entirely count Caggiula out when it comes to potentially playing regularly again at the NHL level, but it does seem as if the writing is on the wall. That he is now expected to play overseas would seem to allude to the Pickering, Ontario native also believing this to be the case.
When combining Caggiula's two tenures in Edmonton, he played 163 games and produced 50 total points (including 27 goals), a -18 rating and 74 penalty minutes. For his NHL career as a whole, which also includes spells in Arizona, Buffalo and Pittsburgh, he played 289 games and had 92 total points, a -29 rating and 141 penalty minutes.
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