The Edmonton Oilers keep on rolling. Following Connor McDavid’s gesture to help the team, the club signed Jake Walman to a long-term extension.
Now, the next shoe to drop is Mattias Ekholm. Ekholm’s current contract is up this season, and was in need of a new contract.
Well, not anymore. The Oilers signed Eklhom to a three-year, $12 million deal. The $4 million AAV is another team-friendly option for the club. That’s why Ekholm is another massive win for the Oilers.
The Oilers are quietly securing their core for the remaining window McDavid will be with the team. Ekholm has been an instrumental piece alongside Evan Bouchard on Edmonton’s top pairing. As such, the team could not have gotten a much better deal than this one.
Had Ekholm left after this season, the Oilers would have needed to find another top-pairing D-man to play with Bouchard. Coach Kris Knoblauch won’t have to lose any sleep over that possibility now that Ekholm is in place.
With Ekholm signed, the only significant impending UFA is Adam Henrique. It remains to be seen how long it may take the club to extend him, too.
Oilers have two other blueliners to extend after Ekholm
The Oilers have two other blueliners as impending UFAs next summer according to Puckpedia.com. Troy Stecher and Brett Kulak could hit the market next offseason, unless the Oilers extend them.
Kulak is in the final year of his current contract. The deal carries a $2.75 million cap hit. The Oilers could look to offer him a similar deal for two to three seasons.
Meanwhile, Stecher is on a league-minimum deal. The 31-year-old has played a largely depth role for the Oilers. While the club would love to keep him, his permanence with the club may be dependent on his overall performance. Assuming he has a productive season, he could remain with the club, as well.
Fans shouldn’t rule out that Kulak and Stecher may not return next season. The Oilers have locked up their core. So, the changes may come around the fringes, especially if Kulak prices himself out of Edmonton.
For now, it might seem the Oilers are done with major UFA signings, unless they choose to extend one or both of their goalies.