Nearly two weeks into the 2026 free agency period, there are still plenty of holdouts on the free agent market, who are perfectly good players left unsigned.
The Edmonton Oilers are a team who seem poised to make a big push as they currently have a projected $5.9 million in cap space for next year with only Colton Dach as a restricted free agent left to sign.
The Oilers could make a push to sign a player to a low cap hit deal however, there are many other teams with much more cap space as of right now. Either way, the Oilers can afford a unique opportunity for teams to play with stars like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl who are chasing their first Stanley Cup.
This could be an attractive proposition for some players and they could employ a similar strategy to the one they did last year when they signed forward Jack Roslovic to a very cap efficient contract at just $1.5 million for one year.
Like last year, there are thankfully a number of players that could fit the Oilers need to add scoring depth.
Patrick Kane
The 37 year old Patrick Kane has proven that he is still a capable offensive play driver who can produce in a top six/top nine role. He is seemingly not returning back to the Detroit Red Wings, the team he has spent the past three seasons with and has aged relatively gracefully.
Just this past season, Kane scored 16 goals and 41 assists for 57 points in 67 games played, giving him a nearly 70 point pace in 82 games. Elite players such as Kane are known to age much slower but as the saying goes, father time eventually catches up and typically, the age decline acts quickly.
The Oilers could come in with a similar contract to what Kane has demanded the past three seasons at $2.75 million, $4 million, and $3 million respectively. If money is the problem, the Oilers can definitely pony up. But, we will see where Kane lands soon.
Eeli Tolvanen
Originally billed as a high skilled winger, Eeli Tolvanen has carved out a role as a skilled but physical middle-six winger for the Seattle Kraken after being picked off waivers during the 2022-23 season. He has scored at a rate above 35 points in each of the past three seasons and this past season racking up 12 goals and 24 assists for 36 points.
Tolvanen has a career high of 41 points, hitting that mark in 2023-24 and at just 27 years old, he should still have multiple good years ahead of him. If he can join the Oilers and find a role almost anywhere in their top-nine, he should be able to find a more advantageous positioning to produce at a higher level.
Tolvanen signed his previous contract for $3.475 million for two years, following his career high season. Based upon caphit percentage, it would put that caphit at slightly above $4 million at $4.13 million. The Oilers would have more than enough cap space to pull that off and depending on his demands, they should be able to make a deal work financially.
Other players the Oilers could pursue
In addition to those two players, the club has plenty of options at their disposal that fit different bills. For example, Vladimir Tarasenko is a player that could be a great fit with the Oilers. There are also other veteran options on the free agent market like James Van Riemsdyk.
Additionally, a player like Michael Bunting makes a lot of sense as a depth scoring option for the Oilers to add to provide a supplemental scoring punch.
There is also always the option for the Oilers to hold on to their current cap space and to utilize it at the trade deadline, allowing them to add a highly valuable player to their roster who may be unattainable, especially under the new collective bargaining agreement rules prohibiting double retention trades.
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