The Edmonton Oilers made a slew of low-risk/high-reward signings in recent months, snagging a number of top scoring players from various first tier European pro leagues. Arguably the most notable signing was David Tomasek, who signed a one-year contract carrying a $1.2 million AAV.
Tomasek, 29, is a scoring center who spent the past two seasons with Färjestad BK of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). In 2024-25 he led the entire league in scoring with 24 goals, 33 assists and 57 points in 47 games, racking up numerous accolades for his efforts.
This came after stints in the KHL, Liiga, and his native Czechia where he was able to rack up significant numbers as well and put himself on the radar of NHL clubs. He has been a coveted free agent out of Europe these last few seasons and even chose the Oilers over multiple other destinations.
To the wider base of NHL fans, Tomasek may have been an unknown but thankfully, the Oilers did their homework. Even still, it is hard to guess at how impactful a player who is 29 and has not played a game on North American ice since the Belleville Bulls existed – Which is where he spent his two OHL seasons – will perform. So, it’s fair to ask the question.
What are realistic expectations for David Tomasek?
The Czech-born center/winger has been a notable European scorer for many years now. He’s a crafty player who plays the game at a quick pace, using his slick hands to get by opposing defensemen. He also possesses a strong dual-threat scoring ability –- Which should help him fit into a complimentary or secondary scoring role with the Oilers.
Using Dobber Prospects NHLe calculator, his last three seasons have seen him score at a 30, 42, and 59-point pace. Although I doubt that he is expected to score nearly 60 points in his first NHL season, we have seen some very impressive performances out of late comers from Europe – Like, Nikita Gusev and Andrei Kuzmenko.
Although 60 points seems like a tall task, his impact will be determined largely by where he slots into the lineup of course. If he can carve out a role on either of the top two lines, a season of high-end production does not seem out of the question. However much more realistically, he fits somewhere into the middle-six and scores at or around a similar rate to Maxim Tsyplakov, who debuted with the New York Islanders last year.
Tsyplakov, dressed in 77 games for the Islanders last season, scoring 10 goals and 25 assists for 35 points. He did this while averaging roughly 15 minutes a game, playing middle-six minutes. If Tomasek can score at this rate in a similar role next season, it will be a big win.
It remains to be seen where the Czech forward will play next year but if he is able to carve out a solid role on the second or third line with the club and produce at a reasonable rate, it can only help the team in the long run as they will need to find creative ways to maneuver the salary cap.
The Oilers have their work cut out for them with their playoff success in recent seasons, setting the expectations high. These high expectations come in many forms, with the team being ranked high on power rankings heading into the 2025-26 campaign.
If Tomasek receives a chance and performs well, the club will become a much more attractive destination and will continue to make deep playoff runs. Of course, he needs to make the NHL first and foremost.