The Edmonton Oilers have one of the vital distinctive wage cap outlooks within the NHL given the group’s roster development. The group has had a number of disastrous contracts in latest seasons with James Neal, Milan Lucic, Jack Campbell, and others. Nonetheless, they’ve additionally had some nice offers. Heading into the 2024-25 season, which 5 gamers are on probably the most team-friendly offers?
Contracts are ranked by the remaining time period, AAV, clauses, and the participant’s function on the group. Gamers with just one 12 months left weren’t thought-about for the checklist.
5. Viktor Arvidsson (2 x $4 million AAV)
Viktor Arvidsson was signed by the Oilers to a two-year deal value $4 million yearly (AAV) this offseason. The 31-year-old winger has 25+ objective and a 70+ level upside and was signed for a decrease AAV than different free brokers like Vladimir Tarasenko, Alex Wennberg, and Sean Monahan. Plain and easy, it is a implausible contract, and followers must be excited to see how Arvidsson performs within the group’s prime six this season. If he can keep wholesome all through the contract, he might change into one of the vital team-friendly bargains in latest NHL historical past.
4. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (4 x $5.125 million AAV)
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has scored 55 objectives and 171 factors in his previous 164 common season video games, along with seven objectives and 22 factors in 25 playoff video games with the Oilers final season. He has completed all this whereas offering robust protection at each even energy and on the penalty kill.
Associated: Edmonton Oilers’ 2024-25 Breakout Candidates
For comparability, facilities making extra yearly than Nugent-Hopkins encompass Andrew Copp, Chandler Stephenson, J.T. Compher, Brayden Schenn, and Elias Lindholm. Nugent-Hopkins’ deal isn’t just a cut price, however his versatility and toolset have given the Oilers extra flexibility within the prime six. His potential to play each heart and wing, dominate particular groups, and rack up large minutes have made him an especially underrated NHL ahead, even along with his 104-point marketing campaign two seasons in the past.
3. Connor McDavid (2 x $12.5 million AAV)
Connor McDavid, regardless of making $12.5 million AAV, ranks as one of many Oilers’ prime contracts. To be fairly trustworthy, he may very well be primary. To signal the far and away greatest participant on the earth for something decrease than the utmost contract is straight away a steal, so doing so for $5.1 million AAV under the utmost threshold is astonishing. After all, the NHL has not reached the purpose the place gamers are demanding the utmost wage like within the NBA, however McDavid very properly might have and numerous groups would have met his calls for. After all, he was a restricted free agent, however even when he entered unrestricted free company this deal would have remained the identical.
Presently, McDavid just isn’t even the highest-paid participant within the NHL, with each Auston Matthews ($13.25 million AAV) and Nathan MacKinnon ($12.6 million AAV) sitting atop the leaderboard. Regardless of the way you take a look at it, McDavid’s $12.5 million AAV wage is an absolute steal and could be ranked larger if not for the Oilers’ a number of further team-friendly contracts.
2. Stuart Skinner (2 x $2.6 million AAV)
Say what you need about Stuart Skinner, however he has rapidly emerged as one of many league’s better-starting goalies. The 25-year-old went 36-16-5 with a 2.62 objectives in opposition to common (GAA) and .905 save proportion (SV%) final season. Within the playoffs, he went 14-9-0 with a 2.45 GAA and .901 SV%.
After all, these numbers don’t stand out, however given Skinner’s disastrous begin to the common season, he got here round fairly properly. He posted two one-goal video games and two two-goal video games within the Stanley Cup Ultimate in opposition to the Florida Panthers, and the Oilers undoubtedly wouldn’t have gone to Sport 7 of the Stanley Cup Ultimate if not for his heroics.
1. Zach Hyman (4 x $5.5 million AAV)
Not a lot must be stated about Zach Hyman. The 32-year-old scored 54 objectives final season then adopted it up with 16 objectives in 25 playoff video games. He has been the proper addition to McDavid’s line and has proven no indicators of slowing down. Pundits have tried to restrict Hyman’s accomplishments, crediting McDavid for his success, and whereas he has helped, scoring 50 objectives is spectacular no matter who your linemates are. The Oilers tried to search out the proper linemate for McDavid for six seasons, and within the 2021 offseason, they discovered Hyman.
The Oilers have gone from one of many worst salary-constraint groups within the league to probably the greatest, and the on-ice manufacturing proves it. With practically all the core of team-friendly or honest offers, it is going to be attention-grabbing to see how the group can rebound from final season’s disappointing end.
