Oilers may tie up casualties after Bouchard’s next deal – Hockey writer – Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers are hosting a critical offseason for the offseason, with one major contract negotiation likely to shape the rest of its summer. Star defenseman Evan Bouchard will be greatly improved, which gives the Oilers a tough decision to several other pending free agents. Bouchard had another great playoff game, proving he deserved a major investment and long-term extension.

Bouchard is about to be paid by the oil worker

Track and Field’s Harman Dayal introduces the consequences of Bouchard’s next deal. He wrote:

“This summer, Evan Bouchard’s next contract will single-handedly swallow up nearly all the Oilers’ blocking space. Over the past two years, Bouchard has finished third in all NHL defenses, behind Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes. Sometimes his defensive effect can sometimes go up, but the Elite Inter Intergesign Mumbals pays a player.

Source – “Why these 4 NHL teams may lose great players due to tilting their salary caps” – Harman Dayal – Track and Field – 06/11/2025

According to the evolving hockey and contract forecasts analyzed by AFP, Bouchard is expected to reach an eight-year contract between eight years and $10.9 million a year.

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In the long run, the scribe noted that this is good news for the Oiler — the cornerstone defender who locked most of his top picks — he also noted that it immediately stood out for the organization’s salary cap flexibility.

Edmonton is currently expected to have $11.9 million in blocking space. If Bouchard’s trade lands near the expected range, there will be only $100,000-$1.5 million in additional action left.

Who will the Oiler lose?

The good news is that after signing Bushad, the Oilers will have an almost complete lineup. The bad news is that the remaining three or four that the team may want to bring back has no space.

The team will have 11 forwards, seven defenders and two goalkeepers, but John Klinberg, Connor Brown, Trent Frederick, Cory Perry, Jeff Skinner and Caspery Kapanin will all not match. Edmonton is said to have already reached a deal for Frederic. If we remove him from the conversation, that will make less space, with five players in the bubble.

Don’t expect Jeff Skinner to come back. He is a solid NHL veteran, but the signing isn’t out of the way the Oilers and Skinner hoped.

Dayal believes Connor Brown has a strong rebounding season and may have priced from Edmonton. The veteran winger signed a low-risk contract last summer, thanks for the overpriced and rewarding deal signed in 2023.

Oilers like John Klingberg, but determining their own value can be tricky. He started off with the Oilers after a disastrous game against Toronto, but quietly discovered a new life in Edmonton in the playoffs. He may come out of Game 4 after he struggled to hurt the team in Game 3, but he formed a valid second pair with Jake Walman. His hockey abilities help in the right trade, but that’s the key here. If the team is willing to pay in July, the Oilers will be out.

Can oilers trade to free up space?

Cap relief can be in the form of a trade, but most tradable options have full no-move clauses. A guy like Viktor Arvidsson (who hits $4 million next season’s block rate) may be a viable option if he’s willing to give up, but it may be a big option.

Edmonton shouldn’t be panicking, but after Bouchard got his monster extension, everyone was boasting that the depth of the season was quickly gone. Who can afford to lose, and they need to find a way to keep it?