6 Edmonton Oilers players who could sign contracts extensions before next season
The Edmonton Oilers are less than two months away from training camp, and six players could sign new contracts with the team before then.
Oilers GM Stan Bowman has already re-signed a couple of players this summer, with Trent Frederic and Kasperi Kapanen being the two most notable returning players. Other expiring players like Corey Perry and Connor Brown left the team in free agency.
There are several current Oilers players, however, entering the final year of their current contracts. This means they can sign extensions before they become free agents next summer.
Edmonton captain Connor McDavid is the biggest name of that bunch, but there are a few other critical players who could also sign on the dotted line before September hits.
Here is a rundown of those players:
1. Connor McDavid
Age: 28
Current contract: eight years, $12 million AAV (UFA-2026)
As mentioned, the Oilers’ top priority on this list will be signing McDavid to a long-term extension.
So far, there has been nothing to suggest that the two sides won’t get a deal done, though there is speculation the term could land in the three-to-four-year range rather than the maximum eight.
Bowman gave an update on contract talks this week, saying they have yet to commence detailed conversations, but the plan is to get there eventually.
2. Mattias Ekholm
Age: 35
Current contract: four years, $6.25 million AAV (UFA-2026)
Mattias Ekholm has been a pillar on the Oilers’ blueline ever since he arrived at the 2023 NHL trade deadline, but we saw some cracks form at the foundation last season.
The hulking Swede ran into injury troubles in the last half of the regular season and missed most of the Oilers’ playoff run. When he returned, he did not look 100 per cent healthy and ended up making some costly blunders in the Stanley Cup Final.
Signing him to an extension before seeing if he is completely past his injury woes may be a bit of a risk.
3. Stuart Skinner
Age: 26
Current contract: three years, $2.6 million AAV (UFA-2026)
The most controversial player on the Oilers is eligible to sign an extension this summer, but it may have to wait a bit longer.
Skinner has all the makings of a good NHL starting goalie, except for the consistency. He has looked like an NHL all-star on some nights, but has gone on a few brutal cold streaks that have left a bitter taste in the mouths of fans.
It’ll be a make-or-break season for the Edmonton native, and it doesn’t feel like a pre-season extension is coming to take that pressure off.
4. Jake Walman
Age: 29
Current contract: three years, $3.4 million AAV (UFA-2026)
Like Ekholm before him, Jake Walman is looking like a great trade deadline acquisition for the Oilers.
He immediately helped jolt the Oilers’ blueline in the regular season and turned in an impressive performance in his first-ever Stanley Cup Playoffs run. Moving forward, he is looking like a bona fide top-four defenceman on this Edmonton squad, and it would make sense to lock him down sooner rather than later.
5. Vasily Podkolzin
Age: 24
Current contract: two years, $1 million AAV (RFA-2026)
Vasily Podkolzin exceeded expectations for the Oilers last year, even if the point totals weren’t that spectacular.
The young Russian showed off a tenacious forecheck all season long and wound up playing premium minutes next to Leon Draisaitl. While he may not be a top-six mainstay to start next season, it’s clear that the Oilers are fans of the style of game that he likes to play.
He won’t be expensive, and he’s not old, so it would make sense that the Oilers would want to get him signed to an extension sooner rather than later.
6. Brett Kulak
Age: 31
Current contract: four years, $2.75 million AAV (UFA-2026)
Brett Kulak was seen as a sneaky good trade deadline acquisition back in 2022, and he has remained a solid player for the team over the last four seasons.
There is no question that he is a solid third-pairing defender for Edmonton who can pinch-hit in the top-four when needed, but his future in the Alberta capital is uncertain.
The Oilers already have Ekholm, Walman, and Darnell Nurse on the left side, and there may not be room for him moving forward into 2026-27 and beyond. It feels unlikely that an extension will be signed before training camp.