9 former Oilers still looking for new homes in free agency
It seems the NHL is quickly approaching the dog days of the offseason after a hectic week that saw the Edmonton Oilers among the busiest teams.
The team handed out 13 new contracts since getting eliminated in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. They still have some work to do to re-sign RFAs Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg but, outside of that, it appears the Oilers have gotten most of its offseason work out of the way.
That doesn’t mean everything will stand still in the league. We already covered a list of former Oilers who changed teams in the first few days of free agency, but plenty of other ex-Edmonton players are still looking for new contracts.
Is a return to the Alberta capital in the cards for any of these players? Only time will tell.
Tyson Barrie
Position: RD
Last contract: Nashville Predators (three years x $4.5 million cap hit)
It hasn’t been smooth sailing for Tyson Barrie since he was dealt to the Nashville Predators at the 2023 NHL trade deadline.
He put up 132 points over three seasons with the Oilers but has only mustered 27 in 65 games in Nashville and has found himself as a healthy scratch on some nights. Someone will surely sign him, but it will include a drastic pay cut.
Justin Schultz
Position: RD
Last contract: Seattle Kraken (two years x $3 million cap hit)
The former wunderkind signed with the Oilers as a highly sought-after college free agent in 2012 but things quickly soured in the Alberta capital and he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016.
Schultz won two Stanley Cups as a member of the Penguins and has bounced around to a few different teams since. He is coming off a 26-point campaign with the Kraken last season.
Kailer Yamamoto
Position: RW
Last contract: Seattle Kraken (one year x $1.5 million cap hit)
In his first season outside of Edmonton, Yamamoto disappointed with his hometown Kraken. Though he scored 20 goals for the Oilers in 2021-22, he hasn’t been able to replicate those results.
He may be a decent, cheap depth option if the Oilers desire, but Yamamoto will most likely wind up somewhere else.
Milan Lucic
Position: LW
Last contract: Boston Bruins (one year x $1 million cap hit)
Things didn’t work out in Edmonton for Lucic despite an encouraging 50-point debut season with the club, and things haven’t gotten much better for the brute.
He returned to the Bruins for this past year but things got derailed after a domestic incident with his wife forced the team to put him on an indefinite leave. He managed just two points in four games last season and his future in the NHL is in serious doubt.
Tyler Pitlick
Position: C
Last contract: New York Rangers (one year x $787,000 cap hit)
Drafted 31st overall by the Oilers in the 2010 NHL Draft, Pitlick has been just about everywhere throughout his 10-year career in the league.
At the peak of his powers, he was a decent middle-six centerman who could put up around 20-25 points. Those days are far behind him now and he will most likely get a league minimum deal and spend most of the next season in the AHL.
Caleb Jones
Position: LD
Last contract: Colorado Avalanche (one year x $775,000 cap hit)
At one point in time, Jones was thought to be an important part of the Oilers blueline for years to come, but things didn’t quite pan out that way. He had the tools but could never quite put them all together, which resulted in him being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2022 in a package for Duncan Keith.
Since then, he’s hopped around to a few different teams and is still trying to find a consistent home.
Chris Wideman
Position: RD
Last contract: Montreal Canadiens (two years x $762,000 cap hit)
In a blink-and-you-missed-it five-game tenure with the Oilers back in 2018-19, you wouldn’t be blamed much if you forgot that Wideman played for the Oilers for a spell.
At the time he was a decent bottom-four defenceman and not much has changed. Wideman had six points in 46 games with the Canadiens last season.
Jujhar Khaira
Position: LW
Last contract: Minnesota Wild (one year x $775,000 cap hit)
Khaira had his fair share of fans during his time with the Oilers. He was seen as a hardworking depth player who sometimes had a sneaky-good scoring touch and wasn’t afraid to drop the gloves.
Injuries have hit him hard over the last few years and he spent the majority of last season playing in the AHL.
Brad Hunt
Position: LD
Last contract: Colorado Avalanche (two years x $762,000 cap hit)
In another deep cut from the Oilers’ decade of darkness, Hunt is also looking for a new contract after spending the last two seasons playing in the Avalanche organization.
He has had a few seasons of decent production in the NHL, but he has spent the bulk of the last two seasons in the AHL.
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