Edmonton Oilers sign Swedish Hockey League leading scorer in free agency
The Edmonton Oilers have signed another highly intriguing European forward.
Roughly a week ago, the Oilers announced that they had signed German forward Joshua Samanski. As it turns out, they weren’t done quite yet when it came to bolstering their forward depth.
This afternoon, the Oilers announced that they signed David Tomasek to a one-year, $1.2 million deal for the 2025-26 season. The 29-year-old, who is playing for Färjestad BK, led the SHL in scoring this past season with 24 goals and 57 points in 47 games.
“I have been given the opportunity to fulfill a dream that I would regret for the rest of my life if I didn’t take,” Tomasek said in a press release put out by Färjestad BK (translated from Swedish to English with Google Translate). “That’s also what I’ve learned from others who have done something similar, that you will regret it if you don’t take the chance. It’s not so much about the money, everyone already knows that you earn better over there, but it’s more about the challenge of being able to compete with the best players in the world.”
The right-shot centreman, who hails from Prague, Czechia, stands at 6-foot-1, 187 pounds. He’s spent the past two seasons in the SHL, while having also played in the Czech Extraliga, KHL, and Finland’s Liiga. The signing, paired with his age, suggests he will have a good opportunity to crack the Oilers’ lineup next season.
The Oilers have gone down this road in the past, signing Swedish forward Joakim Nygard ahead of the 2019-20 season. The now 32-year-old was coming off of a 35-point season with Färjestad BK, but struggled to make the adjustment to the NHL, registering just nine points over 42 games.
This new Oilers management group surely hopes that Tomasek’s tenure will be far more successful.
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