SportsHockeyOilers

Foegele admits loss to Oilers stung more because of how he left Edmonton

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
|
May 6 2025, 6:36 pm
Foegele admits loss to Oilers stung more because of how he left Edmonton
Robert Hanashiro/Imagn Images

Warren Foegele had a serious chip on his shoulder going up against the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the playoffs.

The 29-year-old was a member of the Oilers during all three of their first-round series wins over the LA Kings, but wound up signing a three-year deal with the opposition last offseason.

Going up against his former team would have been plenty of motivation in its own right, but following the series — which the Oilers won in six games — Foegele revealed some frustration over the fact that he was never offered an extension to remain in Edmonton.

“Losing to your former team isn’t fun,” Foegele said during his season-ending media availability. “I wasn’t offered a contract by them, so a little bit more personal in that regard, too. I think the frustrating thing is I actually thought we were the better team. That’s the way it goes sometimes, you’ve got to be able to close games, and we weren’t able to do that.”

Instead of bringing back Foegele, who occupied a middle-six role during his three seasons with the Oilers, management opted to replace him with wingers such as Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson, while also re-signing the likes of Connor Brown, Mattias Janmark, Adam Henrique, and Corey Perry.

Foegele, who inked a $10.5 million deal with the Kings, had his best regular season to date in 2024-25, scoring a career-high 24 goals and 46 points. He followed that up with a goal and two assists in six playoff outings, though the Oilers held a major advantage in high-danger chances at 22-8 when Foegele was on the ice.

As for the Oilers, they have advanced to the second round for the fourth-consecutive year, and are preparing for what should be a difficult but thrilling matchup versus the Vegas Golden Knights.

ADVERTISEMENT