7 former Oilers who remain on the free agent market

With free agency having kicked off nearly two weeks ago, many players have found themselves new homes for the upcoming season. That said, the salary cap increasing so minimally has made it tough for many teams to make the additions they were hoping for, resulting in numerous players still being up for grabs.

As it turns out, several of those players that remain hopeful of landing a contract for the upcoming season are former Oilers. Here is a look at seven of them.

Jesse Puljujarvi

After being involved in trade rumours for well over a year, the Oilers finally moved Puljujarvi to the Carolina Hurricanes at this year’s trade deadline. Though the 25-year-old showed glimpses of the player he could be during his time in Edmonton, he never put it together consistently and really struggled this past season.

Those struggles continued during his stint with the Hurricanes and resulted in him going unqualified. He is now a free agent for anybody to grab but is facing a lengthy recovery after undergoing double hip surgery at season’s end.

Devin Shore

Though used primarily in a depth role this past season, Devin Shore was a player that Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft seemed confident in. The 28-year-old struggled to put up numbers with a lone goal and nine points in 47 games, but can shut down opposing teams’ lines and was beneficial on the penalty kill.

Shore was brought into the Oilers camp three seasons ago on a PTO. He made the most of it, signing a one-year deal shortly after, and was then able to earn himself a two-year extension. While his time in Edmonton appears to be over, he could latch on somewhere as a depth option.

Zack Kassian

While his final few seasons in Edmonton were disappointing, Zack Kassian is not too far removed from being a very impactful player. The 32-year-old is perhaps best remembered for his outstanding performance in Game 2 of the Oilers’ first-round playoff series versus the San Jose Sharks in 2017, scoring a massive shorthanded goal while laying several thunderous hits.

Unfortunately for Kassian, he seems to have lost that explosiveness that was once a big part of his game. The 32-year-old is coming off of an ugly season with the Arizona Coyotes in which he scored just two goals in 51 outings.

Sam Gagner

At 33 years old, Sam Gagner hit a historic milestone this past season with the Winnipeg Jets, as he was able to suit up for the 1,000th game of his NHL career. Of those games, 542 were in Oilers colours, during which time he racked up 111 goals and 317 points.

Gagner is coming off a season in which he scored eight goals and 14 points in 48 games. He will need to be patient when it comes to landing a deal, though he is plenty used to that as he wasn’t signed by the Jets last offseason until September.

Alex Chiasson

After beginning the 2022-23 season in the AHL, Alex Chiasson was called up late in the year by the Detroit Red Wings and impressed, scoring six goals and nine points in 20 games. The 32-year-old has been forced to settle for plenty of PTOs in recent years and always seems to find a way to make the most of them.

While not a superstar in any sense, Chiasson continues to find a way to produce secondary offence whenever given the opportunity to do so. The 32-year-old may be forced to take yet another PTO this summer, and could very well make the most of it again.

Jujhar Khaira

For just the second time in his career, Jujhar Khaira is a UFA. The 28-year-old was a member of the Oilers for parts of six seasons but went unqualified after the 2020-21 campaign and was subsequently signed to a two-year deal by the Chicago Blackhawks.

Khaira has struggled to make an offensive impact throughout his career, managing just 33 goals and 80 points through 336 games. While he can kill penalties, the lack of offence may prevent him from finding another deal in the NHL.

Ethan Bear

The Vancouver Canucks made a rather surprising decision not to qualify Ethan Bear, making the 26-year-old a UFA. By all accounts, Bear had a reasonably solid season with the Canucks, but sustained a shoulder injury at the IIHF World Championship, which is expected to keep him out until December.

While the lengthy recovery time isn’t ideal, plenty of teams could benefit from signing Bear to a cheap contract. At his best, he can play top-four minutes, and still has some untapped potential.

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