Why did the Edmonton Oilers sign Formenton anyway?
What do the Edmonton Oilers see in Alex Formenton?
Signing the controversial 27-year-old to a one-year contract earlier this month sent shockwaves through the NHL and the Oilers fanbase, for all the wrong reasons. Though Formenton was acquitted of all charges stemming from his involvement in the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault case, that has not exonerated him in the court of public opinion.
The signing has been met with intense backlash from Oilers fans in particular, who have gathered over 64,000 signatures on a petition created by former superfan Mary Loewen (better known as “Mama Stanley”) asking Edmonton to reverse the signing.
It’s been a major story in the market, and one that doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon. In no way should that have come as a surprise, as other members of that Hockey Canada case, such as Carter Hart and Dillon Dube, also caused a stir with their NHL returns over the past year.
The Oilers must have known the kind of reaction this move would create, but they decided to move forward with the signing anyway. So, that begs the question: if the team had reasonable knowledge that it would cause so much controversy, why would they bother doing it at all?
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A player’s talent level is never an excuse to sign a player who could potentially clash with a team’s moral philosophy, but it often adds context to the decision. If adding a controversial player is likely to make a big positive impact on the ice, it would make sense that a team may be willing to withstand the public blowback of doing so.
To understand who Formenton is as a player, you’ll have to start with his first tenure in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators.
It wasn’t a long stay in the NHL, having completed just one full season with the Senators during the 2021-22 season before heading to Europe. During that season, however, Formenton was largely considered a player on the rise and was one of Ottawa’s most promising young players.
At the age of 22, Formenton managed 18 goals and 32 points through 79 games that season, including an impressive five shorthanded goals. None of those points came on the power play. On top of the offensive totals, he was also one of Ottawa’s most relied-upon penalty killers that season, averaging 1:53 per game in shorthanded ice time.
Those are impressive characteristics for a young NHL player, but things have somewhat fallen off a cliff overseas in recent years.
Formenton left the NHL to join Ambri-Piotta in the Swiss league starting in the 2022-23 season. During his first two seasons there, he notched a combined 20 goals and 29 points in 46 games, which doesn’t inspire much confidence.
He took a year off from hockey in 2024-25 as the scandal broke and he had to deal with the fallout of being named in the Hockey Canada case. During that time, he had reportedly taken up a construction job in Ontario and put his pro career on hold.
Formenton returned to Switzerland this past season, but the numbers didn’t get much better, scoring just 13 goals and 23 points in 43 games.
The question remains as to whether or not Formenton can return to being the type of player he was when he initially left the NHL four years ago. The Oilers seem to think that taking on the baggage of signing him was worth that gamble.
It’s also notable to mention that Formenton comes in with a hefty six-foot-three, 193 lb frame, which could be another reason why the Oilers were eager to add him into the fold.
Edmonton could have easily avoided this route if they wanted to simply bring aboard a depth penalty-killing forward who can bring offence. Guys like Tanner Pearson and Adam Henrique fit that description, but remain unsigned.
It’s a PR nightmare, but the Oilers have shown time and time again that they do not mind making controversial moves if they think it can help them win.
The question is if the juice is worth the squeeze in this instance. Many fans will not be satisfied regardless of the impact that Formenton will have on the ice, but the Oilers obviously see a worthwhile player here.