From the Knoblauch firing to Mike Babcock’s controversial hiring and Darnell Nurse’s trade request, Stan Bowman had a chaotic storm to weather. He seems to be finding his footing with a couple of solid moves.
Until the last 48 hours came and went, it had been a genuinely ugly few weeks to be an Edmonton Oilers fan.
After relieving Kris Knoblauch of his head coaching duties in the most disrespectful way, the organization's most newsworthy move was pursuing Mike Babcock as his replacement. It's a hire that is expected to be announced as early as Monday, and it's still not universally loved by Oilers Nation. The news sent much of the fanbase into immediate uproar and many believe it's only a matter of time before the other Babcock shoe drops.
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He hasn't coached since resigning from the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023 following allegations that he invaded players' privacy, and the NHL opened an investigation into whether the Oilers would even be permitted to hire him. The league found evidence that he wasn't a good guy, but not enough evidence to stop him from returning to the NHL.
Of course, there was also the official trade request from Darnell Nurse, who, after 12 seasons in Edmonton, decided he was ready to move on.
This came about because the Oilers were set to sit down with Nurse and ask him for a second time to consider waiving his no-move clause. He beat them to the punch, essentially saying, 'Don't bother, I'm requesting a trade before you can ask again.'
His contract carries a $9.25 million cap hit through the 2030-31 season and has a no-movement clause, meaning the Oilers can only move him with his cooperation. It's a complicated situation, and there's a good chance the Oilers are going to lose this trade, whatever it is.
Meanwhile, the Oilers have learned that two of their big gambles last season were bad bets.
The Tristan Jarry acquisition has proven disastrous — the Oilers took on his full $5.375 million contract, which runs two more seasons, and there's no easy exit.
Trent Frederic, signed to an eight-year extension at $3.85 million AAV, managed just four goals and three assists in 74 games last season — not exactly what you'd expect from a player with that kind of commitment attached to his name.
The roster needs are long, cap space is short, and the team's draft cupboard has been raided by years of failed Stanley Cup runs. The pressure on GM Stan Bowman is immense, given that the consensus, both inside and outside the organization, is that this if this season doesn't go well, Connor McDavid will want out.
Here's The Good News...
The last 48 hours suggest Edmonton might be finding its footing.
On Sunday, the Oilers locked up forward Jason Dickinson on a five-year deal at $4 million AAV — a number that was widely expected to be higher had he tested the market. Dickinson is one of the league's stronger defensive centers. He's not a flashy signing, but alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, he gives Edmonton a credible third-line center who can be trusted in his own end and on the penalty kill. He doesn't score much, but he's shown he's got the ability to get hot. He's also a gamer, having battled through a broken foot suffered late in the regular season to dress in four playoff games, contributing two goals and an assist. That's the kind of player you keep and the Oilers did well to get him signed to the deal he inked.
Then, just a day later, Bowman retained defenseman Connor Murphy on a five-year extension at $4.1 million per season — again, below what the open market likely would have commanded. Murphy was arguably one of the better defensemen set to hit unrestricted free agency, and with Nurse almost certainly on his way out, keeping him was essential. The term is arguably a bit long, but that's the game you play when free agency rolls around. As the cap rises, the $4.1 million will seem like pennies on the dollar.
Will the Oilers Finish the Offseason Net Positive?
Two signings don't erase a chaotic start to the summer. The Babcock situation remains unresolved and polarizing. The Nurse trade hasn't happened yet. After the Dickinson and Murphy extensions, Bowman has approximately $7.4 million in cap space left to fill out a roster that still needs forwards, a defenseman, and — most critically — a competent goaltender.
The good news is, there's still time. The better news seems to be that Bowman has made some good choices of late. Maybe he can be trusted to make more net-positive decisions. If he can get a good return for Nurse without retaining salary, that's a win. If he can find a goalie upgrade and go into the season with a solid tandem, that's a huge plus.
The Dickinson and Murphy deals are the kinds of quiet, smart moves that good teams make. Fair term, fair money, the right players re-signed before they could walk. After the noise of the last few weeks, Edmonton's front office could use a few more moves like that.
The Oilers aren't back on track yet. But at least they've stopped digging.
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