Oilers’ 2024 free agency grade

The Edmonton Oilers may have come one win short of their first Stanley Cup in over 30 years, but CEO of hockey operations Jeff Jackson made it clear in NHL free agency that nothing short of a championship is the goal in 2025. Edmonton started last season horrifically, sitting near the bottom of the league before replacing Jay Woodcroft with Kris Knoblauch behind the bench.

And the rest is history; the Oilers went on a tear, barely finished behind the Vancouver Canucks for the top spot in the Pacific Division, and beat those some Canucks (along with the Los Angeles Kings and Dallas Stars) to advance to their first title series since 2006. And after falling into what seemed like an insurmountable 3-0 series deficit, the Oil made a thrilling comeback, triumphing in three straight to force a decisive Game 7 against the Florida Panthers — the first such tilt in a Stanley Cup Final in half a decade.

Although it ended in heartbreak, with the Panthers capturing their first ever championship in a tight 2-1 victory, the Oilers proved that they can hang around with the best teams in the league and have success. And after general manager Ken Holland left the team this offseason, Jackson and the front office got right to work.

With the dust settled, not only do the Oilers look better than last season, this roster looks downright scary. And that’s especially true about the top-six, which was boosted by the additions of veterans Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson this summer. Let’s discuss.

Jeff Skinner is a fantastic add for Oilers

In his first season with the Buffalo Sabres after signing a massive $72 million contract, Jeff Skinner scored 40 goals and that deal looked like a steal. Fast forward five years and Skinner was bought out after one of the worst offensive seasons of his career. Skinner scored just 46 points in 74 games, close to unacceptable for a $9 million player.

Still, Skinner can play, and he’s the type of skater who will thrive around star linemates. If only Edmonton had a few of those, maybe named Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The veteran should thrive on the wing of either of those superstars, and he’ll also have much lower expectations on his shoulders.

The Oilers signed Skinner to a one-year deal worth just $3 million when the free agency period opened on July 1. It was a huge low-risk, high-reward play. Although it isn’t realistic to expect the 32-year-old to score 40 goals again, who’s to say he can’t hit 25 or 30 playing with one of the best players in the world?

Although Skinner’s defensive side of the game has never been strong, he provides secondary scoring that the Oilers badly need. They needed it near the end of a heartbreaking series against the Panthers, but instead ran their top players into the ground in Game 7. This is a cheap price to pay for a player who can still put the puck in the net, and this contract is a massive win for both player and club.

And that all stands without mentioning that Skinner holds the record for most games played without making a playoff appearance at 1,006. That is just insane, and it’s really hard not to feel for the veteran Canadian. With both the Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes — the organization that drafted him over a decade ago — Skinner hasn’t gotten into a playoff contest. That is almost surely going to change in 2025, and is probably one of the main reasons he chose to sign in his home country.

At first glance, this deal is a home run for both Skinner, who will get a chance to play for a championship, and the Oilers, who get a proven scorer on a team-friendly contract. And he’s not the only savvy addition in Alberta.

Viktor Arvidsson will feel right at home in top-6

Another veteran who figures to make an immediate impact is Viktor Arvidsson after the longtime Los Angeles Kings forward took his talents to Edmonton in free agency. This is another ultra-smart signing by Edmonton’s front office; Arvidsson is coming off a shortened season after suffering a disappointing training camp back injury. He was still able to put up 15 points in 18 games for the Kings down the stretch, and that of course was without playing alongside McDavid and/or Draisaitl.

Arvidsson, like Skinner, will be motivated to chase a championship after his Kings were defeated by the Oilers in three straight Round 1 losses. He went to the Stanley Cup Final with the Nashville Predators in 2017, ultimately losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the clock is ticking on his career. At two years and $8 million total, this is a phenomenal contract for all involved.

The Oilers were also able to re-sign Adam Henrique, Connor Brown and Mattias Janmark — who all made a difference in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. With that, the Oil have arguably the best offensive core in the entire National Hockey League, and it’s obvious that nothing short of a championship will suffice in 2025. With Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also involved, this top-nine group is downright frightening.

And McDavid, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP despite his team losing, is loving the moves made by the front office.

Connor McDavid is thrilled with offseason moves

“They’ve had a great offseason so far,” McDavid told TSN earlier this week. “It’s been short, it’s been hurried, but I think in the small time they’ve been at it, they’ve done great things. Keeping this many guys together is a good thing. In the salary-cap era, it’s tough to do that.”

“It’s also a testament to the team that guys are willing to come back on team-friendly deals and take discounts to try and win,” echoed Hyman. “I think they see how special it is to play in Edmonton, and it’s now becoming more of a destination to play, and that’s really awesome to see.”

The Oilers are clearly all-in next season, and with basically the same roster minus a few depth pieces, they should be the team to beat in the Western Conference in 2024-25. Only time will tell if this core can bring a championship to Edmonton for the first time since 1990, but it’s hard to say anything negative about an absolutely terrific free agent frenzy for the franchise.

FINAL GRADE: A

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