The Edmonton Oilers have had a busy off-season, and after ending the 2025/26 campaign on a very sour note, this was a fanbase calling for plenty of change, with the front office seemingly happy to oblige.
Those changes this summer include a new goaltender in Frederik Andersen, a trade of Darnell Nurse and even a coaching change, but the core nucleus of this team around Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl remains the same. However, with some injuries announced ahead of training camp, many expected this team to make some late off-season additions, and on Wednesday, the organization announced a shocking one.
Oilers Announce the Signing of Alex Formenton
With the likes of Vladimir Tarasenko, Patrik Laine and others still available, who all bring different amounts of experience and production, there are many options for the Oilers to add to their middle-six as they look to solidify their depth, but shockingly, their newest signing comes out of nowhere.
Instead of opting for someone that’s got recent NHL experience and even success under their belt, instead, the Oilers opted to sign the controversial Alex Formenton, as the team announced on their social media on Wednesday.
Formenton last played in the NHL in 2021/22 due to an off-ice incident that was highly publicized in Canada and the hockey world, but after being acquitted, he returned to hockey last season, spending the year with Ambri-Piotta in Switzerland. In 42 games there, the 26-year-old tallied 13 goals and 23 points, which was clearly enough for the Oilers to believe that he deserves a return to the NHL, with the organization announcing a one-year, one-way deal worth $850,000, believing that the former second-round pick can still have success in the NHL.
Will This Surprise Free Agency Move Pay Off for the Oilers?
Two years ago, the Oilers got plenty of backlash for bringing in Stan Bowman and his questionable past as General Manager, but given that the team stuck by him, it shouldn’t come as a major shock that the team have opted to bring in Formenton on a one-year deal, despite many other players being more qualified and better fits for the organization.
However, it’s unclear where he’ll play in Edmonton, as the team already have the likes of Isaac Howard, Vasily Podkolzin, Matthew Savoie, Kasperi Kapanen, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman as their top-nine wingers, leaving no genuine spot open for Formenton, unless he’s slated to play on the fourth line.
Ultimately, from an outsiders perspective, this appears to be a signing that’s way more trouble than it’s truly worth, but given how many injuries the team already have heading into training camp, it’s easy to see why they brought in another body, although many will question whether or not this was the right body to bring in.
Oilers Announce the Signing of Controversial Four-Year NHLer