The Edmonton Oilers have undergone plenty of change in the past few years in their pursuit of their first Stanley Cup since 1990, and under Stan Bowman this summer, they’ve undergone perhaps the most change in recent franchise memory.
Their big stars are still around, but beyond that, the Oilers made plenty of changes, with the biggest of all being Head Coach Mike Babcock to replace Kris Knoblauch, but the team on the ice has changed too. Unsurprisingly though, after hiring Babcock, the controversy didn’t stop, as the team signed Alex Formenton, and now, we know the two top contenders the team beat out to sign the 27-year-old winger.
Alex Formenton Chooses Edmonton Over Carolina and Vegas
Obviously, the Oilers got plenty of backlash for the signing of Formenton for obvious reasons, but clearly the team believe that his talents make him worthy of a spot in the National Hockey League, and with spots open in their bottom-six, he’ll get every chance for significant game time in 2026/27.
Now, we’ve learned that the Oilers weren’t the only team pursuing Formenton, as TSN reporter Darren Dreger has appeared on The Nielson Show, revealing that not only did the team beat out Carolina and Vegas to sign Formenton, but revealed the reasons why.
“There were other teams that wanted to sign Alex Formenton: Carolina Hurricanes, Vegas Golden Knights, I was told, had considerable interest in Formenton, and Edmonton,” said Dreger. “So, Formenton chose Edmonton mostly because of his history with Evan Bouchard. They are really good buddies, and more obviously, the time he spent with D.J. Smith when D.J. was in Ottawa.”
Will Alex Formenton Make the Oilers Opening Night Lineup?
Heading into the 2026/27 season, the Oilers top-six led by Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Matt Savoie and Zach Hyman is all but set, but beyond that, the team are still looking for that spark to give their lineup the necessary depth needed to compete for a Stanley Cup.
As a result, Formenton will get the opportunity to potentially play on the third, if not fourth line in a wing spot, and after an impressive performance in the teams pre-season battle with the Winnipeg Jets, scoring a goal, momentum is building for him to make the roster. That doesn’t mean the fanbase has accepted him just yet, as there’s still plenty of backlash for the organization signing him when other more experienced players were available, but as of right now, things are looking up for the 27-year-old.
Clearly, the off-ice controversy wasn’t enough to stop several teams chasing him, and now that the Oilers went out on a limb to beat both Vegas and Carolina to get his signature, they’re hoping it pays off and he can have a career year in what is a much improved bottom-six for the Oilers.
Insider Reveals Why the Oilers Beat Out Top Contenders to Land Controversial Forward