The Edmonton Oilers made the Stanley Cup Finals in back-to-back seasons in 2024 and 2025, but unfortunately they ran into the Florida Panthers on both occasions, falling just short of their first Stanley Cup since way back in 1990.
This past season, the team fell much, much shorter of their lofty expectations, and with the 2026/27 and 2027/28 seasons potentially being the last of captain Connor McDavid with the team, there was urgency to make major change this off-season after falling short at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks in round one. They achieved plenty of that on July 1st under GM Stan Bowman, as the team moved Darnell Nurse in a trade with the San Jose Sharks, opening up room to make some major additions to the team while shedding his entire salary in the shock trade.
Edmonton Oilers Make Major Upgrades
Following the move to trade Nurse, the Oilers made several moves official, adding Stanley Cup Champion Frederik Andersen to their goaltending group that already saw the arrival of Devon Levi, while also signing Ryan Shea as a depth defenseman and Mathieu Joseph as a depth forward.
While none of these players are pure superstars, all are expected to fill voids that the Oilers have been needing filled for several years now, and with the team having additional salary cap space, there were other moves they could potentially make. To contend with the likes of Carolina, Vegas, Colorado and a potentially healthy Florida Panthers team, there’s still many more moves for the Oilers to make, but in terms of this summer, there’s definitely been plenty of success in Edmonton.
Oilers Extend Spencer Stastney on a one-Year Deal
GettySpencer Stastney of the Edmonton Oilers.
One of those moves was to retain more depth, and on Sunday it was reported by PuckPedia that the Oilers have done just that, as the team agreed to a one-year contract extension with 26-year-old defenseman Spencer Stastney.
Rep’d by Pete Rutili @the_team_hockey
The one-year contract comes with a salary cap hit of $1.525 million, and after clearing out Darnell Nurse’s salary, the team have added both Shea and Shakir Mukhamadullin to the blue line while retaining Stastney, giving them plenty of depth moving forward.
Stastney was acquired by the Oilers ahead of the 2026 trade deadline from the Nashville Predators, and after arriving, he played a solid role on a blue line that needed plenty of impact. During his 36 games, Stastney added just one goal while having a goal differential of -10, and while those numbers certainly don’t look like a player that the Oilers need for a significant role, as a depth defenseman, he fits in perfectly.
This season, it’s unlikely that the 26-year-old will see significant minutes for the Oilers, but given how we’ve seen teams fall off following injuries, this type of insurance is much needed in Edmonton, and although they’ll no doubt be active at the trade deadline again, this is a good move for both the Oilers and Stastney, who can be a solid player in any role needed.
Edmonton Oilers Expected to Extend Four-Year NHL Defenseman