The Edmonton Oilers are in their Stanley Cup window, so they have to effectively manage the salary cap and find quality players at discounted prices in the hope of winning it all. General Manager Stan Bowman has done a great job of finding players by finding team control and good value contracts.
When building a championship roster, it’s important to have players make team-friendly trades, especially when leaning on the salary cap. Not only that, these players must have a positive impact on the team and become a contributing factor. That being said, this is the contract for the top three non-entry oilers entering the 2025-26 season.
Zach Heyman ($5.5 million)
Former general manager Ken Holland’s best move with the organization is signing a seven-year contract with Unrestricted Free agent (UFA) Zach Hyman and a cap of $5.5 million in 2021. He entered the fifth year of the deal and has been on the wing of Connor McDavid since the onset of the contract. There aren’t many top right-wingers who make $5.5 million, and this is a bargaining for his contribution to the roster.
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The 33-year-old scored 54 goals in the 2023-24 game before scoring 27 goals last season. His career has begun since joining Edmonton and he is perfectly suited. He scored a career-high 83 points in 2022-23 and added 77 points in 2023-24. He generates more points on the Oilers than ever before than Toronto Maple Leafs. The Toronto man scored 86 goals and 185 points for the Maple Leafs in 345 games, while scoring 144 goals and 258 points in 308 games against the Oilers. Heyman is producing more than his contract, and it remains one of the best deals on the team, even considering his age.
Vasily Podkolzin ($1 million)
The most underrated move Bowman took last offseason was the acquisition of Vasily Podkolzin from Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick. He entered the final season of his two-year contract with a reasonable $1 million rise. He is also one of several forwards for the Oilers without trade protection, with Curtis Lazar, Kasperi Kapanen and David Tomasek being the only others.
Despite his lack of production, Podkolzin spent a lot of time on the wings of Leon Draisaitl. The Russian winger participated in all 82 regular season games, scoring 8 goals and scoring 24 points. Although the numbers didn’t jump out of the page, he did a great job and contributed in other ways. His physical condition led the Oilers with 211 shots while adding another 97 in the playoffs. Ideally, he will start the season on the third line with Andrew Mangiapane and Isaac Howard and Matt Savoie’s appearance.
The 24-year-old performed well on the board, won the battle for his teammates and was tenacious in pre-review. He has an incredible work ethic and always provides energy to the team. The only drawback is that he lacks the ability to complete. If he can score more, he will be the complete package. His style is similar to Heyman’s, but the only difference is that Heyman consistently puts the hockey online. Podkolzin is perfect for Edmonton and has a very cheap contract. If he scored several further goals in the offseason, the contract would be even more valuable.
Jack Walman ($3.4 million)
The Oilers acquired Jake Walman by the 2025 trade deadline in exchange for a first-round draft pick and prospect. At the end of the season, he was a to-be-determined UFA with a moderate price of $3.4 million. The 2014 third-round draft pick is a legal top four defensive player who fills a group that desperately needs to be filled. He is a strong skater, the hockey shooter is good and has strong shots. The 6-foot-1, 218-pound team has recorded one goal in 15 regular season games since the trade and added two goals and 10 points in 22 playoff games.
His defensive game was underrated. He played 34 blocks with Edmonton in the regular season, while adding 66 blocks to the playoffs. In all cases, he relied on including penalty kills, averaging 21:26 since the trade and 20:10 in the playoffs. Additionally, he is left-handed shot but can play on the right side, which makes him versatile and a valuable asset. He can play left with Evan Bouchard or Darnell Nurse or Brett Kulak.
The 29-year-old is perfectly suited and Bowman should start expanding to keep him in the oil country before this season, as his value will continue to rise if he has a great campaign. It’s better to sign him now to avoid paying later. The Oilers raised gold with Walman’s trade, and he cemented the defensive core.
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