The Edmonton Oilers roster appears to be set, with less than $300,000 remaining in cap space. Barring a trade, this means that the team’s goaltending will not be addressed, which will frustrate many fans. While goaltending likely won’t be upgraded, however, general manager (GM) Stan Bowman could get crafty and improve his roster by signing a very good player to a very cheap contract.
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As of now, there’s no denying that the Oilers got worse this offseason. While they managed to sign Andrew Mangiapane, players wno went out the door included Evander Kane, Connor Brown, and Corey Perry. It will be extremely difficult to replace what those three brought to the team. However, there is one player still available who could easily make up for the loss of the offence they provided.
Evgeny Kuznetsov, who last suited up for the Carolina Hurricanes in 2023-24, is looking to return to the NHL. The 33-year-old headed to the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) for the 2024-25 campaign, posting 12 goals and 37 points in 39 games for SKA St. Petersburg. Though he was considered an unreliable player in the NHL, there is reason to believe he can be counted on going forward.
Kuznetsov Has a Ton to Prove
In his prime, few NHL players were more skilled than Kuznetsov. He was a star talent with the stats to prove it, but he could have been better. He simply lacked the drive to become an elite player, which was a source of frustration for the Washington Capitals. Now, rather than being remembered for his dominance, he’s considered a disappointment.
The fact that Kuznetsov is looking to return to the NHL suggests he has more to give and perhaps something to prove. He will be motivated, and based on his stats from last season, it’s clear he still has a ton of skill. Though primarily a centre during his NHL career, Kuznetsov could easily shift to the wing and get a chance to play alongside Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl and make the Oilers’ top lines an absolute force this season.
Though Zach Hyman is seemingly locked in as the left winger on McDavid’s line, there is no sure thing when it comes to Draisaitl. There has been talk that Mangiapane could play on his left side, though he has proven throughout his career to also be very useful in a bottom-six role. That could mean that the left-shooting Kuznetsov could play alongside Draisaitl.
Kuznetsov has had four NHL seasons with 50 or more assists, proving how good of a puck distributor he is. Draisaitl, of course, is known for being one of the best goal scorers in the game. Playing on a line with Kuznetsov could help the German centre hit the 60-goal mark for the first time in his career.
What’s more, Kuznetsov won’t cost much. If he is desperate to return to the NHL but still hasn’t signed a contract, he could easily agree to a one-year “prove-it” deal for the league minimum cap hit of $775,000. The Oilers could make that work.
Little Risk Involved for Edmonton
Aside from freeing up a couple of hundred thousand dollars, which could be done by simply sending Curtis Lazar to the American Hockey League (AHL), there is no real risk here for the Oilers. Should they sign Kuznetsov and it doesn’t work out, they could always bury his contract in the AHL, where he almost certainly would not report.
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If it does work out, however, the Oilers will have added a very skilled forward to complement their stars. Even better is that he’s a proven big-game player, with 12 goals and 32 points in 24 playoff games when the Capitals won the Stanley Cup in 2018. Maybe he’s the key to getting Edmonton over the hump.
