Edmonton Oilers Are Rumoured to Be Taking a Serious Look at Alex Formenton – The Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers still have some work to do before the 2026-27 season begins, and one name surfacing with increasing frequency is former Ottawa Senators winger Alex Formenton. It might be easy to dismiss Formenton as another unsigned player being connected to Edmonton. However, there are a few reasons this situation deserves attention.

Oilers Now host Bob Stauffer has discussed Formenton multiple times, including raising the possibility of Edmonton signing him after Hockey Canada reinstated him. More recently, Edmonton Journal columnist David Staples argued that the Oilers should explore adding the 26-year-old. Considering Stauffer’s connections to the organization — and how strongly he foreshadowed Mike Babcock becoming Edmonton’s newest head coach — repeated discussion of Formenton is worth monitoring.

Nothing indicates that a contract is imminent. But there appears to be enough smoke to wonder whether the Oilers are doing their homework.

Formenton Has History With D.J. Smith

Perhaps the most obvious connection between Formenton and Edmonton is new Oilers associate coach D.J. Smith. Smith was hired as Babcock’s associate coach in June after previously serving as head coach of the Senators from 2019 to 2023. That period overlapped with Formenton’s emergence as an NHL player.

Formenton’s best NHL season came under Smith in 2021-22, when he appeared in 79 games, scoring 18 goals and 32 points while averaging 15:27 of ice time. Even more intriguing is that five of those 18 goals came shorthanded. That combination of speed and penalty-killing ability could make him an interesting fit on the Oilers.

Formenton isn’t the type of player Edmonton would bring in expecting him to carry a scoring line. Instead, his value would come from his skating, forechecking and ability to create offence in transition. At 6-foot-3 and roughly 194 pounds, he also brings size along with his speed.

Smith knows the player better than almost anyone currently in the Oilers organization. If Edmonton were seriously considering Formenton, his former coach would presumably be an important source of information.

Stauffer Keeps Bringing Up Formenton

The more interesting part of the speculation might be Stauffer’s continued discussion of Formenton. After Hockey Canada’s Aug. 12 ruling, Stauffer discussed whether the Oilers should consider signing him and polled listeners about the possibility. Stauffer revisited Formenton’s situation while speaking with former NHL general manager and player agent Brian Lawton.

Stauffer described Formenton as a “big rangy guy that can skate” and highlighted his previous work as a penalty killer. Lawton responded that he “would not hesitate” to consider Formenton, although he stressed the importance of due diligence. None of that amounts to a report that Edmonton is pursuing Formenton.

Still, Oilers fans have learned to pay attention when Stauffer repeatedly circles a particular topic. He has a history of discussing possibilities before they become reality. Stauffer publicly suggested that Babcock becoming Edmonton’s next coach was essentially inevitable before the organization eventually hired him.

That doesn’t mean the same thing will happen with Formenton. But when a name continues to appear on Oilers Now, it’s reasonable to wonder whether there have at least been internal conversations.

Oilers Would Be Getting a Low-Cost Bet

The hockey argument is relatively straightforward. Formenton hasn’t played in the NHL since 2021-22, but he spent much of the intervening period with HC Ambrì-Piotta in Switzerland. In 2025-26, he recorded 13 goals and 23 points in 42 games. His contract with the Swiss club only ran through last season. More importantly, Ottawa relinquished his NHL rights earlier this offseason, making him an unrestricted free agent. That gives the Oilers flexibility.

Edmonton wouldn’t have to surrender an asset in a trade, and given Formenton’s four-year absence from the NHL, it is difficult to imagine him commanding a substantial NHL contract. A one-year deal near the league minimum — or potentially a professional tryout if both sides were interested — would limit Edmonton’s financial risk. For a cap-conscious contender, those are exactly the types of bets worth investigating from a purely roster-building standpoint.

If Formenton could regain something close to his 2021-22 form, Edmonton could add a bottom-six forward capable of scoring 10-15 goals, killing penalties and injecting speed into the lineup for relatively little money.

There Is More to the Decision Than Hockey

Any discussion about Formenton also has to acknowledge why his NHL career was interrupted. He was one of five former members of Canada’s 2018 World Junior team charged in connection with an alleged sexual assault in London, Ont. All five players were acquitted in 2025. However, the legal verdict and Hockey Canada’s disciplinary process were separate matters.

On Aug. 12, Hockey Canada announced that an independent appeal board confirmed that all five players had breached its code of conduct. The board recommended different reinstatement dates for the players, with Formenton reinstated immediately. Hockey Canada accepted those recommendations, and that distinction matters. An acquittal means the criminal charges did not result in convictions; it does not erase every issue raised by the separate Hockey Canada process.

Any NHL organization considering Formenton would therefore have to conduct extensive due diligence and determine whether they are comfortable bringing him into their organization. As Lawton indicated in his conversation with Stauffer, that evaluation would go beyond what the player can contribute on the ice.

Formenton Could Address an Oilers Need

If Edmonton decides it is comfortable moving forward, there is an argument that Formenton’s skill set fits what the roster needs. The Oilers already have elite offensive talent. What they could use further down the lineup is speed, defensive utility and players capable of impacting the game without power-play minutes.

Formenton’s 2021-22 season demonstrated exactly that kind of profile. He scored 18 goals despite recording zero power-play goals, while five of his goals came shorthanded. That’s an unusual combination. He could compete for a bottom-six role while giving Babcock and Smith another penalty-killing option. His speed could also make him an interesting complementary winger alongside Edmonton’s more skilled forwards if injuries create an opening higher in the lineup.

At 26, he is still theoretically in his physical prime. The larger question is how much his game has changed after four seasons away from the NHL.

There Is Enough Smoke to Watch This Situation

Staples believes Edmonton should investigate the possibility; Stauffer has now discussed Formenton more than once, and one of the coaches who oversaw the best NHL season of Formenton’s career is suddenly behind Edmonton’s bench. Individually, none of those things prove much. Together, they’re difficult to ignore.

There is also virtually no acquisition cost. Formenton is an unrestricted free agent, Edmonton knows his former coach extremely well, and the organization can evaluate whether the potential hockey value justifies pursuing a contract. This doesn’t mean an Oilers-Formenton signing is coming. There has been no credible report saying Edmonton has offered him a contract.

But Stauffer’s repeated mentions make the situation a possibility. Maybe Formenton is simply an interesting hypothetical. Or perhaps Edmonton is quietly doing its homework. Either way, this is a name worth keeping an eye on as training camp approaches.