Why Edmonton Oilers' recent free-agent signing activity a welcome turn of events

Stan Bowman’s Edmonton Oilers have entered the spring free-agent signing season aggressively. That’s a good sign for Oilers fans.

Why? The organization has traded many picks and prospects in recent seasons, leaving a gaping hole each fall when the club welcomes very few new professionals to the system.

Edmonton is losing ground annually. An aggressive signing approach should have been implemented years ago, but it’s never too late.

Bowman’s early approach to the problem has real appeal. Here’s why.

Age appropriate

The Oilers have a “now” problem and a “future” problem.

The future problem is a lack of teenage prospects in the system. Only Sam O’Reilly (just turned 19) can be counted as a blue-chip prospect for the future. Youngsters like William Nicholl may develop, but are less certain due to a lack of draft pedigree.

That problem can be solved by signing prospects who have passed through the draft. They are (mostly) 20 and chances are these men are not high-end prospects, although that isn’t always the case. After the draft this summer, the Oilers should be able to add a couple of the better players who are both 20 and undrafted.

The now problem can be solved by acquiring older players, men who could reasonably step in to a feature role with the AHL Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton’s top minor-league affiliate) and eventually a support role with the NHL club.

The now problem has to be the priority at the beginning of the spring signing season, because it’s the most pressing. Here’s what Bowman has accomplished so far.

These three signings are age-appropriate. When each arrives in training camp this fall, the expectation should be that each player pushes for an NHL roster spot.

Bowman may have hit a home run already this spring. There’s a player now under contract with enough skill to play on the NHL team this fall. That’s a big deal.

David Tomasek

The most realistic NHL option is probably David Tomasek, who is coming off a strong season with Farjestads in the Swedish Hockey League. It’s the top pro league in Sweden and one of the best in the world.

Tomasek led the league in assists and points in 2024-25 and would appear to be a candidate for a top-nine role on an NHL team. That would mean sliding in as the No. 3 centre behind Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl, or possibly moving to wing on one of the top three lines.

His contract ($1.2 million) makes him a value deal should he make the NHL club.

Tomasek’s skill set is a nice match for a need in Edmonton. He’s a right-handed centre, and the club has only Noah Philp among those who will likely push for NHL employment in 2025-26. Based on the quality of the Swedish Hockey League, and his scoring dominance, it’s likely Tomasek will be applying for a different job than Philp in the fall.

In looking at Tomasek’s stats during the 2024-25 regular season, some interesting facts come to the fore.

He averaged 2.91 points per 60 at even strength in the top Swedish league. That’s a top-flight number for such a good league, and speaks to his skill (scoring at even strength is difficult). Teammates Marian Studenic (2.80 points per 60) and Oskar Steen (2.63 points per 60) were just shy of Tomasek, via the league’s website.

Scouting reports on Tomasek

Two of the best publicly available sources for scouting reports are Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler at The Athletic. Here’s what each man said about Tomasek:

• Wheeler: “One of the better players in Europe over the last couple of years. Good-sized center who has produced at the top of the SHL but is also really reliable defensively. Excellent in the faceoff circle. Drove play. Competitive. Should add to the Oilers’ depth down the middle.”
• Pronman: “He’s a center with good size, very good hands and the ability to make plays. He’s able to play inside and competes fine off the puck. The production is impressive. Tomasek’s skating is the main area of concern in his NHL projection.”

The Pronman report is from four years ago, but the words still apply. It’s fair to worry about foot speed, and 29 is typically past prime for hockey players. If he has the boots, Tomasek could be a major addition. From his point of view, if he lands on a high-octane skill line with Edmonton, his next contract will be substantial.

Joshua Samanski

I wrote about Joshua Samanski last week, and all of the information still applies. The key points include size, the ability to play in all game states and flourish and good speed for a player his size.

In the case of all players signed outside the NHL and the teams affiliated with them, foot speed is the great unknown. If Samanski can scoot at 6-foot-5, the Oilers will find a role for him.

Unlike Tomasek, Samanski’s likely path to the NHL begins in Bakersfield.

Damien Carfagna

There was a time, a decade ago, when the Oilers were flat out excellent at signing undrafted college defencemen who would go on to NHL careers. Among the notable names are Justin Schultz, Jordan Oesterle, Taylor Fedun and Matt Benning.

This is an area NHL teams can upgrade at a key position in a hurry. That’s ideal for the current Oilers.

Damien Carfagna is an undersized puck-moving defenceman with some two-way ability.

There’s some disagreement about his height and weight, but the Ohio State website lists him at 6-feet, 185 pounds.

His scouting reports sound similar to Oesterle when he turned pro. Carfagna is a fine skater (Oesterle was an amazing skater when he entered pro hockey), can make plays with the puck and is able to close gaps in a hurry.

There’s a lot there, but the leap from college to pro can be tricky for defencemen. What often stalls players of this type is the adjustment to the intense physical style as they move up the line. As tough as the NHL is in this area, the AHL is also a big test for college blueliners.

It’s likely Carfagna will take some time to adjust to the speed and hitting in the minors, but he’s just 22 and improved significantly in his 2024-25 season with the Ohio State team.

The fall

This fall, all three men will come to Oilers camp.

The coaching staff will have a long look at Tomasek, whose offence in a strong pro league makes him a far better signing than it may appear. The Oilers need inexpensive skill, and at least for next year, Tomasek slides in as a fantastic option (along with top prospect Matt Savoie).

Samanski is the toughest player in the group to project into the Oilers system. He’s a big centre who could push Philp for the No. 4 centre job, although his handedness (lefty) doesn’t fit the roster need.

A guess is that he will play on a skill line with Bakersfield next season.

For Carfagna, it’s likely he will begin with the Condors. It took Oesterle, who just passed 400 NHL games this season, over 150 AHL games to establish himself as an NHL player. The value for Edmonton is Carfagna is a lefty (the AHL club had very few this season), and will be an RFA when his contract is up in 2027. He will help the Oilers increase the number of legit NHL prospects in the system.

In Tomasek, the organization may have signed a top-nine forward for just over $1 million. He could deliver a strong season, driving up the price on his second deal. The Oilers would be thrilled to see him succeed at a high level this season on a $1.2 million deal. It’s exactly the kind of signing this team has badly needed in past seasons but was unable to deliver.

Bowman has three signatures on contracts, and he’ll need a couple more. He has done some good work so far, especially in securing Tomasek.

(Photo of David Tomasek: Daniela Porcelli / Getty Images)