The Edmonton Oilers have been busy reshaping their roster this offseason, but one area now appears to have created a new challenge. After bolstering their blue line and creating additional salary cap flexibility, the Oilers suddenly have more NHL-caliber defensemen than available roster spots, leaving speculation over who could be the next player to leave.
Following the trade of Darnell Nurse 's $9.25 million contract and several offseason additions, the Oilers currently have roughly $4.73 million in available cap space.
Their defensive group now includes Evan Bouchard , Mattias Ekholm , Jake Walman , Connor Murphy , Ryan Shea , Ty Emberson , Shakir Mukhamadullin , and Spencer Stastney , giving Edmonton eight defensemen competing for regular playing time.
Although Stastney recently signed a one-year, $1.525 million contract to avoid arbitration, Oilers insider Jason Gregor believes he could be the most likely player to move before the season begins.
"While they say they're $4.7 million in cap space, I'd argue it's probably going to be more, because I don't see them carrying eight defensemen. And right now, I can't see (Spencer) Stastney staying here ahead of Ty Emberson. That just wouldn't make any sense to me," Gregor said.
"So Stastney at 1.525 is way more than Janmark . It's more than Mathieu Joseph . Obviously, it's more than (Josh) Samanski or (Isaac) Howard. So, Edmonton realistically, I think, is going to have $5M-plus in cap space to start, unless they add some money between now and the start of the season," he added.
According to Gregor, the biggest factor is roster construction. Emberson shoots right-handed, making him a better fit on Edmonton's third pairing, while the Oilers already have plenty of left-shot defensemen, including Ekholm, Walman, Shea, and Mukhamadullin.
Stastney's contract also makes him a logical trade candidate. At $1.525 million, his cap hit is manageable enough for another team to acquire, but it's a relatively expensive salary for a player who could spend much of the season as a healthy scratch.
Moving Stastney would also increase Edmonton's financial flexibility. With additional cap space available, the Oilers would be in a stronger position to make another move later in the season, whether that's adding a top-six forward or reinforcing their lineup ahead of the trade deadline.
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If Gregor's projection proves accurate, Edmonton could enter the 2026-27 season with more than $5 million in cap space while trimming its crowded blue line to a more manageable seven-defenseman group.
