11 Former Oilers Still Looking for New Homes in Free Agency

For the first time in a long time, the Edmonton Oilers have some cap space to work with. After making some offseason moves, and in particular, trading Darnell Nurse, general manager (GM) Stan Bowman has nearly $5 million at his disposal.

Whether the Oilers choose to use that cap space to their benefit or leave it open to have some wiggle room throughout the 2026-27 season remains to be seen, though they certainly have some former players that would like to see them use it.

It’s been nearly a month since free agency got underway, yet many players are still looking for contracts for the 2026-27 season. Of those players, 11 happened to have donned an Oilers sweater at one point or another. Here’s a look at those 11 who are still searching for a new home.

Forwards

Evander Kane

To say Evander Kane’s tenure with the Vancouver Canucks was a disaster would be putting it lightly. Not only did he struggle offensively with just 13 goals and 31 points, but he was also involved in some controversy after seemingly vanishing from the team late in the season.

At his best, Kane is a unique player who can score goals, provide physicality, and drop the gloves with some of the toughest customers in the league. It looks as though the 34-year-old has lost a step, however, and that paired with some off-ice drama that has followed him throughout his career may be the reason teams haven’t been calling.

Adam Henrique

Oilers fans were quite pleased when former GM Ken Holland landed Adam Henrique at the 2024 trade deadline. The now 36-year-old had already potted 18 goals with the Anaheim Ducks that same season, and was dependable as their third-line centre in what was their first of back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Final.

The final two seasons in Edmonton weren’t nearly as kind to Henrique, who appeared to have reached Father Time. His offensive production completely dried up, and even his usual strong defensive play wasn’t as reliable due largely to a lack of foot speed. After notching just three goals and 15 points in 2025-26, his time in the NHL may be finished.

Jeff Skinner

Jeff Skinner’s lone season with the Oilers in 2024-25 may have been the beginning of the end for the six-time 30-goal scorer. His short tenure in Edmonton was an ugly one, and things didn’t get any better for him with the San Jose Sharks in 2025-26.

Skinner notched just six goals and 13 points in 32 games with the Sharks before he and the organization mutually agreed to terminate his contract in February. He was unable to latch on with a new team to close out the 2025-26 campaign, and may have played the last game of his NHL career.

David Perron

It’s been over a decade since David Perron last wore an Oilers sweater, and though his tenure in Edmonton lasted just 116 games, he quickly became a fan favourite while playing in Alberta’s capital city. He also had one of the more productive seasons of his NHL career during that short stint, racking up a career-high 28 goals during the 2013-14 campaign.

Perron started the 2025-26 season out with the Ottawa Senators before being picked up by the Detroit Red Wings at the trade deadline. He’s certainly not the player he was in his prime, but can still provide some offence as proven by his 13 goals and 28 points in 65 games. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see a team in need of some forward depth give him a call.

Curtis Lazar

The Oilers signed Curtis Lazar ahead of the 2025-26 season to provide a depth role, and he was able to do just that. He provided very little offence, but was sufficient both defensively and in the face-off dot when called upon.

Lazar, who is now 31, will likely have to settle on another one-year contract if he is to continue his NHL career this season. As is said constantly, however, the NHL has turned into a young man’s game, which could work against Lazar as many teams are preferring to give younger players opportunities in depth roles.

Adam Erne

Adam Erne had a brief 24-game stint with the Oilers during the 2023-24 season, where he managed one goal and an assist. He also played 36 games with the Bakersfield Condors in the American Hockey League (AHL) before departing in the offseason.

Erne was able to scratch and claw his way back into the NHL this past season, suiting up for 45 games with the Dallas Stars. He wasn’t incredible by any stretch, but didn’t look out of place in a fourth-line role. He was also able to help chip in offensively with six goals.

Defenceman

John Klingberg

It had appeared that John Klingberg’s NHL career was over before the Oilers gave him a shot late in the 2024-25 campaign. He struggled through 11 regular season games in Edmonton, but carved out a nice role in the playoffs, suiting up for 19 of 22 games.

Klingberg chose to sign a one-year deal with the Sharks this past season, where he had a respectable 27 points in 56 games while averaging north of 20 minutes per night. His defensive game has and always will be an issue, but there’s at least a few teams across the league that would be upgrading their blue line by signing him.

Jeff Petry

It doesn’t seem all that long ago that Jeff Petry was a promising up-and-coming defenceman for the Oilers. He spent the first 295 games of his NHL career in Edmonton before being traded to the Montreal Canadiens during the 2014-15 season.

Petry has had a great NHL career, having suited up for 1,048 games so far. As is the case with several others on this list, however, it’s clear that the 38-year-old has slowed down in a big way, making it hard to envision him back in the NHL for another season.

Kevin Gravel

Oilers fans would be forgiven if they don’t remember the name Kevin Gravel, as the 34-year-old journeyman had just a 38-game stint with the organization back in 2018-19. He’s spent most of his time since then in the AHL, but was able to get in one game with the Nashville Predators this past season.

Should Gravel continue his playing career in North America, he will likely have to settle on a two-way deal. He could, however, choose to head to Europe in hopes of earning more money, or perhaps even settle for retirement after grinding his way through 139 NHL games.

Goalies

Connor Ingram

It’s rather surprising to see that Connor Ingram has yet to find a new NHL home. The 29-year-old joined the Oilers late in the 2025-26 season, but wound up serving as their number-one goalie over the final few weeks of the season and into the playoffs.

By no means was Ingram spectacular in Edmonton, but he held his own with a 2.60 goals against average (GAA) along with a .899 save percentage (SV%) in 32 appearances. He may have to continue to be patient, but one has to imagine there’s a team willing to give him a shot in a back-up role this coming season.

Cam Talbot

Looking back on things, it’s more than fair to say that Cam Talbot was the last true number-one goalie the Oilers had. Though his final season with the organization didn’t go the way he had hoped, he was one of the biggest reasons the Oilers were able to snap their 11-year playoff drought in 2016-17, a season which saw him make a career-high 73 appearances.

Talbot has since bounced around the NHL, often operating in a tandem role. He had been very dependable for a number of years, but had a rough season with the Detroit Red Wings in 2025-26, putting up a .883 SV% through 34 appearances. That could be enough to spell the end for the 39-year-old veteran.

Injuries Could Help These Players

While nobody ever roots for injuries in pro sports, a few of the names on this list may be sitting around and waiting for just that. It’s unlikely that most of the names on this list will be signing contracts in the coming days, but an injury or two for teams in training camp could be all it takes to open that door. Who knows, perhaps one or two could even be back in an Oilers uniform by the time the 2026-27 season gets underway.