Grading Oilers’ 5-Year Extension for Jason Dickinson

The Edmonton Oilers are in the middle of the most important offseason in recent history, and they have already been active on every front. On Sunday (Jun. 21) morning, they announced that they had finalized a five-year extension for Jason Dickinson.

BIG JASON ENERGY 🔋

The #Oilers have signed forward Jason Dickinson to a five-year contract with an AAV of $4.0 million. pic.twitter.com/HF5yMk4QLw

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) June 21, 2026

The immediate reaction from most fans seemed split down the middle. Some were calling it a serious overpay with too much term, while others deemed it a fantastic contract.

In a summer with a weak free agent class, the Oilers were going to be focused on adding a third-line centre if they lost Dickinson, so bringing him back, knowing he fits the team well, seems like a smart move.

Dickinson, who is 30 years old, is coming off of a solid campaign, where he scored seven goals and added 10 assists for 17 points through 64 games between the Oilers and Chicago Blackhawks. In the playoffs, he had two goals and one assist for three points through four games. In 566 career games, he has scored 75 goals and added 97 assists for 172 points.

Dickinson’s style doesn’t focus on offensive production, but rather being a strong shutdown defensive forward. His underlying numbers defensively are fantastic, and alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the Oilers should have a solid third line that can do it all next season.

Jason Dickinson, extended 5x$4M by EDM, is a third line centre with superb shutdown abilities, a decent shot, and otherwise very little offence. pic.twitter.com/fvKySSlDHG

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) June 21, 2026

If Dickinson had hit the open market, it was possible he could’ve commanded more money over less time, so giving him an extra year to bring the annual cap hit down seems like tidy work from Oilers’ general manager Stan Bowman.

Term Could Be Scary, Cap Hit Is Fine

The five-year term for Dickinson terrifies some fans, considering he is an aging veteran and may be past his prime already. However, at a cap hit of just $4 million annually, there is genuienly nothing to be scared of. Considering the going rate for players in the third-line centre role, combined with the rising salary cap, this is a solid deal for the Oilers, and compares well to other players in the same role.

If you click the 3C Depth Chart button on Dickinson’s page, you can see how he compares to the 3C spot on every other team https://t.co/MncFHmjSjm pic.twitter.com/e8j3B9v4og

— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) June 21, 2026

The Oilers still have cap space to bring back Connor Murphy, and to also consider bringing back Kasperi Kapanen, while also having room to try and bring in a goaltender and a top-six forward, but, they will have more flexibility once they trade Darnell Nurse.

At the end of the day, this is very tidy work from Bowman. The Oilers keep their third-line centre that they traded a first-round pick for at the 2026 deadline, and get him at a really good price on an extension. Knowing Dickinson could’ve asked for around $6 million on the open market, I have no issue giving him a little extra term to bring the cap hit down.

The Oilers are in win-now mode, and seeing how Dickinson elevated his play in the postseason against the Anaheim Ducks, even with an injury, makes me excited to see what he can bring into next season.

This isn’t a perfect deal by Bowman, and it will be stronger if the Oilers can create cap space with other moves, but right now, this is a solid deal, and something that should give Oilers fans hope heading into the offseason.

Grade: B+

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