The Edmonton Oilers have had one of the most interesting 2023-24 seasons compared to other NHL teams. After a 3-9-1 start, they decided to make massive changes firing Jay Woodcroft and Dave Manson and bringing in Kris Knoblauch and Paul Coffey as replacements. They also decided to call up Calvin Pickard and send down Jack Campbell who had a horrendous start to the new season. Now the Oilers are riding a 16-game winning streak heading into All-Star Weekend and are the hottest team in the NHL. They are one win away from tying the record for wins in a row which is 17 and currently held by the Pittsburgh Penguins, and they have to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights to place themselves in the history books.
Related: Oilers Were Smart to Avoid Elias Lindholm Trade With Flames
While fans around the league know how valuable Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are to the Oilers, Warren Foegele has elevated his game to a new level during this winning streak. The Oilers are looking to remain competitive as they are about to enter contract extension discussions with both McDavid and Draisaitl, so with Foegele playing as well as he has been, it should be a no-brainer to bring him back. He is in the final season of a three-year contract he signed with the Oilers which is worth $2.75 million, and he’ll be looking for a bit of a raise on his next deal.
Foegele has cemented himself in the Oilers’ top-six forward group finding himself a permanent spot on the second line. While he was playing with Draisaitl and Ryan McLeod for a few games, he has found himself with new linemates in Evander Kane and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins recently. Before the 2021-22 season, the Oilers decided to move on from young defenceman Ethan Bear and make a one-for-one trade with the Carolina Hurricanes for Foegele. The deal has worked out quite well for the Oilers as he has become a solid middle-six player for the team, while Bear has been bouncing around a few teams since departing.
What Does Foegele Bring To The Oilers?
The Oilers were struggling to find depth scoring before acquiring Foegele. It was evident they relied on McDavid and Draisaitl to produce offensively and didn’t get much out of their other three lines. Acquiring Foegele has changed that, as he has been a solid producer and has found strong chemistry alongside Draisaitl, as well as Nugent-Hopkins and Kane in recent games. Their decision to bring him in was a strong one and he fit right into the lineup, as he scored 12 goals and added 14 assists for 26 points through 82 games in his first season as an Oiler.
At the time of this article, Foegele has played 194 games with the Oilers having scored 35 goals and adding 45 assists for 80 points. Throughout his short NHL career up to this point, he has scored 70 goals and added 78 assists for 148 points through 394 games which comes out to a 0.38 points-per-game average.
Aside from being an offensive player, Foegele adds a physical and defensive game. He has been solid at both ends of the ice consistently and hasn’t been afraid to throw his body around if needed. While there were some concerns during his second season as an Oiler as he didn’t explode offensively, he has put those worries to rest and is on pace for a career-high in goals, assists, and points.
With a raise likely incoming for Foegele, they should be aiming to keep him under $4 million per season. Realistically, a good deal for Foegele looks like a two to four-year extension worth $3.875 million average annual value (AAV) at most. He has rightfully earned a pay raise and if the Oilers aren’t willing to give it to him, they could lose him in free agency and that’s not something they should be willing to risk. There won’t be more affordable options in free agency this season and Foegele seems to be in his prime at the moment, so the Oilers should be doing everything they can to keep him in Edmonton.
The Oilers will have to focus on continuing their winning streak after the All-Star Game and hope they can do it. They will continue to enjoy their extended break and hopefully come back refreshed and ready to have a strong second half of the season. While Foegele is locked up for this season and will be a big part of the Oilers’ playoff run, the team needs to extend him. Not only will it be beneficial to keep their depth, but it will prove to their stars that they’re committed to winning for a long time, which will help in keeping McDavid and Draisaitl in Edmonton.
