Oilers News & Rumours: Levi, Nurse, Kapanen, Andersen, Shea & More

The Edmonton Oilers have been busy this offseason, bringing back the pending free agents they wanted to extend, and now, have made some noise in free agency.

Following a couple of trades, and a few signings, here are the latest news and rumours surrounding the Oilers as we make our way through July.

Oilers Acquire Devon Levi

In their first move on Wednesday (Jul. 1), the Oilers made a trade with the Buffalo Sabres, acquiring goaltender Devon Levi and a seventh-round pick in exchange for a third-round pick.

TRADE 🔄

The #Oilers have acquired goaltender Devon Levi & a seventh-round selection in the 2028 NHL Draft from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Edmonton's third-round pick in 2028. pic.twitter.com/4h4Xilw3uh

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) July 1, 2026

Levi, who is 24 years old, hasn’t played in the NHL since the 2024-25 season. In 39 career NHL games, he has 17 wins, and has posted a 3.29 goals-against-average (GAA) and a .894 save percentage (SV%).

The Oilers are taking a chance on a young goalie, while adding organizational depth as they head into a “win-now” season.

Oilers Trade Darnell Nurse

After weeks of speculating where he would be traded following his trade request, the Oilers finally pulled the trigger and traded Darnell Nurse to the San Jose Sharks.

TRADE 🔄

The #Oilers have acquired defencemen Shakir Mukhamadullin & Zack Sharp from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Darnell Nurse. pic.twitter.com/e9b4hW7Jdn

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) July 1, 2026

The Oilers were able to clear Nurse’s full $9.25 million salary, while bringing back two defensive prospects, and giving themselves flexibility to make other moves.

Some really impressive work by general manager Stan Bowman.

Oilers Sign Shea & Joseph, Re-Sign Kapanen

The Oilers made a couple of splashes in the free agent market, adding defender Ryan Shea and forward Mathieu Joseph. Shea signed a five-year contract with a $4 million AAV, while Joseph signed a one-year deal with a $1 million AAV.

Shea, who is 29 years old, scored six goals and added 29 assists for 35 points through 80 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season. Throughout his career, he has scored nine goals and added 32 assists for 41 points through 150 games.

Joseph, who is also 29 years old, scored two goals and added nine assists for 11 points through 51 games split between the St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings last season. Throughout his career, he has scored 61 goals and added 99 assists for 160 points through 471 games.

The Oilers also announced that they had brought back a fan favourite, Kasperi Kapanen, on a one-year deal.

KAPPY HOUR EXTENDED ⏰

The #Oilers have re-signed forward Kasperi Kapanen to a one-year contract with an AAV of $2.6 million. pic.twitter.com/QpdQ2RYNNX

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) July 1, 2026

Last season, Kapanen scored eight goals and added nine assists for 17 points through 41 games. Throughout his career, he has scored 98 goals and added 141 assists for 239 points through 568 games.

Kapanen spent a lot of time on Leon Drasaitl’s wing, which seemed to be a solid fit, and considering how well Kapanen does when the playoffs come around, this was an important signing for the Oilers to get done.

Oilers Land Starting Goaltender

The Oilers finished off their day by surprising everyone and adding another goaltender, Frederik Andersen, on a one-year deal.

THE GREAT DANE 🇩🇰

The #Oilers have signed goaltender Frederik Andersen to a one-year contract with an AAV of $2.8 million. pic.twitter.com/UR5lbK2sLw

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) July 2, 2026

Andersen, who is 36 years old, is coming off of a Stanley Cup win with the Carolina Hurricanes last season. He has played 552 career games, winning 324 of them, posting a 2.59 GAA and a .913 SV%, while adding 28 shutouts.

The Oilers have done extremely well this offseason, and they still have plenty of cap space to focus on bringing back their restricted free agents (RFAs) and bringing in more players, should they choose to do so.

As of right now, Oilers fans seem excited heading into the 2026-27 campaign, as they should be.

As the 2026-27 season approaches, be sure to continue following The Hockey Writers as your source for news, updates, and more from around the NHL and the hockey world.