The Edmonton Oilers are expected to be one of the NHL’s best teams this season. In fact, in the eyes of many, including several sports betting sites, they are considered the favourite to win the Stanley Cup. That is very exciting for the organization, though, like all teams, they have their warts.
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The Oilers are over the salary cap and still have to re-sign Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway. With limited cap space, their blue line is lacking compared to their stacked forward group, and the biggest reason for their limited funds is these five contracts.
Josh Brown
$1 million
While the Oilers have had a very good offseason so far, one move that caused many to scratch their heads was the three-year, $3 million contract given to defenceman Josh Brown. The 30-year-old has essentially been the seventh defenceman on any team he’s played for and averaged less than 15 minutes of ice time in the 51 games he played in for the Arizona Coyotes last season.
Brown is one of the worst defensemen in the NHL in terms of analytics. He offers little offence and isn’t the greatest defender, either. He will add some toughness, though, and, who knows, maybe he will impress in Oilers colours. At this time, however, the contract isn’t a great one.
Corey Perry
$1.15 million
Corey Perry has had an outstanding NHL career and could even garner some Hall of Fame discussion when he retires. That said, it was clear last season, particularly during the playoffs, that the 39-year-old has lost a step or two. He was even forced to watch some playoff games from the press box.
Most believed the Oilers would move on from Perry this offseason. When it was announced that he was returning, everyone assumed it would be a league-minimum deal or very close to it. Instead, the Oilers offered him $1.15 million, which, while still not a lot, is more than many feel he deserves.
Evander Kane
$5.125 million
The past two seasons haven’t been kind to Evander Kane. He has struggled to stay healthy, though, to his credit, he’s often played through injuries to try and help his team in any way possible. That has, however, made him a lot less effective, particularly in terms of his biggest strength – goal-scoring.
Now 32, the injuries that have hampered Kane’s career are becoming a concern. There has been some talk that he might begin the season on long-term injured reserve, which would already put him behind the eight ball. There are far worse contracts in the league, but this one certainly hasn’t gone the way the Oilers front office had hoped.
Cody Ceci
$3.25 million
Many Oilers fans didn’t like Cody Ceci’s contract from the get-go, but that group expanded considerably during the 2023-24 season, particularly in the playoffs. The 30-year-old is a capable third-pairing defenceman but has often been forced into a top-four role on the Oilers, where his weaknesses are often exposed.
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The Oilers would certainly like to get his contract off the books, though there are a few issues here. One is that teams know the Oilers are desperate and may require extra compensation to trade for him. The other is that it has been reported several times that he is beloved in the room, and shipping him out could hurt team chemistry.
Darnell Nurse
$9.25 million
To the surprise of no one, Darnell Nurse is at the top of this list. The 29-year-old not only makes far too much money but is also on the books for six more seasons with a $9.25 million cap hit. Both the money and term make it one of the worst contracts in the NHL.
Nurse catches a ton of heat in Edmonton because of his contract, which is unfortunate since he is a solid defenceman. He would be a top-four blueliner on any NHL team, and if his cap hit was between $6-$7 million, he would garner plenty more praise than criticism. That’s not the case, however, and it lands him at the top of the list.
Oilers Have Worked Around Difficult Contracts
For many teams, Nurse’s contract would ruin their window as a Stanley Cup contender. That hasn’t been the case for the Oilers, who have managed to be one of the NHL’s best since he signed his monster deal. It could become a bigger problem once (or if) Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, and Evan Bouchard sign their extensions, but at this point, it hasn’t hurt them as much as it might have.
