GOODNEWS:Edmonton Oilers Now a Top Choice for Free Agents. Oilers have made notable progress in…
The Edmonton Oilers have made notable progress in free agency over the past few seasons, with the 2024 period being arguably their best yet.
Several players chose to take less money to remain with the team, and impactful players from other organizations also accepted lower salaries to join them.
This trend underscores the Oilers’ status as serious contenders for the Stanley Cup and represents a significant change from a few seasons ago when the team and city struggled to attract top talent. Contributing factors include a new owner, a new arena, top-notch facilities, and, of course, the Connor McDavid effect. However, the most significant factor is always winning, and the Oilers’ reach to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final has caught the attention of NHL players.
These recent signings are a result of the team’s success and the winning culture they have developed, indicating that their “decade of darkness” is firmly in the past.
During the Oilers’ struggles, the team was stuck in a seemingly endless cycle of losing seasons and missed playoff opportunities. From 2006-07 to 2015-16, the Oilers failed to make the playoffs despite having multiple first-overall draft picks, including Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Nail Yakupov.
The Oilers were often seen as an undesirable destination for free agents who preferred to join more successful franchises. This bleak period was marked by constant changes in coaching and management, poor on-ice performances, and a general sense of hopelessness among fans.
It took significant changes, the drafting of elite talents like McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and sustained on-ice success with multiple playoff runs for those dark days to finally come to an end.
