The Oilers have had a bit of a busy summer, shaking things up both in goal and on the back end.  The end result of those moves has them in a position they haven’t been in for a while.

Specifically, they actually have cap space available to them at this point in the summer instead of being either tight to the cap ceiling or needing to use LTIR.  As things stand, they project to begin the year with over $4.7MM in room, per PuckPedia.

While the team could still use some extra depth up front, it doesn’t appear they’ll be pursuing it at this time.  Instead, GM Stan Bowman said in a recent Oilers Now appearance (audio link) that he doesn’t foresee the team adding anyone else before the regular season gets underway.

With how tight they’ve consistently been to the Upper Limit, they’ve been priced out of early in-season moves due to a lack of banked room and have often had to pay a higher price to get a team to retain salary at the deadline.  Bowman spoke of the challenges of being in that situation in the past:

We had no space at all. You’re very handcuffed as to what you can do, and it’s tough because opportunities pop up every year during the year. If a player comes available in November that makes two and a half million that you like, but they don’t want, they’re just trying to shed salary. We were never even in the market for that. That was impossible.

By deciding not to spend more of their remaining flexibility, Bowman is positioning himself to be able to strike on a swap earlier in the season.  But he’s also setting things up for some of his younger forwards to have a chance to play higher up the lineup.

Both Matthew Savoie and Isaac Howard saw action with Edmonton last season, with mixed results.  Savoie played a regular role and chipped in with 37 points despite playing under 15 minutes per night.  He could be primed to play a little higher up the lineup and if he could lock down a top-six role, that would give their attack a boost.  Howard, meanwhile, played in just 29 games with the Oilers in limited minutes but had 50 points in 47 AHL games in his rookie year.  He could also get a prime opportunity to take on a bigger role.

If things go well on that front, that would allow Bowman to be a little more selective in trying to add to his roster midseason.  If not, secondary scoring on the wing is one element that’s usually easier to try to get in-season compared to an impactful blueliner or help down the middle which mitigates the risk of not adding now.

It should also be noted that Edmonton has a higher-than-usual total of potential bonuses this season.  Savoie ($1MM) and Howard ($750K) both have them, as does goaltender Frederik Andersen ($1.8MM, $1MM of which is reached by 20 games).  Any bonuses achieved will either cut down their spending room this coming season or, if necessary, be rolled over and charged against their 2027-28 books.

While Edmonton’s roster appears to be set now heading into the season, Bowman was quick to make clear that what they have now won’t be the roster they have after the trade deadline.  It’s a matter of when, not if, they’ll use their flexibility but it won’t be happening over the next couple of months.