The Edmonton Oilers chase for a Stanley Cup championship continue. After making it to the Final for the second year in the row, the Oilers once again fell to the Florida Panthers, this time in six games. It looked as though the Oilers were going to put up a gigantic fight, especially after a Game 4 overtime win. However, the Oilers were lifeless in Games 5 and 6, leading to their elimination.
It's another important offseason for the Oilers, as they look to find a way to bring Canada it's first Stanley Cup since 1993. Who can they bring in to help with that goal and help them get through the Western Conference again and potentially, finally, beat the Panthers.
Here are the players from the 2024-25 Oilers roster set to hit free agency.
Oilers players set to hit free agency after 2025 Stanley Cup Final loss: Full list
The following players below are set to hit free agency, courtesy of Spotrac.
Unrestricted free agents (UFA) will hit the open market and are free to sign a contract with any team. Restricted free agents (RFA) are players whose entry-level contracts have expired, but don't qualify for free agency. The only teams that can sign restricted free agents are the team that owns that player's rights.
Player | Position | Free Agent Status (UFA or RFA) |
|---|---|---|
Evan Bouchard | D | RFA |
Jeff Skinner | LW | UFA |
Trent Frederic | C | UFA |
John Klingberg | D | UFA |
Corey Perry | RW | UFA |
Kaspari Kapanen | RW | UFA |
Connor Brown | RW | UFA |
Cameron Wright | RW | RFA |
Jacob Perrault | C | RFA |
Derek Ryan | C | UFA |
Ronald Attard | D | UFA |
Olivier Rodrigue | G | RFA |
Travis Dermott | D | UFA |
Connor Carrick | D | UFA |
Collin Delia | G | UFA |
Noah Philip | C | RFA |
Lane Pederson | C | UFA |
Philip Kemp | D | UFA |
Evan Bouchard won't hit the open market, and that's good news for the Oilers, as he was the team's third-leading point-getter in the playoffs, recording 23 points (seven goals, 16 assists). With that, it's up to the Oilers to find a way to lock in Bouchard, their former 2018 first-round pick.
Corey Perry fell short once again of winning a Stanley Cup championship. Perry made it to the Final in five of the past six years, and lost in all of them. At 40 years old, it will be interesting to see if the Oilers will opt to bring him back. Perry actually played well in the playoffs, as he scored 10 goals, second-most on the Oilers.
The Oilers' big trade deadline acquisition, Trent Frederic, is also set to hit free agency. Frederic was acquired from the Boston Bruins in an effort to boost the team's chances. However, Frederic recorded just four points (one goal, three assists), while averaging 11:24 of ice time. It will be interesting to see if the Oilers opt to bring back Frederic, or opt to pivot elsewhere.
It will be interesting to see what the Oilers do this offseason, as the clock is ticking to compete for a Cup. Let's not forget, Connor McDavid is set to be a free agent at the end of the 2025-26 season.