Oilers Not Expected Back Next Season: Who's Gone?
At least three Oilers not expected back next season have been identified, and the decisions ahead will shape Edmonton's future. The real story in Edmonton starts the day this season ends. The Oilers are 33-26-9, clinging to third in the Pacific with a power play that masks how flawed this roster actually is. GM Stan Bowman has a mess to clean up — and at least three Oilers not expected back next season have already been identified.
We're talking about a combined $17.6 million in cap commitments tied to a defenseman who can't justify his paycheck, a center who's been invisible since November, and a goaltender whose arrival might go down as one of the worst mid-season trades in franchise history. The math doesn't work. The performance doesn't justify it. Something has to give.
The $9.25 Million Elephant in the Room
Darnell Nurse makes more money than most team's top defensive pairs combined. Let that sink in. Nine and a quarter million dollars for a guy who's produced 20 points in 64 games while averaging just under 21 minutes a night. Those aren't first-pairing numbers. Those aren't even second-pairing numbers at that price tag.
David Pagnotta reported that Edmonton talked to at least one team about moving Nurse before the March deadline. The full no-movement clause shut it down — Nurse has zero obligation to accept a deal, and why would he? He's got four years of guaranteed money left on a contract most GMs wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole.
Here's the ugly reality. That NMC doesn't convert to a 10-team no-trade list until July 2027. So Bowman can't force anything this summer either. He needs Nurse to want out. Good luck with that. From where I'm sitting, this is the hardest piece of the puzzle — you're asking a player to voluntarily give up the best contract in his career because his team needs cap relief. The Draisaitl injury already exposed how thin this blue line is, and losing Nurse's minutes without a replacement plan would make it worse before it gets better.
Henrique's Quiet Disappearance
Adam Henrique hasn't scored a goal since November 14th. Read that again. A $3 million center on a team fighting for a playoff spot has two goals in 48 games and is currently parked on LTIR. His two-year deal expires this summer and there is absolutely zero chance the Oilers bring him back. Of all the Oilers not expected back next season, Henrique is the cleanest goodbye.
The first year of that contract was fine. Henrique knew his role, chipped in some depth scoring, didn't cause problems. Then everything fell apart. Injuries derailed his season, and when he was healthy, he couldn't crack the lineup over Jason Dickinson or Mattias Janmark. That tells you everything about where he stands in this organization's plans.
At least the cap hit walks away cleanly. Three million off the books with no buyout drama, no trade complications. Henrique will probably sign somewhere else for league minimum — he's 36 and running out of runway.
The Jarry Disaster — And It Gets Worse
This is the one that should keep Bowman up at night. In December, Edmonton shipped Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick to Pittsburgh for Tristan Jarry and Samuel Poulin. The idea made sense on paper: Jarry was a former All-Star who needed a fresh start. Edmonton needed stability in net.
What they got was a .864 save percentage and a 3.85 goals-against average in 12 appearances before Kris Knoblauch yanked him for Connor Ingram. Twelve games. That's all it took for the coaching staff to see enough.
And here's the part nobody wants to talk about — Jarry isn't a pending free agent. He's got two more years on his deal at $5.375 million per season. Edmonton can't just let him walk. They're stuck with $10.75 million in remaining commitment to a goaltender their own coach won't play. The options are ugly: trade him and retain salary (good luck finding a taker at that number), buy him out and eat dead cap for years, or bury him in the AHL and waste the roster spot. None of those are good outcomes.
The Kulak loss stings more every week. He was a reliable, cost-effective top-four defenseman — exactly the type of player Edmonton now desperately needs. That second-round pick is gone too. This trade might haunt the Oilers for the rest of Bowman's tenure.
What the Cap Sheet Looks Like
With three Oilers not expected back next season in some form, Edmonton projects to have roughly $17.7 million in cap space for 2026-27, with the ceiling expected around $104 million. If — and it's a big if — Nurse waives his NMC and gets moved, that number jumps past $25 million. Henrique's $3 million walks automatically. Jarry's situation is the wild card that could torpedo everything.
Right now, only seven forwards, three defensemen, and zero goaltenders are under contract for next season. Zero. The Oilers don't have a single netminder locked up for 2026-27. Bowman needs to find a starting goaltender, replace Kulak's minutes on the blue line, and add forward depth — all while potentially still carrying Jarry's cap hit.
| Player | Cap Hit | Status | Likelihood of Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darnell Nurse | $9.25M | NMC (4 yrs left) | Trade if NMC waived |
| Adam Henrique | $3M | Pending UFA | Gone — not re-signing |
| Tristan Jarry | $5.375M | Under contract (2 yrs) | Trade/buyout likely |
The Bigger Picture
Connor McDavid is 29. Leon Draisaitl just turned 30. Evan Bouchard is entering his prime. The core is still championship-caliber, but the window doesn't stay open forever. The Oilers not expected back next season represent a necessary cost of keeping that window from closing entirely, especially when you're hemorrhaging cap space on players who aren't contributing.
What frustrates me about this situation is how avoidable it was. The Jarry trade was a panic move. Henrique's second year was always going to be a decline contract. And the Nurse extension — signed when he was coming off his best season — looked like an overpay the day the ink dried. These aren't bad-luck injuries or unexpected busts. These are foreseeable problems that the front office created and now has to solve.
Bowman's offseason will define his legacy in Edmonton. Get it right, and the Oilers reload around their generational talent. Get it wrong, and McDavid spends his early thirties watching a contender slowly bleed out from self-inflicted wounds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the Edmonton Oilers trade Darnell Nurse this summer?
Only if Nurse agrees to waive his full no-movement clause. Edmonton explored a deal at the March deadline, per David Pagnotta, but the NMC killed any traction. The clause converts to a 10-team no-trade list in July 2027, so Bowman has limited leverage right now. Realistically, it comes down to whether Nurse wants a fresh start or is content collecting $9.25 million in a reduced role.
What happens with Tristan Jarry's contract?
Jarry has two years remaining at $5.375 million per season — he is not a free agent this summer. Edmonton's options are to trade him with salary retained, buy him out, or keep him as an expensive backup. A buyout would cost roughly $3.58 million in dead cap over four years. Finding a trade partner willing to take on that cap hit after his .864 save percentage in Edmonton will be extremely difficult.
How much cap space will the Oilers have in 2026-27?
Approximately $17.7 million before any trades, with the cap ceiling projected at $104 million. If Nurse is moved, that number climbs past $25 million. Henrique's $3 million comes off automatically as a UFA. The Jarry situation complicates things — his $5.375 million stays on the books unless Edmonton finds a trade partner or eats a buyout.
Who will be the Oilers' starting goalie next season?
Connor Ingram is currently the only goaltender in Edmonton's system with NHL starter potential, but he's also a pending free agent. Bowman will almost certainly need to acquire a goaltender through trade or free agency this summer. With zero goalies under contract for 2026-27, this is arguably the most urgent need on the entire roster.
