Adam Henrique seems to be the most obvious player who might leave the Oilers, and it looks like Kris Knoblauch and Stan Bowman are likely to make changes with some older players too.
If the Edmonton team decides to let some players go this summer, it won’t be their star players that go first. The changes will begin with the older support players that Stan Bowman can easily release without causing much disruption.
Henrique is 36 years old, he usually plays as a center or left wing, and his contract ends after this season. This makes him the easiest player to think about when discussing who’s likely to be gone from Edmonton.
He was signed to help strengthen the team’s lower lines and to give Knoblauch another reliable player in the center position.
However, this seems more like a temporary fix rather than something to carry on into the next season.
Mattias Janmark is another player worth mentioning. He is 33 years old, currently on Long-Term Injured Reserve, and will also be a free agent soon.
This creates a tough situation for a team that always needs to stay one step ahead. When roster space gets tight, injured players with contracts ending usually get pushed out quickly.
The third player mentioned here seems to have a position problem.
Kasperi Kapanen is my next choice. He is 29 years old and plays as a right wing and center, and his contract also expires at the end of the season.
Kapanen still has speed, which is always useful for a coach during back-to-back games or tough road trips.
But just being fast doesn’t guarantee he will get another contract, especially when the forwards need to provide better solutions.
The main takeaway is straightforward. The likely changes in Edmonton will focus on the supporting players, not the main stars.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are still the key players, and the Oilers have younger or longer-term players like Trent Frederic, Vasily Podkolzin, Matthew Savoie, Ty Emberson, and Spencer Stastney to consider as well.
That’s important when Bowman begins deciding who will remain in the support group.
The three Oilers I think are most likely to leave before next season are Henrique, Janmark, and Kapanen.
It’s not that they are bad players, but factors like their age, contract situation, health, and the pressure on the team all suggest the same outcome.
Edmonton appears to be a team that focuses on keeping its best players safe. This usually leads to the players in the lower part of the lineup being let go first, and these three fit right into that situation.
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