The Edmonton Oilers made an impressive Western Conference Finals run last season but have some important free agency decisions to address in the offseason. Their latest move likely won't sit too well with Connor McDavid, as, according to Frank Seravalli, the Oilers failed to reach an agreement on a new deal for key defender Brett Kulak. As a result, the veteran defenseman will hit free agency, leaving another hole for the team to address.
The Oilers don't have a lot of cap space to work with, and with multiple needs still yet to be addressed, the departure of Kulak is certainly worrisome.
The Oilers acquired Kulak at the trade deadline in a deal with the Montreal Canadiens, sending a conditional 2022 second-round pick and a 2024 seventh-rounder to the Habs. In 18 games for the Oilers during the regular season, Kulak registered 8 points and skated an average of 17:05 per night. He featured in 16 playoff games, too, registering a total of 5 points.
While fans in Edmonton were hoping that a Kulak deal would get done ahead of free agency, the Oilers' path to re-signing the veteran defender just got a whole lot more difficult.
The 28-year-old will have a handful of suitors in free agency, and just because he hits the open market doesn't rule out a reunion with the Oilers, though they'll now face competition for his signature. Edmonton also needs to navigate a plethora of other moves, including potential deals for Evander Kane, Kailer Yamamoto, and Jesse Puljujarvi, while also securing another goalie to backup or start ahead of Mike Smith.
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