The Edmonton Oilers used NHL free agency to add depth while Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are in their prime.
On Wednesday, the Oilers added three unrestricted free agents, signing forward Zach Hyman to a seven-year, $38.5 million contract ($5.5 million average annual value), center Derek Ryan to a two-year, $2.5 million contract ($1.25 million AAV) and defenseman Cody Ceci to a four-year, $13 million contract ($3.25 million AAV).
Edmonton also acquired forward Warren Foegele in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes for defenseman Ethan Bear and re-signed defenseman Tyson Barrie to a three-year, $13.5 million contract ($4.5 million AAV).
"I felt going into the offseason I needed to do a couple of things to try to change our team, make our team better, different," general manager Ken Holland said. "We were pretty good but not good enough, but hopefully the moves we've made so far, along with the growth of some of the young players I've talked about, can allow us to kind of continue along that path."
Hyman is a top-six forward who played with elite forwards with the Toronto Maple Leafs, including Auston Matthews. Ryan, who played for the Calgary Flames the past three seasons, and Foegele provide experience in the bottom six. Barrie and Ceci, who played last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, are top-four defensemen who produce offensively.
Edmonton (35-19-2) finished second behind Toronto in the seven-team Scotia North Division last season but was swept by the Winnipeg Jets in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
McDavid has led the NHL in scoring in three of his six seasons, including last season, when the center scored 105 points (33 goals, 72 assists) in 56 games. The 24-year-old has won the Hart Trophy voted as NHL most valuable player twice, in 2016-17 and last season.
Draisaitl has played seven NHL seasons, winning the Hart Trophy and Art Ross Trophy (most points in NHL) in 2019-20. The 25-year-old forward was second behind McDavid with 84 points (31 goals, 53 assists) in 56 games last season.
The Oilers have been to the postseason three times since McDavid entered the NHL in 2015-16, advancing into the second round once, after they defeated the San Jose Sharks in six games in the 2017 Western Conference First Round.
Defenseman Darnell Nurse was seventh in voting for the Norris Trophy as the best defenseman in the NHL last season, when the 26-year-old scored 36 points (16 goals, 20 assists) in 56 games.
"Obviously, we've got an incredible core that's really coming into their prime years, so I felt a responsibility, obligation as the manager to try to build a little bit deeper supporting cast as we head into this season," Holland said.
Barrie returns to the Oilers after playing on a one-year, $3.75 million contract after one season with the Maple Leafs. He led NHL defensemen with 48 points (eight goals, 40 assists) in 56 games.
"I believe in this group, and we've got the best player in the world (McDavid) and a guy who on any given night is also the best player in the world (Draisaitl)," Barrie said. "That's a great crew to build around. It was a bit of a no-brainer again to come back to a place where I had success. Obviously, it didn't go the way we wanted at the end of the year, but I believe we're a good team and we're not that far off."
Hyman, who is likely to get an opportunity to play with McDavid on the top line, said joining a team with a chance to win was high among his priorities.
"Last year, playing in Toronto, we played Edmonton a bunch, and I just see so much opportunity and a chance to win the Stanley Cup with the players they have there," Hyman said. "That opportunity, and the city and the passion and the fan base, I'm just so excited to be joining an organization like Edmonton and I can't wait to get started."
Hyman scored 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) in 43 games with the Maple Leafs last season, including seven (four goals, three assists) in nine games against the Oilers.
Last season, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was the third among Oilers forwards with 35 points (16 goals, 19 assists) in 52 games. Hyman will help balance the offensive production among the top six forwards.
"I've gotten to know Connor a little bit," Hyman said. "The last couple of days I've started to train and get to know him and Darnell a little bit, so that's been great. Those two players, having played against them this year more so than ever, you realize how special they are and how much they can change a game.
"[McDavid] is a special player, he's a generational-type player. For me, I've gotten the opportunity to play with great players in the past. For me, it's about bringing my work ethic every day, being consistent and trying to create as much space as I can for the guys that I play with. With Connor, he's a guy that takes advantage of space, his speed is off the charts, and if I can create space for him, I think everybody in the world knows what he's capable of doing."
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