Oilers expected to complete one trade before regular season
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The Oilers will start next season with only $226K of cap space available to them, forcing management to make some of its roster decisions based on salary alone; Mattias Janmark may find himself on the way out for that very reason.
Allan Mitchell of The Athletic believes that is precisely the case with Janmark, whose potential replacements earn about half his salary.
Mattias Janmark's $1.45 million cap AAV is about $650,000 more than a possible replacement like Curtis Lazar or Noah Philp. The veteran has great utility and a partial no-trade clause, but hockey is a cruel business, and it's possible this deal happens before opening night. There are rumours the Oilers will run with 13 forwards (14 is normal) next season
He is a prime exit candidate.
- Allan Mitchell
He is a prime exit candidate.
- Allan Mitchell
Bottom-6 replacements may leave veteran forward out in the cold
One possible candidate to replace Mattias Janmark is Curtis Lazar, who signed a one-year deal with the Oilers on July 2, 2025, at an AAV of $775K.
Lazar played the 2024-25 season with the New Jersey Devils, where he posted 2G and 3A in 48 games played, with a TOI of 10:34; his production was comparable to Janmark's, who scored 2G and 16A last year over 80 games with Edmonton.
Curtis Lazar is a versatile player and could easily fit into a 4th-line role. He plays with high-energy and specializes in penalty killing, strong faceoff ability, and physical play, making him a valuable, north-south type player.
Allan Mitchell also likes Noah Philip as a replacement for Janmark. The 27-year old is in his first year of a one-year contract at a cap hit of $775K, again a potential saving of $675K.
Noah dressed for 15 games with the Oilers last season and recorded 2A. In 55 games with Bakersfield, however, the versatile forward posted 19G and 16A, showing his ability to find the net. If his scoring touch translates at the NHL level, he will be a valuable addition to the bottom-6.
Phillips is also a responsible two-way player who can kill penalties and win face-offs. He consistently stays with his assigned player and wins his share of puck battles.
With training camp just around the corner, Mattias Janmark has his work cut-out for him and he will certainly make the effort to remain in the line-up, though his salary may preclude him from a 6 role with the team.
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