Oilers may look to trade veteran defender before losing him in free agency
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The Edmonton Oilers are faced with a difficult decision concerning Brett Kulak, a pending free agent at the end of the 2025-26 NHL season.
At 31-years old, Kulak has been a steady presence on the Oilers' 3rd-pairing as a left-side defenseman, with the ability fill in on the top-4 when needed.
Despite his value to the club, Oilers may not be able to extend pending-free agent D-man
Brett has clearly made a strong case for a contract extension before July 1, 2026. However, the Oilers may not have the cap space to accomodate such a signing, in particular given Ekholm's and Walman's pending-free agent status, and their places higher-up in the roster.
In a recent Oilersnation article, three analysts answered the question of what to do with D-man Brett Kulak: extend, trade, or let him walk as a free agent:
My first instinct is to say he walks at the end of the year. He still has some good hockey left in him and I think he could get a somewhat decent payday on the open market. I don't think the Oilers can afford to keep both him and Mattias Ekholm, unless there are some serious hometown discounts involved.
- Tyler Yaremchuk
He might be a player that walks at the end of the season. He's been a good player for the Oilers but there's value on the open market for him. I hope he signs in Edmonton because he's a fantastic 5th defenceman. I wouldn't worry about him too much though.
- Liam Horrobin
As much as I want the Oilers to keep him, I can't see it happening if they extend Jake Walman and Mattias Ekholm. Nurse isn't going anywhere, and, unfortunately, that doesn't leave much room for Kulak. I don't like it, but that's how I see it.
- Baggedmilk
- Tyler Yaremchuk
He might be a player that walks at the end of the season. He's been a good player for the Oilers but there's value on the open market for him. I hope he signs in Edmonton because he's a fantastic 5th defenceman. I wouldn't worry about him too much though.
- Liam Horrobin
As much as I want the Oilers to keep him, I can't see it happening if they extend Jake Walman and Mattias Ekholm. Nurse isn't going anywhere, and, unfortunately, that doesn't leave much room for Kulak. I don't like it, but that's how I see it.
- Baggedmilk
The worst case scenario, in my opinion, would be to lose Kulak for nothing in return; a trade early in the season could bring the Oilers a decent return, like a 2nd-round pick, which they might not get if they wait until the trade-deadline to deal him.
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