Oilers And Dach Agree On New Deal

The Edmonton Oilers have signed forward Colton Dach to a two-year contract extension with an AAV of $1.2 million.

Many saw Dach as an add-on in the deal that saw Edmonton acquire center Jason Dickinson from Chicago for a first-round draft pick. The biggest part of the deal was the salary dump of Andrew Mangiapane’s contract. Chicago retained 50% of Dickinson’s $4.25 million contract for this year.

The emergence of Dach was one of the more promising developments of Edmonton’s season. Eight games with the Oilers in the regular season is a small sample size, but the 6’4, 220-pound Dach played his way up to the third line.

He and Trent Frederic caused some major havoc on the forecheck with their aggressive style. They helped the Oilers score a few goals with their skill. However, the two faded during the playoffs, but part of that is due to limited ice time and opportunity.

Dach’s regular season play with the Oilers was promising. Makes you wonder why Chicago gave him up. Chicago’s loss is Edmonton’s gain. Stan Bowman knew Dach from his time with the Blackhawks. Bowman drafted Dach 62nd overall in the 2022 draft.

Edmonton is hoping Dach can improve upon his five goals and eight assists from last season. If he plays on the third line regularly, the 23-year-old can become a 20–25-point player. The Oilers must find a way to use Dach to his strengths. A task that now falls on new head coach Mike Babcock.

Oilers Roster and Salary Cap Looks Good

After the re-signing of Dach, the Oilers have 12 forwards, eight defensemen, and three goalies under contract for the 2026-27 season. The team still has $4.7 million available in salary cap space.

Trading Darnell Nurse gives Bowman much more flexibility now. He started the off-season with none. Will Bowman use the remaining $4.7 million, or hold on to it until the NHL trade deadline?