All of the top NHL unrestricted free agents have already signed contracts, but there’s one big name player still available that makes good sense for the Edmonton Oilers to pursue.
This doesn’t mean this veteran NHL forward will sign with the Oilers. But his skillset — think Corey Perry, only far more physical — fits with what Edmonton needs and would provide said free agrent forward, Matt Pacioretty, with a solid chance of winning his first Stanley Cup.
Indications are that Pacioretty will sign elsewhere if he decides to play one more NHL season at age 37. I’m not an insider telling you the Oilers are keen on him or he’s keen on the Oilers. But in looking at what Edmonton now needs, having lost power forwards Evander Kane and Dylan Holloway in the past two years, as well as aggressive forwards Warren Foegele, Corey Perry, Connor Brown and Viktor Arvidsson — Pacioretty would might well be an excellent fit here, especially come playoff time.
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Pacioretty started out ranked 16h on The Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin’s Top 75 NHL free agents on July 1. He’s now the third highest ranked player left unsigned, behind only Jack Roslovic and Matt Grzelcyk.
I didn’t think Pacioretty would still be available at this point of free agency, but here we are.
Pacioretty has played 939 NHL games with 336 goals and 681 points, along with 58 points in 89 playoff games.
Of course, he’s slowing down. He had just five goals this past regular season in 37 games for Toronto, that after four goals in 47 games for Washington in 2023-24. But in small doses, Pacioretty still brings it as a power forward.
In the last two playoffs season, if we rank NHL forwards giving equal weight two categories, points per 60 minutes of even strength play and hits per 60 even strength, Pacioretty ranks second overall of all NHL forwards, with 21.9 hits per 60 and 1.77 points per 60.
Top of the list is Vasily Podkolzin of the Oilers, with Edmonton’s Zach Hyman ranking sixth and former Oiler Evander Kane ranking 15th.
Kasperi Kapenen ranks 26th, Adam Henrique, 31st, Connor McDavid, 39th and Trent Frederic 47th.
Perry — and Pacioretty would essentially be taking Perry’s role on the Oilers line-up — ranks 152nd.
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If we use the same hits and points per 60 markers for the 2024-25 regular season at even strength, Pacioretty also comes out well, ranking 10th overall for all NHL forwards for the season, just behind Washington’s Tom Wilson and ahead of Dallas Stars beast Jame Benn.
Is it likely Pacioretty will sign here? No. But last season he played for $873,770. If he was willing to take about the same from the Oilers, the price would certainly be right.
There was some indication he might return to the Toronto Maple Leafs for the coming year, as he’d proven to be a good fit there. More recently, that prospect has come into some doubt, with Pacioretty perhaps signing in Detroit instead mentioned on rumour boards.
It seems most likely that if Pacioretty does play, Toronto or Detroit or some other eastern team will sign him.
But the lure of taking on Corey Perry’s role here in Edmonton is not insignificant. Here’s hoping, as Pacioretty would be a decent bet and a solid signing for the Oilers.
At the Cult of Hockey