The Edmonton Oilers have one goal in mind right now: winning the Stanley Cup. As they prepare to face off against the Vegas Golden Knights after defeating the Los Angeles Kings in the first round in six games, the Kings are now focused on making changes heading toward the 2025-26 season in hopes of finally getting out of the first round next season. On Monday (May. 5) morning, the Kings announced they had agreed to mutually part ways with Rob Blake and would immediately begin the search for a new general manager.
Related: Oilers Should Fire Kris Knoblauch if Stuart Skinner Starts in Round 2
On top of that, the Kings have to focus on re-signing some of their pending free agents, including Andrei Kuzmenko and Vladislav Gavrikov, but the two of them seem non-committal to a return next season. They were both recently asked about a new contract for next season, but their responses weren’t promising at all.
Andrei Kuzmenko echoed the same.
“We’ll see.” https://t.co/2MYQeY2SlG
— Russell Morgan (@NHLRussell) May 5, 2025
Kuzmenko, who is 29 years old, scored 11 goals and added 26 assists for 37 points through 66 games this season, split between the Calgary Flames, Philadelphia Flyers, and Kings. In the six playoff games with the Kings, he scored three goals and added three assists for six points, maintaining a point-per-game pace. He fit extremely well with the Kings’ scheme, and they would love to bring him back for a full season.
Gavrikiov, who is 29 years old, scored five goals and added 25 assists for 30 points through 82 games this season. In the postseason, he had two assists in six games and played extremely well in the defensive zone. Throughout his career, he has scored 29 goals and added 106 assists for 135 points through 435 games split between the Kings and Columbus Blue Jackets.
Both of these players could be massive additions to any team that brings them in, should they hit the open market. The fact that they haven’t committed to returning to the Kings next season should be a concern because they are both going to be hard to replace. If they’re available, the Oilers should pounce on them.
Oilers Have Limited Money, Could Still Make it Work
The Oilers have $9.41 million available to them heading toward free agency, but they still need to consider whether or not to re-sign Jeff Skinner, Connor Brown, Corey Perry, and also have to figure out the plan with defender Evan Bouchard, who could be looking at a long-term extension around $9 million annually. They would have to move some money out if they wanted to target either player if they become available, but it’s a good idea to consider, since they would be extremely effective with the Oilers as they look to remain in contention past this season.
Vladislav Gavrikov, Los Angeles Kings (Photo by Rob Curtis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Kuzmenko and Gavrikov won’t come in at a combined total of what the Oilers have available to them, so they would have to move pieces out, and Bouchard would have to be open to taking a friendlier deal. If the Oilers can move on from Evander Kane and maybe Stuart Skinner, that’s enough money to make realistic offers to both players and bring back everyone else as well.
Both of them are elite players who would help the Oilers next season. There is a possibility that Kuzmenko considers going back to the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) if he doesn’t see a larger role for himself somewhere in the NHL, but the Oilers could give him a top-six role right away. It would be tough and there would be a lot of moving parts, but they are players they should focus on targeting if they become available on July 1st.
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