Stan Bowman's Contract Decisions Create Major Cap Challenges for Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers General Manager Stan Bowman finds himself navigating treacherous salary cap waters following two significant contract decisions that have backfired spectacularly. The moves have placed the organization in a difficult position as they approach the 2026 NHL trade deadline with limited financial flexibility.
Problematic Long-Term Commitments
On June 27, 2025, Bowman signed forward Trent Frederic to an eight-year contract worth $3.85 million annually. Just days later on July 2, 2025, the Oilers inked Andrew Mangiapane to a two-year deal at $3.6 million per season. Both players have struggled to find their form this season, with the coaching staff occasionally listing them as healthy scratches due to inconsistent performance.
The considerable cap hits for Frederic and Mangiapane have created significant challenges for the Oilers' front office. While Bowman has made several successful moves during his tenure as general manager, these two signings have placed the team in an awkward position just as they need to improve their roster for playoff contention.
Trade Deadline Dilemma
NHL insiders including The Athletic's Pierre Lebrun and Oilers Now host Bob Stauffer have reported that Edmonton is actively seeking to improve their team ahead of the March 6 trade deadline. According to Lebrun, the Oilers recently held pro scouting meetings and identified several top-nine forwards they intend to target through trades.
However, the organization faces a significant obstacle: they lack the necessary salary cap space to make meaningful additions. The situation becomes even more complicated when Adam Henrique returns to the lineup, which will push the team well over the salary cap and force difficult roster decisions.
Limited Options for Cap Relief
The Oilers have attempted to trade Andrew Mangiapane to create cap space, but after three weeks on the trade block, no deal has materialized. As Bob Stauffer noted on his program, "I don't see teams racing to go get Andrew Mangiapane at $3.6 million with the minus that he's at for another year."
TSN's Ryan Rishaug added further context to the difficult situation, explaining that moving Mangiapane would require attaching draft capital due to what he described as "negative trade equity." The alternative—keeping the struggling forward—means the Oilers cannot afford to add a top-six or top-nine forward at the deadline.
Meanwhile, Trent Frederic's eight-year contract makes him virtually untradeable given his current performance level. Both Stauffer and Rishaug agree the Oilers have no choice but to continue playing Frederic and hope for improvement.
Bowman's Positive Moves Provide Some Balance
Despite the current cap challenges, Bowman has made several successful moves during his tenure that have strengthened the organization:
- Trading for Vasily Podkolzin and Ty Emberson to address previous management decisions
- Signing free agent center Curtis Lazar
- Acquiring promising attacker Ike Howard
- Signing excellent young free agent prospects including Quinn Hutson, Viljami Marjala, Josh Samanski, and Damon Carfagna
- Claiming Kasperi Kapanen, Max Jones, and Alec Regula on waivers
- Signing Jack Roslovic and re-signing superstars Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid
- Making several strategic trades to improve the roster while managing cap space
The Oilers' current predicament highlights the delicate balance NHL general managers must maintain between long-term roster building and short-term financial flexibility. As the trade deadline approaches, Bowman faces the challenging task of improving his team while navigating the salary cap constraints created by two underperforming forwards.
