Jack Roslovic, one of the top NHL UFAs left, signed a one-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers late Wednesday.
The news of the $1.5-million deal came during the Oilers' season opener against the Calgary Flames.
Roslovic, 28, recorded 22 goals and 17 assists for 39 points in 81 games with the Carolina Hurricanes last year. He added another goal and three assists in nine playoff games. He's had two 22-goal seasons and passed 40 points twice in parts of nine NHL seasons.
The center, who can also play right wing, had a one-year, $2.8-million contract last season, so his cap hit is $1.3 million less on his new deal. Before that, he had a two-year contract with a $4-million cap hit.
Edmonton is Roslovic's fifth NHL team and fourth in the past three seasons. The Winnipeg Jets drafted him 25th overall in 2015. The Columbus Blue Jackets traded for him and Patrik Laine in January 2021. In 2023-24, the New York Rangers acquired Roslovic at the NHL trade deadline, and he signed with Carolina that summer.
In 526 career games, Roslovic has 102 goals, 158 assists and 260 points while averaging 14:12 of ice time. He also has three goals and 17 points in 45 playoff games, including eight points in 16 games during the Rangers' run to the Eastern Conference final in 2024.
Oilers GM Stan Bowman has also signed contract extensions for Connor McDavid, Jake Walman and Mattias Ekholm this week. On Monday, McDavid signed a two-year contract worth $12.5 million annually, while Walman signed for seven years at $7 million per season. On Wednesday, Ekholm agreed to a three-year contract extension worth $4 million per campaign.
With Roslovic, the Oilers are now over the salary cap ceiling by about $2.8 million, according to PuckPedia. With left winger Zach Hyman on long-term injured reserve for at least October, the Oilers can exceed the cap ceiling by up to Hyman's $5.5-million cap hit.
Edmonton recalled forwards David Tomasek and Isaac Howard on Tuesday. Tomasek has a $1.2-million cap hit, while Howard's is $950,000. Those two, along with Matthew Savoie ($886,666), are exempt from waivers in case the Oilers want to avoid the waiver wire when clearing cap space upon Hyman's return. Noah Philp is also on the Oilers' roster, and he's on a two-way contract that typically goes to players in the system.
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