Kapenen will return to the Blues for a third-straight season after putting up six goals and 22 points in 73 games in 2023-24. The 27-year-old will return to St. Louis for at least one more campaign after signing a deal worth $1 million as he enters his 10th NHL season.
Edmonton helped their depth on Monday as they signed left-winger James Hamblin to a two-year, two-way contract. The 25-year-old has spent his first two seasons with Edmonton and had two goals and three points in 31 games played in 2023-24.
Brown did not do much in his first regular season with the Oilers, posting just four goals and eight assists (12 points) in 71 games. However, he was much more noticeable during their run to the Stanley Cup Final, posting two goals and four assists (six points) in 19 playoff games. Expect him to be used in the bottom-6 and on the PK again in 2024-25.
Skinner has three years left on a deal that carries a $9.0M AAV cap-hit. According to Cap Friendly, the buyout will save the Sabres $7.33 million but will keep Skinner on the books until the 2029-30 season. He'll cost them $1.445M AAV for the 2024-25 season. Skinner had a career year in 2023 but had just 24 goals and 22 assists (46 points) in 74 games last year.
Pickard started the 2023-24 season as Edmonton's third goaltender but worked his way into a backup role by mid-season and has earned himself a two-year, $2 million ($1,000,000 AAV) contract extension. The 32-year-old travelling netminder had not played more than 11 games since 2016-17 but put together a solid season in 2023-24 with his 12-7-1 record, 2.45 GAA and .909 SV%.
Edmonton added to its defensive depth on Friday as it signed 26-year-old defender Cam Dineen to a two-year, two-way contract extension. The AHL regular has made one NHL appearance in his career, appearing in 34 games with Arizona in 2021-22. In 2023-24, he had five goals and 25 points in 58 games with Bakersfield (AHL).
Walman carries a $3.4 million cap hit for the next two seasons and was traded alongside Tampa Bay's 2024 2nd-round pick from Detroit in what appears to be a cap dump situation. The 28-year-old set the hockey world ablaze with his "Gritty" celebration and had a solid 2023-24 season despite the trade, with 12 goals, 21 points, 108 SOG, 44 PIMs and a -2 plus/minus in 63 games played.
Skinner allowed one goal on 21 shots in the Oilers' Game 6 win over the Panthers. After dropping the first three games of the series, Skinner has gone 3-0 while only giving up five goals on 86 shots (.942 SV%) in the last three games. He's now 14-8 with a .901 SV% in 22 playoff games.
Skinner got the Oilers back in the win column in Game 4, stopping 32 of 33 shots (.970 SV%) and will look to have some similar fortunes as Edmonton heads to Florida on Tuesday. The 25-year-old Edmonton native has had an up-and-down postseason so far, with his 12-8-0 record, 2.51 GAA and .898 SV%. He heads to Florida on Tuesday, where Edmonton will be looking to extend the series to six games and keep the Panthers from winning their first-ever Stanley Cup.
Perry was a healthy scratch for Game 2 on Monday as he was replaced by Warren Foegele but is expected to draw back into the OIlers' lineup for Game 3 on Thursday. The Oilers have not yet announced who the 39-year-old will replace in Edmonton's lineup. Through 14 playoff games played, he has no goals, one assist, 11 SOG, eight PIMs and a -3 plus/minus while averaging just 11:03 TOI/GP.
Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said Edmonton is undecided on whether Kane will play in Game 3 after he missed the majority of the Oilers' practice on Wednesday. The 32-year-old is clearly battling injuries as he has been unable to sit while on the bench and only has one point in his previous nine games played.
