Stan Bowman reveals the player Edmonton will likely spend their $4.5 million in cap space on
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Stan Bowman says the Oilers will likely add a forward if they use their $4 to $4.5 million in cap space this season.
Stan Bowman doesn't sound like a general manager in a rush.
The Oilers GM joined Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer on Friday and laid out exactly where Edmonton stands going into the 2026-27 season.
He expects the team to open with somewhere between $4 million and $4.5 million in cap space, and if that money gets spent on a player, Bowman was blunt about who it would be.
Why a forward makes the most sense
Bowman said they have three goalies and a lot of defensemen, so it's more likely if they were going to be adding a player, it would be a forward.
The math backs him up. Edmonton is carrying a full three-goalie group and a deep blue line, which leaves the front end of the lineup as the only real spot with room to grow.
"We have three goalies and a lot of D, so it's more likely if we were going to be adding a player, it would be a forward," said Bowman.
"This is sort of the ideal situation," he said. "You can't always put yourself in this position because things change, or you have players that are going to get raises that you definitely need, and sometimes your team is in a spot where you don't have much room. That's how we've been operating the first two years that I was here. We had no space at all.
"We were not in a position to if a player comes available in November that makes $2.5 million that you like, but they don't want, they're just trying to shed salary, we were never even in the market for that. It was impossible. But now we want to leave some money available.
"We're not trying to just accrue cap space ad nauseam, you can never spend it all. But I think that you have to have some flexibility. We've put ourselves in a good spot."
- Stan Bowman
"This is sort of the ideal situation," he said. "You can't always put yourself in this position because things change, or you have players that are going to get raises that you definitely need, and sometimes your team is in a spot where you don't have much room. That's how we've been operating the first two years that I was here. We had no space at all.
"We were not in a position to if a player comes available in November that makes $2.5 million that you like, but they don't want, they're just trying to shed salary, we were never even in the market for that. It was impossible. But now we want to leave some money available.
"We're not trying to just accrue cap space ad nauseam, you can never spend it all. But I think that you have to have some flexibility. We've put ourselves in a good spot."
- Stan Bowman
A different kind of offseason for Edmonton
Bowman also made it clear this isn't about hoarding money for no reason.
It is sort of the ideal situation, pointing out how different things feel compared to his first two years running the Oilers.
Back then, there was no wiggle room at all. A cheap rental at the deadline wasn't even an option because the books were maxed out.
Now Bowman wants just enough breathing room to jump on a deal if one shows up in November, without going overboard chasing cap space for no reason.
Bowman is not trying to just accrue cap space, but he also doesn't want to always spend it all.
He believes that the team has to have some flexibility and feels they are in a good spot.
For a team built around Connor McDavid, that flexibility could matter a lot once the trade deadline gets closer.
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