Oilers and Larsson Closing in on 4-Yr Contract Extension

There’s good news for fans of the Edmonton Oilers when it comes to one of their pending unrestricted free agents. As per Elliotte Friedman, the Oilers and working out the details of a four-year extension for defenseman Adam Larsson. The deal isn’t imminent and likely won’t be signed until after the 2020-21 season ends, but it sounds as though to two parties will come together and Larsson will be sticking around.

There was talk the Oilers and the blueliner had begun contract talks — along with the Oilers holding preliminary conversations with Tyson Barrie — but it wasn’t known how far along Larsson and the Oilers were. According to Friedman, pretty far.

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He said:

“Adam Larsson, before the trade deadline the Oilers and Adam Larsson began contract negotiations. While they are not done, they’ve made good progress. The word is both sides are hopeful. There won’t be any conversation now until the Oilers finish the season but there is a lot of optimism Larsson will be extended around four years.

There isn’t a report on what the extension will be worth, but one would assume a fourth year on the contract will bring the AAV down a bit, probably to ensure Larsson makes less than he’s currently making ($4.16 million).

Ideally, if the Larsson and Edmonton agree on terms, it makes sense the deal will be announced after the NHL Expansion Draft.

Is Four Years a Concern?

Upon hearing the news that a four-year extension is on the table, some fans are a bit worried. No doubt Larsson has played some of his best hockey this season and is deserving on an extension. That said, one could argue that four years is a little long for a player with a bit of an injury history.

Would the Oilers be better served to overpay by $500k or $1 million for two years and get the best they can out of him while they have a little extra cap space this offseason? If the Oilers pay $3 million for a player who can’t help them in year three or four, they could have trouble finding a replacement or moving his contract.

On the other hand, Larsson is healthy, skating well and confident. He doesn’t play with Edmonton’s best offensive weapons and his numbers are still strong. He’s been able to offer the Oilers one-half of a great shut-down pair and whether placed with William Lagesson or Dmitry Kulikov, Larsson has his head above water. Even if he’s not as effective in that third or fourth year as he is now, there’s no reason to assume he won’t still be effective.

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