Edmonton Oilers

Oilers Signing Gets High Ranking Among Best of the Summer

The Frederik Andersen signing by the Oilers is ranked among the best in free agency. What makes it such a win?

by
NHL Trade Talk
July 9, 2026

According to Harman Dayal of The Athletic, the Edmonton Oilers are getting a high rank for one of their summer signings. Among the best free-agent additions, Frederik Andersen ranks near the top for smart deals and astute signings by any NHL club this offseason.

Noting his low AAV along with his veteran experience and steadiness, Andersen adds to a revamped trio in net for the Oilers. He should be good to play between 25 and 35 games this season.

The downside of the signing is Andersen’s age and consistency. It’s not ideal. Dayal writes:

“Andersen isn’t magically going to fix the Oilers’ goaltending woes on his own. At 36, he’s old and injury-prone, and while he was excellent in the playoffs, he had a rough regular season, posting an .874 save percentage. Anybody expecting him to be a no-doubt-about-it starter at this stage in his career is likely going to be let down.”

There is good news, however. It’s the good news that so heavily outweighs the bad that Andersen’s deal is seen as a win.

“However, Andersen’s contract is so cheap that it represents a savvy, low-risk way to add legitimate goaltending insurance. Between Andersen and the Devon Levi trade, the Oilers’ goaltending depth is much steadier. Andersen is streaky, but should pitch in with 25-40 decent games in the regular season (depending on how healthy he stays), and he offers a ton of big-game playoff experience and championship pedigree.”

Frederik Andersen Oilers signing — The Frederik Andersen signing by the Oilers is ranked among the best in free agency

The Oilers did well to add Andersen in the final hours of day one in free agency. It appeared the team was done for the day, but GM Stan Bowman had that move up his sleeve, with an assist from new head coach Mike Babcock. Andersen says he’s eager to join the Oilers and help them get over the hump. He can’t play as many games as he used to, but in a three-goal system, the Oilers won’t be asking.

“That’s a useful piece to add for only a $1 million base salary,” writes Dayal. He’ll pick up another $1 million in performance bonuses once he reaches 20 games played. The rest are for playoff rounds won.

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