Boston Bruins

Scribe Predicts Oilers Will Sign 100-Plus Point Bruins Free Agent by 2031

Would the Edmonton Oilers have a shot at signing one of the NHL’s best offensive weapons in free agency and ahead of the 2031 season?

by
NHL Trade Talk
August 2, 2026

Allan Mitchell of The Athletic has gone out on a bit of a limb with his latest prediction. While looking at the Edmonton Oilers over the next five years, he started trying to guess what might happen with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard, the depth, the youngsters, and where help would be coming from ahead of the 2031 season.

He made up a mock lineup of 12 forwards, six defensemen, and two goalies.

In part of his post, he noted that one of the biggest superstars in the NHL would be coming up for free agency. Mitchell suggested that the Oilers, since they won’t have an opportunity to draft and develop high-end picks, will need to sign someone. He figures they’ll take a swing at David Pastrnak.

He writes:

“David Pastrnak is my choice for a free-agent addition. He’s aging well and has reeled off four electric 100-point seasons in a row. NHL teams are signing their best players earlier now, and to longer contracts, so free agency may well be the only way for the organization to find a talent worthy of playing on the McDavid line. Even if Bowman stopped trading his first-round selections today, the team is in a real spot of bother as it pertains to finding elite offensive talent for the future.”

Mitchell is sold on the idea that little help — at least not game-changing help — is coming through the system in the next five years. He labeled Tommy Lafreniere, William Nicholl, Rudolfs Berzkalns and Owen Michaels as the closest bets. He also predicted that Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins would both likely be gone, leaving a significant gap in the top six.

David Pastrnak Bruins benched in the third period

It’s an ambitious and bold prediction. There’s no link between Pastrnak and the Oilers today, only the fact that why wouldn’t the Oilers want a player who has scored 40-plus goals multiple times and 100-plus points? The trick, aside from Pastrnak not being a Bruin for life, is that he’ll be 35 years old when his contract ends.

You can tell it’s the summer and there isn’t much action in the NHL to speak of. When a writer tries to predict the roster in five seasons and has lifelong winger David Pastrnak joining it, we’re reaching.

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