Every leading NHL unrestricted free agent has already secured deals, yet there remains a prominent player who would be a great fit for theEdmonton Oilers to pursue.
This doesn't imply that this experienced NHL forward will join the Oilers. However, his abilities—similar to Corey Perry, but with greater physicality—align with what Edmonton requires and would offer the free agent forward, Matt Pacioretty, a strong opportunity to win his first Stanley Cup.
There are signs that Pacioretty may choose to sign with another team if he decides to play one more season in the NHL at 37. I'm not an insider confirming that the Oilers are interested in him or that he's interested in the Oilers. However, considering what Edmonton currently needs, after losing power forwards Evander Kane and Dylan Holloway over the past two years, along with aggressive forwards Warren Foegele, Corey Perry, Connor Brown, and Viktor Arvidsson, Pacioretty could potentially be a great fit here, particularly during the playoffs.
Pacioretty was initially ranked 16th on The Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin’s list.Top 75 NHL unrestricted free agentsOn July 1, he is now the third highest-ranked player still without a contract, following only Jack Roslovic and Matt Grzelcyk.
I hadn't expected Pacioretty to still be available at this stage of free agency, but here we are.
Pacioretty has participated in 939 games within the NHL, scoring 336 goals and accumulating 681 points, plus 58 points across 89 playoff matches.
Certainly, he's beginning to slow down. He scored only five goals in 37 games for Toronto during the recent regular season, following four goals in 47 games with Washington in the 2023-24 campaign. However, in limited amounts, Pacioretty still delivers as a power forward.
In the past two playoff seasons, when evaluating NHL forwards by assigning equal importance to two metrics—points per 60 minutes of even-strength play and hits per 60 minutes of even strength—Pacioretty is ranked second among all NHL forwards. He recorded 21.9 hits per 60 and 1.77 points per 60.
The top spot is held by Vasily Podkolzin from the Oilers, while Edmonton's Zach Hyman is in sixth place and former Oiler Evander Kane is at 15th.
Kasperi Kapenen is ranked 26th, Adam Henrique, 31st,Connor McDavid, 39th and Trent Frederic 47th.
Perry — and Pacioretty would essentially fill Perry's position within the Oilers' roster — is ranked 152nd.
If we apply the same hits and points per 60 metrics for the 2024-25 regular season at even strength, Pacioretty also performs strongly, placing 10th among all NHL forwards for the season, just below Washington's Tom Wilson and above Dallas Stars player Jamie Benn.
Is it probable that Pacioretty will sign with them? No. However, last season he earned $873,770. If he were open to a similar amount from the Oilers, the deal would definitely make sense.
There were signs he could come back to the Toronto Maple Leafs for the upcoming season, as he had shown to be a suitable player there. Recently, however, this possibility has become uncertain, with Pacioretty possibly joining the Detroit team, as reported on rumor sites.
It's highly probable that if Pacioretty participates, either Toronto, Detroit, or another eastern team will recruit him.
However, the appeal of assuming Corey Perry's role in Edmonton should not be overlooked. Hopefully, as Pacioretty would be a reasonable choice and a reliable addition for the Oilers.
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