Vancouver Canucks vs Edmonton Oilers: Which Canadian team had better NHL free agency?

The Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers are coming off a successful 2023-24 season, with the Canucks winning the Pacific Division and the Oilers climbing out of the NHL cellar to finish second in the division. Both teams squared off against one another in the second round of the playoffs, with the Oilers beating the Canucks in seven.

Based on last season’s results, it seems that both clubs are headed in the same direction. As such, each franchise has tried to add this offseason to solidify their rosters. However, Edmonton seems to have taken the lead.

To begin with, the Canucks suffered major losses in the departures of deadline acquisitions Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov.

The Vancouver Canucks added top-end scoring with Jake DeBrusk and Denton Heinen. The club also solidified its depth with Derek Forbort and Daniel Sprong and re-signed RFA Dakota Joshua. The club also replaced Zadovov with former Oiler Vincent Desharnais.

Meanwhile, the Oilers did not suffer any major departures. While Warren Foegele left for Los Angeles, the Oilers managed to keep their depth intact by re-signing Mattias Janmark, Adam Henrique and Connor Brown. Plus, Edmonton added scorer Jeff Skinner to complement its top six.

The addition of Viktor Arvidsson should also help the Oilers’ top six, as superstar Leon Draisaitl often found himself playing without comparable wingers. This situation was painfully true during last year’s playoffs.

Overall, both clubs added to their strengths, ensuring they can keep up with the big guns in the Western Conference. However, the question is: Which team had a better NHL free agency?

The Edmonton Oilers had a better NHL free agency than the Vancouver Canucks

Overall, the Edmonton Oilers had a much better NHL free-agency period than the Vancouver Canucks.

First, the Oilers did not lose any key players in free agency. While the Oilers saw Foegele and Ryan McLeod leave via trade, these players were not core team members. Plus, the Oilers replaced them with better-skilled elements such as Arvidsson and Skinner.

Second, the Vancouver Canucks did not adequately replace Lindholm. While adding DeBrusk was a savvy move, DeBrusk is a scoring winger, not a high-end two-way center. Plus, replacing Zadorov with Desharnais is a significant gamble. Desharnais looked out of place at times during last year’s playoffs, prompting the Oilers to healthy scratch him.

Given the additions and subtractions, plus a full year of Kris Knoblauch behind the bench, the Oilers should give the Vancouver Canucks a run for their money in the Pacific Division. The Canucks have Jack Adams Award winner Rick Tocchet behind the bench. So, Vancouver should have another solid season.

While declaring winners and losers during the summer is always risky business, the Oilers seemed to have gotten the upper hand in free agency. It remains to be seen if that advantage can translate into success during the regular season and playoffs.