NHL Rumors: 3 Edmonton Oilers Not Expected Back Next Season

The Edmonton Oilers were swept by the Colorado Avalanche, thanks to a dominant performance from the Avs and some shaky goaltending from the Oilers. General manager Ken Holland decided against trading young assets for an elite netminder and frankly it was the wrong decision. Now the team heads into another offseason of disappointment as getting bounced in four will leave a sour taste in Connor McDavid's mouth. Holland has his work cut out for him and first off it starts with his internal pending free agents. Here's three Oilers who aren't expected back next season:

Evander Kane

While it worked out at times as Evander Kane was a scoring machine, the partnership between him and McDavid never seemed to be fully there. Kane's antics pissed McDavid off at times and when his team needed him the most in an elimination game in the conference finals, Kane was in a suit ineligible for the game. There's going to be a ton of interest on the free-agent market as the controversial winger brings a unique skill set with power, aggression, speed and skill. Expect to see Holland let Kane walk as someone is going to overpay this summer.

Mikko Koskinen

Don't expect to see Mikko Koskinen back in the mix for the Oilers next season as it's expected he lands a deal in Europe. The 33-year-old netminder was never 'the guy' in Edmonton but he had some good stretches that made you wonder if there was actually something there or if their old general manager was on something when he signed him. Koskinen appeared in 45 games in 2021-22, recording a 3.10 GAA and a .903 Sv.%. Look for Holland to land a legitimate starting goalie this summer or else he may be looking for another job. 

connor mcdavid waking up tomorrow and realizing mike smith is still his goalie pic.twitter.com/8okQvwdpIX

— Ava (@avatarrant) June 1, 2022

Derick Brassard

One of the only moves Holland made this season was trading a 4th round pick for veteran forward Derick Brassard and frankly it didn't work out as planned. He only appeared in one Stanley Cup Playoff game after seeing 15 games of regular season action with the Oil, recording three points. Don't expect to see Brassard re-sign in Edmonton and look for Holland and company to try and find some younger players in the organization on entry-level deals who can fill in some depth roles for next season.

Photo credit:  Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports