© Leila Devlin/Getty Images

TORONTO — It’s been 21 days since Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Florida Panthers, and they already have turned the page and are focused on completing their unfinished business next season.

With the offseason acquisitions, the goal of winning the Stanley Cup appears even more attainable.

“I thought the whole management staff has done a great job,” McDavid said Monday at the fifth annual Zach Hyman Celebrity Classic Charitable Golf Tournament at Oakdale Golf and Country Club. “They’ve had a great offseason so far.”

Fueling the moves, which included signing free agent forwards Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson, was the heartbreak of losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final by a score of 2-1 on June 24. And not just the players are motivated.

In accordance with McDavid’s statement, it is important to acknowledge the efforts led by Jeff Jackson, the CEO of Hockey Operations for the Edmonton Oilers, and his team since the disappointing conclusion of the Stanley Cup Playoffs three weeks ago. This is particularly relevant given the departure of former general manager Ken Holland, whose contract expired earlier this month.

On July 1, as free agency commenced, Edmonton made some noteworthy signings. Skinner, previously with the Buffalo Sabres, agreed to a one-year contract worth $3 million. Interestingly, this came just a day after the Sabres decided to terminate the remaining three seasons of his eight-year contract, which was valued at $72 million ($9 million average annual value). Additionally, the Oilers secured Arvidsson, who had been playing for the Los Angeles Kings for the past three seasons. Arvidsson’s deal with Edmonton is a two-year contract worth $8 million ($4 million AAV).

The 32-year-old Skinner (357 NHL goals) and the 31-year-old Arvidsson (179) have combined for 536 career goals and should bring much-needed supplemental scoring to a team that already features forwards McDavid (32), Hyman (54), Leon Draisaitl (41) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (18), who combined for 145 goals last season.

The Oilers also re-signed forwards Adam Henrique (two years, $3 million AAV), Mattias Janmark (three years, $1.45 million AAV), Connor Brown (one year, $1 million) and Corey Perry (one year, $1.4 million), and defenseman Troy Stecher (two years, $787,500 AAV). Edmonton added defenseman Josh Brown on a three-year contract ($1 million AAV).

Then, on July 5, the Oilers acquired highly regarded forward prospect Matthew Savoie, a native of the Edmonton suburb of St. Albert, Alberta, in a trade with the Sabres for forwards Ryan McLeod and Tyler Tullio. The 20-year-old was the No. 9 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.

McDavid expressed, “In the limited time they’ve had, they have accomplished remarkable things. Maintaining team cohesion is crucial in the salary cap era, and Jackson has excelled in finding ways to keep the group intact, for the most part.”

According to Hyman, the recent off-ice events over the past three weeks have demonstrated that the Oilers have become an appealing destination for players, whether it be for joining or remaining with the team.

According to him, Kenny performed exceptionally well throughout the year. However, after Kenny’s departure, Jeff stepped up and successfully brought in new players to improve the team. He also managed to retain some of the previous players. This demonstrates not only Jeff’s capabilities but also the team’s appeal, as players are willing to return and make sacrifices in their contracts for the chance to win. It shows that they recognize the unique experience of playing in Edmonton.

“It has transformed into a sought-after location for playing, which is truly incredible to witness.”

According to Hyman, facing the Kings in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for three years in a row has allowed him to get to know Arvidsson well. Hyman described Arvidsson as a challenging opponent, known for scoring gritty goals, and believes that he will greatly enhance the Oilers’ offensive and defensive strategies.

Skinner and Hyman were childhood teammates in Toronto, playing minor hockey together when they were around 8 years old. Hyman made it clear that he didn’t have to convince Skinner to join Edmonton; the ex-Sabres player decided to make the move without any influence from Hyman.

“It’s been ages since we last played together,” Hyman reminisced. “However, even from a distance, I’ve noticed his incredible talent and goal-scoring abilities.”

I can’t wait to witness how well our group blends with the two of them.

After re-signing all three players, Connor Brown-Henrique-Janmark will now be warmly welcomed back into the team.

Brown suffered a torn ACL on October 22, 2022, while playing for the Washington Capitals. As a result, he was unable to participate in the rest of the season. During the previous offseason, Brown joined the Oilers on a one-year contract worth $4 million. It took him a significant portion of the season to regain his peak performance level. However, he began to demonstrate his abilities during the Final game against the Panthers, where he scored one goal, provided one assist, and maintained an average ice time of 13 minutes and 14 seconds per game. Among the Oilers forwards, this ranked as the seventh highest.

He expressed, “I believe my role began to broaden in the Final, and it has given me great momentum to continue building on that. I am genuinely enjoying myself on the field once more, and in line with your observation, I am even more thrilled to start again.”

McDavid and Hyman have also commenced their offseason workouts.

“We’ve both been back, Zach and I, getting the bodies moving again and preparing for another year,” McDavid shared, with a chuckle as he mentioned, “he was there before me.”

“There isn’t a lot else to occupy oneself with. It’s simply pleasant to have a regular routine.”

The event, which has generated over $2 million since 2018, will distribute its proceeds to support Stollery Children’s Hospital, UJA Federations of Toronto and Alberta, SickKids Hospital, and Colby’s Kidz.