Examining Potential Offer Sheet Targets

Last summer, a rare occurrence happened in the NHL when the St. Louis Blues sent two offer sheets to the Edmonton Oilers and were eventually successful in acquiring forward Dylan Holloway and defenseman Philip Broberg. It was unprecedented as teams rarely utilize the offer sheet option, but they could this summer as plenty of impact players will be restricted free agents. Some big names could be in play, but teams may be unwilling to part with a first-round pick when phenom Gavin McKenna is the prized prospect of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. Who will be targeted is anyone’s guess, so our compilation will focus on the most probable candidates to receive an offer sheet, rather than the most impactful. Let’s take a look at who the options are.

Noah Dobson would be at the top of most teams’ lists. However, the Islanders will likely be willing to pay close to $9MM to retain Dobson’s services and shouldn’t have any problem doing so, as they have nearly $29MM in available cap space for next season (as per PuckPedia). While Dobson’s extension should get settled quickly, Edmonton’s Evan Bouchard is one defenseman whose contract situation could become problematic. The Oilers know they will likely need to get to eight figures to retain Bouchard. However, you’d never guess that by the predicament they are in when it comes to the summer. The Oilers are projected to have just $13.5MM in cap space, with 18 players signed for next season. If Bouchard were to sign for $10MM, it would leave Edmonton with just $3.5MM to sign four players, meaning it could pay just the league minimum to fill out its depth.

Most teams would love to sign Bouchard, but how many teams with the cap space and draft pick assets are in a position where they can safely assume that their 2026 first-round pick won’t be a lottery pick? There aren’t many, which will be a significant consideration for any team considering using an offer sheet. A Bouchard offer sheet would need to come in north of $10MM, meaning the team trying to pry him loose would have to be willing to give up their 2026 and 2027 first-round picks and their 2026 second and third-rounders. Only nine teams currently have that capability, which is likely why the Oilers don’t appear overly concerned.

Dropping down a tier is Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies, who makes for an interesting scenario, given that he won’t be the team’s biggest priority this summer when it comes to contract negotiations. Toronto…