The Toronto Maple Leafs were closing in on a deal with Jeff Skinner, who ultimately chose to sign with Edmonton instead. Adam Henrique was thought to be surely leaving based on the contracts he was offered - he was even recruited by Lightning coach Jon Cooper - but he still thought Edmonton has the best chance to win. The Calgary Flames reportedly offered Arvidsson equal money as the Oilers, but again he chose the Alberta team bound for the playoffs.
There's a reality around the NHL that Canadian teams often struggle to be able to lure free agents into signing because of media, state taxes, and of course, the weather. However, Edmonton's free agency period yesterday proved that all wrong, showing that a Canadian team can succeed when they develop the winning culture the Oilers have. Any NHL player would likely jump to join McDavid's Oilers next year after the playoffs they had.
Adding elite supporting players to their already league-best offence yesterday, the Edmonton Oilers truly look like the favourite already to at least get back to the Stanley Cup Final. The true beginning of President Jeff Jackson's tenure has started with one of the best offseason days in recent franchise memory, and Oilers fans should be excited to see what else the team can cook up this summer.
