Oilers sign Mathieu Joseph to one-year contract

The Edmonton Oilers have been quite active on the first day of the new league year, and general manager Stan Bowman made another move Wednesday evening with an eye toward addressing the team’s forward depth.

According to a report from Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman, the Oilers have signed veteran forward Mathieu Joseph to a one-year contract with a $1 million price tag.

Joseph broke into the NHL in 2018-19 with the Tampa Bay Lightning, putting together an impressive rookie season with 26 points in 70 games played.

He also had stints in Ottawa and St. Louis, where he started this season before moving on to the Los Angeles Kings, where he was held without a point in 12 regular season appearances. In 51 games this season between St. Louis and Los Angeles, Joseph racked up 11 points in 51 contests.

The Joseph signing was far from the only move that Bowman was able to pull off on Wednesday. After longtime Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse requested a trade last month, Edmonton dealt him to the San Jose Sharks while not retaining any of his contract in exchange for defensemen Shakir Mukhamadullin and Zack Sharp.

The Oilers also signed winger Kasperi Kapanen to a contract extension, ensuring that a speedy forward who provides quality penalty killing ability will remain in the fold for a team in transition.

A trade with the Buffalo Sabres also yielded help between the crease in the form of Devin Levi, a young goalie with some pedigree and a track record of success in the AHL, acquired in exchange for a third-round draft pick.

Edmonton is looking to return to Stanley Cup contender status, as they followed up their Final defeats in 2024 and 2025 with a lackluster 2025-26 campaign that came to a disastrous end in a first-round exit at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks.