The Oilers just signed a key player, and it's already generating buzz

Shakir Mukhamadullin gives Mike Babcock a young new piece on Edmonton's blue line after landing a 2-year deal.

The contract is the first thing that stands out. Edmonton locked Mukhamadullin in for 2 years at $3.5 million total, a deal carrying a $1.75 million cap hit. That is a real bet on a player they just brought in.

That trade matters here too. The Oilers acquired Mukhamadullin and Zack Sharp from San Jose in the Darnell Nurse deal, so this signing is part of a much bigger blue-line reset.

Mukhamadullin is 24, shoots left, and stands 6-foot-4. That profile alone tells you why Edmonton wanted to move quickly once he landed.

He also is not coming off a throwaway season. PuckPedia lists him at 50 games, 5 goals, and 7 assists in 2025-26, which is enough production to show there is still room to grow.

The usage gives the deal more bite. He averaged 15:27 at 5-on-5 and 1:23 on the penalty kill, so he already was getting real NHL work instead of only soft minutes.

" Oilers have signed newly-acquired RFA LD Shakir Mukhamadullin to a 2-year, $3.5M contract ($1.75M AAV) "

-

The Oilers just landed another key defensman in a major offseason move

That is the cleanest read on this move. Mukhamadullin is not arriving as a finished top-4 defender. He is arriving as a big, mobile left-shot option the Oilers think can become more.

And the price fits that idea. At $1.75 million per season, Stan Bowman is not paying for a star. He is paying for development, depth, and a player who still has some lift in his value curve.

That is a smart lane for Edmonton right now. Babcock is new behind the bench, and a younger defender with reach and skating gives the staff another piece to sort without forcing a massive cap commitment.

There is still risk here. Mukhamadullin finished last season with 12 points and a -3 rating, so nobody should sell this like a sure thing.

But this is the kind of contract contenders need to hit on. If he settles into steady second-pair or third-pair work, Edmonton gets a useful defenseman at a number that stays manageable.

And that is why the signing matters. The Oilers did not just acquire Shakir Mukhamadullin as a name in a larger trade. They signed him right away because they see a real fit on their blue line.

This move will not win the summer by itself. It can still become one of the smarter parts of Edmonton's reset if Mukhamadullin turns size, usage, and opportunity into a bigger role under Mike Babcock.

Also read on Markerzone.com:
The Red Wings just confirmed a major Patrick Kane development