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5 worst contracts signed in Edmonton Oilers history feat. Chris Pronger’s $31.25 million deal
The Edmonton Oilers have had their fair share of home runs. In the 1980s, the Oilers built a stable of Hall of Famers, but the club has also had its share of misses. These misses include some poor contracts that simply didn't work out for the Edmonton Oilers.
So, here’s a look at the five worst contracts in Edmonton Oilers history
Five worst contracts signed in Edmonton Oilers history
#5 Darnell Nurse
In 2021, the Edmonton Oilers signed Nurse to an eight-year, $74 million contract. At the time, it was believed that Nurse was the Oilers’ number-one blueliner for years to come, but the deal hasn’t aged very well.
While Nurse registered a career-high 43 points in 2022-23, his production hasn't climbed beyond his career averages. Moreover, his defensive play has slipped considerably. Three years into the deal, the $9.5 million cap hit is seen as an albatross for a player who’s playing like a bottom-pairing defenseman at best.
The deal would rank higher on this list. But with a few seasons left on the deal, there’s still a chance that Nurse could turn things around.
#4 Joffrey Lupul
Lupul was coming off a 53-point season with the Anaheim Ducks in the 2005-06 season. He was seen as a rising star. So, the Edmonton Oilers signed Lupul to a three-year, $6.935 million deal in 2006. While the $2.3 million cap hit wasn’t astronomical, it was high for the time.
The Oilers were betting that Lupul could become a piece that could propel them to the Stanley Cup after coming short the previous season.
In his only season in Edmonton, though, Lupul scored 28 points in 81 games and was gone the next season. He had a couple of relatively solid seasons in Philadelphia before unceremoniously ending his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
#3 Milan Lucic
Lucic was the power forward most teams dreamed of. Following a solid 55-point season with the Los Angeles Kings in 2015-16, the Edmonton Oilers banked on Lucic playing with Connor McDavid to become a fearsome force.
The Oilers signed Lucic to a seven-year, $42 million contract in 2016. It was one of the biggest deals signed to that point.
In his first season, he scored 23 goals in 82 games, but his production plummeted after that. Following on and off-ice controversy, the Oilers shipped Lucic off to the Calgary Flames, where his production further declined. Lucic is now out of hockey due to legal issues.
#2 Taylor Hall
The Edmonton Oilers drafted Hall first overall in 2010. He quickly made the team that year and scored 42 points in 65 games. After two more solid seasons, the Oilers signed him to a seven-year, $42 million extension in 2013.
In 2013-14, Hall broke out, scoring 27 goals and 80 points in 75 games, but it was aall downhill after that. He never regained his form in Edmonton, missing time with injuries throughout the next season. While he produced 65 points in 82 games in 2015-16, Hall had become extremely unpopular in Edmonton.
The Oilers shipped Hall off to the New Jersey Devils in a one-for-one swap that landed Adam Larsson in Oil City. All would go on to win the Hart Trophy following a 93-point season in New Jersey, but Hall has been unable to regain that form since then.
#1 Chris Pronger
Hall of Famer Chris Pronger joined the Edmonton Oilers in 2005 in a massive three-for-one deal. The Oilers promptly signed him to a five-year $31.25 million deal, one of the biggest contracts in league history at the time.
Pronger lived up to his billing in his lone season in Edmonton, scoring 56 points in 80 games. He would lead the Oilers to Game 7 of the Cup Final, where the team lost to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Following the season, Pronger demanded a trade. The Oilers had no choice but to trade Pronger to the Anaheim Ducks for two first-round draft picks and several players, including Joffrey Lupul.
This contract goes down as the worst in Oilers history, given how little it paid off for the Oilers, despite the trip to the Cup Final, leaving the team with little to show following the trade with Anaheim.
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