The Edmonton Oilers loaned defenceman Damien Carfagna to the American Hockey League’s Bakersfield Condors and placed goaltender Matt Tomkins on waivers for assignment Sunday, further trimming a training camp roster that still sat above the NHL’s 23-player limit two days before the regular-season opener.
“The Oilers have loaned defenceman Damien Carfagna to the Condors. We have also placed goaltender Matt Tomkins on waivers for the purpose of assignment,” the team said in a statement posted to its official account on the social media platform X. Both moves were first confirmed publicly through that release and reported by Oilersnation and Daily Hive.
The cuts came as Edmonton’s salary-cap situation tightened considerably heading into the season. According to a report from Yahoo News Canada, the Oilers’ projected cap space fell from roughly $5 million to just $228,334 because of a run of injuries to five players who are expected to open the season on injured reserve: goaltender Frederik Andersen ($1 million cap hit), forward Jason Dickinson ($4 million), forward Mattias Janmark ($1.45 million), forward Matt Savoie ($887,000) and defenceman Alec Regula ($850,000). An injured player on a one-way contract still counts against the cap even while sidelined, and NHL rules do not allow a team to waive a player who is hurt, which forced Edmonton to carry extra healthy bodies and compounded the crunch.
Dickinson’s timeline is the most uncertain of the group. Oilersnation reported the veteran forward suffered a setback in his recovery and is considered unlikely to be ready for Tuesday’s home opener against the Vancouver Canucks, though Edmonton has not put a firm return date on any of the five.
With Carfagna and Tomkins moved out, the Oilers are still working through roster math before Tuesday’s deadline. Daily Hive reported the team carries eight defencemen, creating a logjam on the back end, while forwards Josh Samanski and Owen Michaels remain in a battle for one of the final available spots and depth forward Max Jones could also be at risk of being cut loose.
Edmonton opens the 2026-27 season Tuesday at Rogers Place against Vancouver, the first half of a home-and-home set that continues Oct. 1 in Vancouver.
Photo: illustrative NHL-style arena photo, not Rogers Place or Tuesday’s game. Photo by Chad Nathan/Unsplash.
