Jason Dickinson $20 million contract update impacts Oilers

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Jason Dickinson is the kind of player who can fit in nicely on a winning team by filling his own role.

He's never going to be a big scorer, but in a bottom-six spot, the veteran center can flourish.

That's why the Edmonton Oilers traded for Dickinson before this past season's trade deadline from the Chicago Blackhawks. They knew he could be useful.

Dickinson was available in part because he was in the final year of his contract. That means that he's now a free agent.

"A defense-first center who specializes in smothering opponents, Dickinson is ideally suited for a bottom-six and penalty-kill role on a strong team," The Athletic's Chris Johnston wrote in his newest ranking of NHL free agents. "He was a good fit in Edmonton after coming over from the Chicago Blackhawks at the trade deadline until an ankle injury slowed him down for the playoffs."

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The main question now is not whether Dickinson is useful, but whether the Oilers will bring him back.

Johnston projects in his new free agent rankings that Dickinson will get a four-year contract for about $5 million per season, bringing it to a total value of $20 million.

The Oilers are not a team awash in cap space, although they have some methods to potentially create some. If they can pull off a Darnell Nurse trade, for example, that could create more space to fit someone like Dickinson on the books.

At 30 years old, there's a chance Dickinson won't be viewed by every team as a guy worthy of a four-year deal, but that could be the type of offer that wins whatever bidding war may ensue for this free agent.

Maybe it won't be with Edmonton, but Dickinson will likely end up somewhere that has plans on winning a lot of games in 2026-27.

More NHL news:​

• Jack Eichel turned into Ben Simmons
• Frederik Andersen heading toward an unceremonious exit
• Cale Makar is about to become a lot more expensive
• Sabres have reached the Alex Tuch pivot point
• Sidney Crosby trade plans did a 180 for the Penguins

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