Oilers Lock Up Trade-Deadline Pickup Colton Dach for Two Years at $1.2M AAV

The Edmonton Oilers have made it official: Colton Dach isn’t going anywhere. The 23-year-old forward, who arrived at the trade deadline from Chicago, signed a two-year extension carrying a $1.2 million cap hit.

It’s a low-cost bet on a big body. Dach stands 6-foot-4, weighs 218 pounds, and throws hits like they’re going out of style. In 61 games between the Blackhawks and Oilers last season, he racked up 219 hits — top 15 in the entire NHL despite playing fewer games than anyone else in that group.

What Dach Brings to the Oilers

He’s not going to light up the scoresheet. Five goals and eight assists in 61 games doesn’t jump off the page. But after Edmonton acquired him alongside Jason Dickinson in exchange for Andrew Mangiapane, a 2027 first-round pick, and a 2028 second-round pick, they knew what they were getting: a physically punishing forward who can grind down opponents.

Dach showed flashes after the March 6 trade. Four points in his first eight games as an Oiler, including two goals. That pace didn’t hold, but the physicality never let up. In Edmonton’s playoff loss to Anaheim — shorter than anyone in the organization expected — he averaged 8:27 per game, picked up an assist, threw 23 hits, and blocked three shots.

The St. Albert, Alberta native was originally drafted by Chicago in the second round, 62nd overall, in 2021. Now he’s coming back to his home province on a deal that gives the Oilers cost certainty and a headache for opposing defensemen.

Why This Makes Sense for Edmonton

The Oilers have had a busy offseason. They said goodbye to a bunch of guys from last year’s roster. But they clearly see a role for Dach on the bottom six — a guy who can play that heavy, forechecking style that tends to wear teams down over a series.

At $1.2 million, there’s almost no risk. If he develops more offensively — he’s still only 23 — the contract becomes a steal. If he doesn’t, he’s still a useful fourth-line piece who hits everything that moves. Either way, the Oilers get a local kid who plays hard.

The term is short. The money is low. The physicality is proven. Sometimes the simple moves are the smartest ones.