Making the cut
Forward Kyle Turris signed a two-year contract with Edmonton on Oct. 9 and should provide more scoring among the bottom-six forwards. However, the combinations on the third and fourth lines will be intriguing, with the Oilers having 17 forwards on one-way contracts. One player who should make his return to the lineup is Jesse Puljujarvi, who hasn't played in the NHL since his entry-level contract expired at the end of the 2018-19 season. Puljujarvi, who signed a two-year contract with Edmonton on Oct. 7, was tied for fourth in Liiga, Finland's top professional league, with 53 points (24 goals, 29 assists) in 56 games last season.
At defenseman, Philip Broberg, who was selected with the No. 8 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, impressed during training camp in July. The 19-year-old could earn a spot in the top six if he can outplay Caleb Jones or Kris Russell.
Most intriguing addition
Barrie was signed on the second day of free agency and should complement McDavid and Draisaitl, who have won three of the past four NHL scoring titles (McDavid in 2016-17 and 2017-18).
The 29-year-old defenseman is a strong skater with an offensive mind, scoring 39 points (five goals, 34 assists) in 70 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. He scored 12 power-play points (one goal, 11 assists) in his only season with Toronto but had a reduced role on the man-advantage (2:40 average ice time per game) compared to his final two seasons with the Colorado Avalanche. In 2018-19, he scored 25 power-play points (two goals, 23 assists) averaging 4:03 of ice time per game, and in 2017-18, he scored 30 power-play points (seven goals, 23 assists) averaging 3:44 of ice time per game. Klefbom's probable absence -- he led Edmonton in power-play ice time per game last season (3:38) -- gives Barrie the opportunity to again have a considerable impact on the man-advantage.