Edmonton Oilers free agency roundup

Los Angeles Kings' Milan Lucic skates during an NHL hockey game in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson, File)

Edmonton Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli capped off an active week with three new signings in the first day of free agency on July 1.

After trading left winger Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils for defenceman Adam Larsson Wednesday, the Oilers signed left winger Milan Lucic, goaltender Jonas Gustavsson, and defenceman Mark Fraser.

Lucic was considered to be one of the top free agents in the open market, and the Oilers inked him to a seven year, $42 million contract. The Vancouver native had offers from other teams, including the Montreal Canadiens, but ultimately decided on Edmonton primarily because of his loyalty to Chiarelli and the opportunity to play with Connor McDavid.

“I’ve been with [Chiarelli] for eight years in Boston and saw what he was able to do there with the team that we had and turned us into champions,” Lucic said. “I chose Edmonton because of the fans, the history and to get to play with one of the best players in this generation … I truly believe that in a couple of years we’re going to be contending for a Stanley Cup because we have a player like that.”

The former Boston Bruins and Los Angeles Kings player also cited the new Rogers Place arena as one of the reasons why he picked the Oilers after he toured it last Tuesday during his free agency visit.

“I think not only it’s the best arena in hockey, I think it’s the best arena in the world for sports,” Lucic said.

Lucic posted 55 points in 81 games with the Kings last season, and his playoff experience – his teams have made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in eight of his nine seasons in the NHL –  will be necessary for the Oilers to make it to the post season for the first time in 10 years.

“He’s a terrific, impactful player,” Chiarelli said. “He’s going to change a lot of things here just by the way he plays – the way he leads.”

The Oilers added Gustavsson on a one-year contract worth $800 thousand to serve as Cam Talbot’s backup. The Swedish netminder played in 24 games with Boston last season and posted a 11-9-1 record, a 2.72 goals against average and a .908 save percentage.

To cap off the day, Chiarelli signed a familiar face in Fraser, who played 23 games for the Oilers in the 2013-14 season.

The 29-year-old defenceman posted seven points with the Binghamton Senators of the American Hockey League last season.

When asked if he was done making moves, Chiarelli said, “I’m really happy with what we’ve done in the last few days. I’m going to let the dust settle a little bit before we go looking again.”