The Edmonton Oilers secured significant cap room on July 1 when dealing Darnell Nurse to the San Jose Sharks. In one fell swoop, the team gained the kind of cap freedom it hasn’t had since the beginning of the decade.Oilers general manager Stan Bowman used the room to acquire two goaltenders and two left defencemen, plus a few other pieces. The bottom line: Edmonton has 22 of 23 roster spots filled, has a restricted free agent outstanding (Colton Dach) and almost $6 million in cap room that can be used between now and the trade deadline.Fans continue to be in a state of delirium one week after the July 1 settling of all roster business, but the nature of Bowman’s moves will mean some passing and some failing grades over next season. One of the goalies will win the starter’s role, and someone on defence is going to emerge as the winner in a crowded race for the second-pairing role that is available. There’s also a muddle on the fourth line.After a week of looking at the moves, it is clear this roster is not yet complete. Here’s a look at some possible roster battles and some solutions that could come in training camp or via trade.Second pairing Ryan Shea versus Jake Walman: Last season, with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Shea averaged 4:39 against elites at five-on-five. It was up over one minute from 2024-25, and Shea had a 55 percent goal share and possession numbers that were above average relative to his teammates. In Edmonton, Walman played 5:16 per game against elites, delivering a 45 percent goal share and a possession number (relative to teammates) that was well off the pace (-10.6 percent DFF rel).Based on last season’s depth chart and salary commitment, Walman would seem to be the likely choice, but Shea brings a great deal of effectiveness defensively. The roster battle may come down to which of the two men performs best with right-handed defenceman Connor Murphy.The goaliesDevon Levi versus Tristan Jarry versus Frederik Andersen: Levi has a clear path to winning the NHL starter’s job, but it’s unlikely to arrive this season. Long term, with only two aging veterans with injury issues in his way, Levi is in a terrific position. The organization can bring him along at pace and rest the veterans for the postseason. The odds of Andersen and Jarry staying healthy all year long are not high, so the three-pronged goalie system might be Levi plus the healthy older goaltender this season. If forced into postseason action, Levi has performed well. He owns a .917 save percentage over the last three AHL playoff springs, in a total of 16 games. The roster battle will be solved by performance and health, with Levi receiving an enormous opportunity.Fourth-line wingersMathieu Joseph versus Mattias Janmark: Joseph was signed by Bowman (always an advantage), can play either wing, skates well, is a strong penalty-killing option and at $1 million AAV, he’s an ideal fit. In many ways, he duplicates Janmark, and the organization could run both on the fourth line for penalty-killing purposes. Joseph’s max speed (77th percentile) is an exact match for Janmark, and both are complementary offensive contributors on the depth lines. Joseph would have the edge if there is a roster crunch on the fourth line, and if Bowman acquires a right-handed centre, that could force the issue.