The Edmonton Oilers have spent the offseason reshaping the edges of their roster, and that means opening night may not look quite as settled as it seemed at first glance.
The core picture is clear enough. Edmonton is trying to put itself back in position to chase the Stanley Cup after a rough finish last season, when it was bounced in the first round by the Anaheim Ducks.
The year before that, and the one before that, the Oilers came up just short in the Stanley Cup Final. They also appear to have kept enough cap space to make a move or two at the 2027 Trade Deadline if they choose, but another pre-camp addition does not sound likely.
Still, the summer brought in enough new faces that a few surprises are possible when the roster is finalized. Here are three players who could end up cracking the Oilers’ opening-night group.
Eduards Tralmaks is one of the more intriguing names. Edmonton signed the 29-year-old forward this summer, and the expectation is that he provides organizational depth. Even so, a strong training camp could push him into the bottom six.
He has not played an NHL game yet, but his production last season in the AHL turned heads. With the Grand Rapids Griffins, Tralmaks put up 26 goals and 16 assists for 42 points in 64 games.
Before that, he spent the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons in Czechia with the Kladno Knights. He also has AHL experience with the Providence Bruins and ECHL time with the Maine Mariners.
What makes him worth watching is the way he plays. He drives the play, works hard every shift, and brings enough offensive touch to make the conversation interesting if he carries that form into camp. If he does, he could force his way into the lineup.
Mathieu Joseph is another depth addition who could end up being more than just insurance. The 29-year-old split last season between the St.
Louis Blues and the Los Angeles Kings, appearing in 51 games and recording two goals and nine assists for 11 points. Over his career, he has played 471 games and produced 61 goals and 99 assists for 160 points.
His style fits the kind of role Edmonton may want early on. Under a new head coach in Mike Babcock, Joseph’s physical, grinder game could be useful right away.
He can swing momentum with a fight or a heavy hit, and that sort of edge is something the Oilers have been missing in recent seasons. If they want a faster, tougher start to the year, Joseph in the bottom six would not be a shock.
He would still need to outplay Josh Samanski and Quinn Hutson, but a strong camp could be enough to earn him the spot while those two head to the AHL to begin the season.
Then there is Atro Leppänen, who would be the most surprising of the three but is not out of the question. He would have to beat out some established depth defenders, yet with a perfect training camp, he could land on the opening-night roster as the seventh defenseman.
Leppänen made noise in the AHL last season with the Bakersfield Condors, finishing with 38 points in 53 games. That kind of production puts him firmly on the radar as a dark horse for the 2026-27 season. He is not someone to dismiss automatically, especially with the battle for the bottom pair and the seventh spot still to be sorted out.
Shakir Mukhamadullin, Spencer Stastney, and Ty Emberson are in the mix for those roles, but if Leppänen proves he is ready for the NHL jump, Edmonton could face a difficult call.
As the 2026-27 season gets closer, the Oilers’ roster battles will be worth watching.
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