The Edmonton Oilers keep saying the same thing: they’re prepared to do whatever it takes to win the Stanley Cup. That means harder work, quicker feet and a sharper eye for the small stuff than whoever’s on the other side of the ice. It also means a general manager who has already overhauled a shaky blue line and added several possible answers in goal.
And yet the league still isn’t buying all the way in.
Even with Connor McDavid, the NHL’s best player, and Leon Draisaitl not far behind him, the Oilers landed ninth in the preseason power rankings. That’s the message in plain sight: prove it.
For most of McDavid’s run in Edmonton, the reasons for the team’s postseason frustration could be spread around. Bad roster decisions, bad breaks at the worst moments, injuries that hit at the wrong time.
Those explanations may still come into play this season, but the reality is harder now. At this point in McDavid’s Oilers tenure, he and the rest of the core either find a way to make those issues irrelevant or accept that this group won’t win a Cup.
That core has been carrying the burden for a while. McDavid has been praised by everyone from Wayne Gretzky to Sidney Crosby for what he can do on the ice.
Before he ever played a game in the league, the question around him was never whether he’d win a Stanley Cup, only how many he’d collect. He came close in 2023-24, but the trophy still isn’t his.
Neither is it for Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Evan Bouchard and nearly everyone else on the roster.
There are a couple of exceptions. The injured Frederik Anderson already has a Cup ring, and depth forward Mathieu Joseph owns two from his time with the Tampa Bay Lightning. But for the group that matters most, the memory is of coming up short.
The trade deadline could change some of that, but the larger point doesn’t shift. This is on the Oilers’ core to push past doubt and bad luck. They have to keep driving the offense, clean up the team defense, set the standard, and stop letting circumstance decide their fate.
If that ninth-place ranking feels like a slight, it may also serve as fuel. The Oilers might be better off if people keep looking past them. Underestimated teams can be dangerous, and that edge could be exactly what finally gets them over the top.
In Other News...
Oilers Roster Crunch Could Force Tough Waiver Calls Before Opening Night
The Oilers preseason roster picture has turned into a numbers game, and not a simple one. Edmonton is carrying 29 players, six over the NHL limit, with opening night set for Sept. 29, 2026, and the front office now has to trim carefully as camp decisions start to sharpen into something permanent.
Puckpedias waiver watch has already sketched out the most vulnerable names, and the list stretches beyond the obvious fringe cases. A deeper challenge may come on defense, where the teams depth has created a crowded path for several players trying to stick, leaving a handful of bubble candidates waiting to see how aggressively Edmonton moves to get compliant before the season begins. [Read more 🡒]
Darnell Nurse Just Reframed How His Oilers Exit Really Ended
Darnell Nurses first turn in front of San Jose media offered a clearer picture of how he is handling his move out of Edmonton. After being traded from the Oilers to the Sharks, the veteran defenseman framed the change as exactly that, a change, saying his years in Edmonton mattered but had run their course and that he was ready for what comes next.
Nurse also pushed back on any suggestion that the trade meant something deeper about where he stands in the game. He said he has always loved hockey and views this as a fresh start, with optimism about the role waiting for him in San Jose as he begins the next chapter of his career. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Veterans Get First Chance To Set The Tone In Roster Battle
The first preseason look for Edmonton comes with a different kind of pressure than most exhibition games. Ahead of a meeting with the Winnipeg Jets, the Oilers are dressing a lineup that mixes established NHL talent with players trying to make their case, and coach Mike Babcock has made it clear the standard starts with puck care and detailed play. With the Jets expected to roll out a younger group and limited NHL experience, this is less about the scoreboard than about how Edmontons veterans and hopefuls handle a game that can still shape early decisions.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are part of the top-line setup, giving the Oilers a chance to lean on familiar stars while the roster battle plays out around them. For the players on the bubble, every shift carries extra weight in a setting where the coaching staff is looking for structure, pace and attention to detail, and where one strong impression can matter as much as any result in the standings later on. [Read more 🡒]