The Edmonton Oilers don’t just need stars. They need guys - the kind who do the heavy lifting, make the right plays and give the lineup some backbone. At the start of this season, there are already a few clear-cut names in that category, and a handful more who could join them if things break right.
Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard sit at the top of the list without much argument. After that, the picture gets more interesting.
Zach Hyman belongs right there near the front. The top-line left winger does a little bit of everything: scores, drives the net, throws hits and plays like every shift matters.
He also brings an edge that seems to pull the rest of the group with him. Hyman played only 58 games last year, but he still scored 31 goals, and a full season next to McDavid should give him a chance to push that number higher.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is another established piece in Oil Country. He has spent his entire career in an Oilers sweater, and he remains one of the club’s most dependable all-around players. He can line up at wing or centre, which gives the team real flexibility, and he finished with 56 points in 72 games in 2025-26.
Vasily Podkolzin has also earned his way into that conversation. He may not have been in Edmonton for long, but he has already made a strong impression with the way he scores, hits, fights and keeps possessions alive.
Teammates want to play with him, and last season he posted a career-best 19 goals and 37 points. He also piled up 63 penalty minutes, the most among Oilers forwards.
After a strong summer of training, he looks set to stay on Draisaitl’s line.
On the back end, Mattias Ekholm continues to matter in all the ways that don’t always jump off the page. He defends, brings size and adds more offence than many people give him credit for.
His impact has been obvious since Edmonton acquired him, and it’s no accident that Bouchard’s rise to elite status came after the two were paired together. Ekholm finished with 35 assists last year.
Then there are the newer additions who already look like they fit the definition. Jason Dickinson has quickly become that trusted third-line centre the Oilers have needed for years.
He’s a checking player first, and that’s exactly why he matters. Connor Murphy has also stepped in as a tough, stay-at-home defenceman who can make life miserable for opponents and protect teammates.
In a puck-moving blue line, his size and bite bring something different.
The bigger question is who can grow into that role this season.
Trent Frederic is one of the more intriguing possibilities. The rugged forward came over from the Bruins with a bad ankle and never really found his footing, finishing with four goals and three assists in 74 games.
Still, there’s a chance for a reset, and his aggressive style could fit neatly into the team’s new identity. If he finds his game, he could become one of Babcock’s most valuable guys.
Frederik Andersen is in that same category, only with much higher stakes. The 36-year-old just won a Stanley Cup, has experience with Mike Babcock from Toronto and would be a major piece if Edmonton is going back to the final.
His regular-season numbers last year were a 3.05 GAA and a .874 save percentage in 35 games, but he was far better during the Cup run, going 13-2 with a 1.89 GAA and .910 save percentage. That gives him a real chance to become a guy for this team in a hurry.
Matthew Savoie also looks ready for a bigger jump. He had a breakout season, finding a home on Draisaitl’s line and putting up 18 goals and 19 assists.
He did it without power-play time on the top unit, which leaves plenty of room for more. He also showed a gritty side and isn’t afraid to stand his ground against bigger players.
Savoie, along with Andersen, will miss training camp and some of October, so they’ll start a little behind.
Jake Walman is another player with something to prove. His year was up and down, and questions have already started about whether Edmonton moved too fast on the long-term deal.
But he still has the skating and the shot that made him appealing in the first place. In 53 injury-shortened games, the Toronto native had 20 points.
If he stays healthy and gets more engaged, he can still help.
Kaspari Kapanen has the tools to be more than he has shown so far. When he’s healthy, he brings speed, a hard forecheck, size and enough scoring touch to sniff the top six again. He had 17 points in 41 games in 2025-26, and his best seasons came under Babcock, which makes the coaching change feel timely for the Finn.
Ryan Shea is another name worth watching. The 29-year-old defender made real progress with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season and brings skating, offence, size and penalty-killing ability. He scored six goals and added 29 assists in 80 games, and if that carries over, he could become part of a deeper, more dynamic defence.
The more of these guys Edmonton can stack into the lineup, the better its chances of getting another Cup parade.
In Other News...
Oilers Suddenly Have A Penalty Kill Problem To Solve
Training camp was already going to bring a few lineup battles for the Oilers, but the penalty kill now looks like one of the quieter issues turning into a real preseason task. Matthew Savoie and Mattias Janmark are both set to miss camp, and both were expected to factor into that part of the game, leaving Edmonton to sort out how it wants to handle one of the more specialized jobs on the roster.
The timing matters because the Oilers do have some salary-cap room, which gives them a little flexibility if they decide they need outside help. A free agent with penalty-killing experience could be on the table, and with camp approaching, Edmonton may not want to wait long to see whether its internal options can cover the gap. [Read more 🡒]
What A Real Connor McDavid Trade Would Have To Look Like
Any talk of Connor McDavid ever being available is bound to be more thought experiment than transaction, and that is exactly where this latest exercise lives. The piece takes on the impossible task of imagining what a real trade would have to look like if the Oilers ever found themselves forced to listen, with McDavid's contract status and singular value making the baseline return enormous before the conversation even gets specific.
From an Edmonton standpoint, the intrigue is less about whether a deal is coming and more about how many premium assets it would take to even make one plausible. The Flyers are one of the teams floated as a possible landing spot in the discussion, which gives the scenario a little extra bite, but the larger point is the same: for a player of McDavid's caliber, any package would have to be staggering enough to reshape an organization on both sides. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers May Need To Move Fast On A Growing Camp Concern
The PTO market is already moving around the league, and that matters in Edmonton because the Oilers have reason to keep an eye on it before camp gets too deep. Goaltender Cal Petersen is with the Capitals, forward Alex Nylander has joined the Flames and Chris Driedger is headed to the Canucks, three veteran names who give teams some extra depth while they sort out their opening-month plans.
For the Oilers, the timing is the part worth watching. Injuries have already created a sense that they may need help sooner rather than later, and the team could be pushed toward a professional tryout of its own if the current situation lingers. With other clubs making those low-risk additions now, Edmonton may not want to wait long before deciding whether it needs another camp body or two of its own. [Read more 🡒]