The Edmonton Oilers have already done plenty of work this offseason, but the roster picture for 2026-27 is still taking shape.
With the new coaching staff settling in, the summer will be spent learning the group, digging through video, and mapping out how the team wants to attack next season. The front office still has a couple of loose ends to tie up, too, including a new contract for restricted free agent Colton Dach and a decision on how to use the $5.925 million in cap space, according to PuckPedia.
Even so, the outline is becoming clearer.
Up front, there’s a core of 10 forwards who look like near-certainties to be in the mix on opening day: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Matt Savoie, Kasperi Kapanen, Vasily Podkolzin, Jason Dickinson, Trent Frederic, and Josh Samanski.
That last name comes with a caveat. Samanski is being treated like part of the group, but he still has to earn it in camp. Even so, the Oilers haven’t added anyone specifically to challenge him for the fourth-line center job.
The more crowded battle is on the wings. Colton Dach, Isaac Howard, Mathieu Joseph, Max Jones, Connor Clattenburg, Mattias Janmark, and Quinn Hutson are the seven forwards fighting for a third-line wing spot, two fourth-line wing spots, and the extra forward role. In that order, those are the players the source sees as the favorites.
Dach made a strong impression in a limited role after arriving and still needs a new deal, and the expectation here is that he stays on the roster. Howard is close to being ready for the NHL jump.
Joseph’s signing could pay off in a quieter way as a penalty-kill and defensive option. Jones has already shown he can handle NHL minutes with success.
Clattenburg is fun to watch, but the better move may be giving him more ice time with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors instead of sheltering him in Edmonton. Janmark’s run with the team appears to be nearing its end, and Hutson may simply not be ready yet.
The blue line is easier to read at the top. Evan Bouchard, Mattias Ekholm, Jake Walman, Connor Murphy, and Ryan Shea are set to handle most of the work. After that, the battle gets messy.
Ty Emberson, Spencer Stastney, and Shakir Mukhamadullin are all waiver-eligible and are competing for the sixth defense spot and the extra blueliner role. Emberson’s progress last season, plus the fact that he shoots right, helps his case.
Mukhamadullin, though, may have the edge to stick after coming back as the key piece in the Darnell Nurse trade. Stastney, acquired last December for a third-round pick, looks like the odd man out, leaving Edmonton with a choice: move him, or risk losing him on waivers.
In goal, the Oilers are keeping Tristan Jarry, Frederik Andersen, and Devon Levi on the roster. That gives them real competition in net, which is exactly what the team needs, but it also squeezes the rest of the roster. With three goalies kept, Edmonton can carry only two extra skaters, which points to one extra forward and one extra defenseman.
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PuckPedias projection has only added to the intrigue, with Edmonton potentially able to work with roughly $27 million by deadline day if the numbers continue to line up. Even then, the Oilers still have to navigate the usual trade-deadline balancing act, including finding the right assets to make a major deal happen and keeping an eye on the postseason cap rules. Still, for fans who have been waiting for the front office to have this kind of opening, the next few weeks suddenly look much more interesting. [Read more 🡒]
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Now the real test begins. With Darnell Nurse gone, Shea is expected to step into a second-pairing role and handle tougher minutes than he has seen before, with his work on the penalty kill and at five-on-five likely to determine whether this move looks shrewd or risky. Edmonton is betting that his breakout was a sign of what is still ahead, not just a one-year spike, and that is a wager worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Face One Huge Decision With Their Cap Space Suddenly Open
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The appeal is clear enough: a proven goal scorer who also brings responsible two-way play and could fit into a higher-end forward group without needing the puck on every shift. The harder part is deciding how much that kind of addition should cost, because the Oilers can make the numbers work, but the bigger question is whether the price matches the impact they would be buying. [Read more 🡒]