The Edmonton Oilers have their jersey numbers sorted for the 2026-27 season, and the team made the reveal Tuesday morning by posting the backs of five new sweaters on social media.
Shakir Mukhamadullin will keep the No. 85 he wore with the San Jose Sharks. It’s a rare number in Oilers history, with only four players having worn it before. Petr Klima is the best-known name to have done so, across parts of five seasons, while Liam Reddox, Martin Marincin, and Cam Dineen also took it on.
Ryan Shea is moving into No. 6 after wearing No. 5 in Pittsburgh. That option was off the table in Edmonton because Connor Murphy already has it.
No. 6 has a deeper history with the Oilers, with 21 different players wearing it since 1980, including Jeff Beukeboom, Ryan Whitney, and Adam Larsson. Ben Gleason was the most recent to use it, back in 2024.
Frederik Andersen will go with No. 30 in 2026-27. He has worn No. 31 for most of his NHL career in Anaheim, Toronto, and Carolina, but that number is retired for Grant Fuhr in Edmonton.
Andersen is returning to the number he grew up with in Denmark and also used through the AHL with the Norfolk Admirals. Calvin Pickard had No. 30 for the last three seasons, though Bill Ranford stands out as the most notable Oilers player to wear it.
Devon Levi will take No. 27 in the crease, continuing with the same number he has used throughout his career. It’s not a common goaltending choice, though Ron Hextall and Gilles Meloche are among the netminders who have worn it.
On the Edmonton side, Dave Semenko, Georges Laraque, Milan Lucic, and Brett Kulak are among the better-known players to have worn No. 27.
Mathieu Joseph will wear No. 21, a number he has used at different points in both junior and pro hockey, including 7, 17, 21, and 71. He last wore No. 21 with the Ottawa Senators from 2022-2024. Trent Frederic was the previous Oilers player to have it before changing to No. 10 ahead of the 2025-26 season.
For now, those appear to be the only number changes on the board.
In Other News...
McDavid Trade Noise Is Back But Oilers Fans Know The Real Issue
Connor McDavid trade chatter has a way of resurfacing whenever the Oilers hit any patch of uncertainty, and this latest round came courtesy of NHL Network analyst E.J. Hradek. He floated the Flyers, Red Wings and Rangers as possible landing spots if McDavid ever left Edmonton, a list that says as much about the appetite for speculation as it does about the actual hockey realities around those teams.
For Oilers fans, the more pressing question is not which jersey McDavid might wear someday, but why the conversation keeps jumping to destinations that are not currently positioned as true contenders. There have been no substantial reports indicating he wants out of Edmonton, no confirmation of a trade path, and no real evidence to suggest this is anything more than another round of summer noise with very little backing behind it. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Babcock Could Put Several Oilers Roles Under Immediate Pressure
Mike Babcocks arrival in Edmonton figures to bring a different kind of daily pressure, one built on accountability and an insistence that every role be earned, not assumed. Leon Draisaitl, Trent Frederic, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jake Walman and Evan Bouchard are all the sort of established names who will have to get used to that standard quickly, while younger players such as Colton Dach, Matt Savoie, Isaac Howard and Josh Samanski are already in the kind of spot where nothing will be handed to them.
Babcock has never been shy about correcting players no matter where they sit on the depth chart, and that alone makes this a consequential camp story for the Oilers. It is one thing for prospects to fight for a place, but it is another when veterans have to wonder whether their usual lineup spots are as secure as they once were, especially if the coach sees a better fit elsewhere and decides to use it. [Read more 🡒]
Why Mike Babcock's Oilers Setup Could Decide Team Stability
Edmontons early look at Mike Babcocks setup has as much to do with the people around him as the man himself. The Oilers are betting that the coaching structure can keep the room steady while still getting the edge Babcock is known for, with associate coach D.J. Smith playing a central part in that mix.
For Edmonton, the interest is not just whether Babcock can get results, but whether the entire bench arrangement can hold together over time. There is always a balance to strike with a coach whose style can demand plenty from players, and the Oilers are trying to make sure that push does not tip into something harder to manage. [Read more 🡒]