The Edmonton Oilers are heading into a very different preseason setup, and that could change the way the team fills out camp.
Under the new National Hockey League schedule in the collective bargaining agreement that begins this September, teams will play 84 regular-season games and only four preseason contests. That tighter runway matters. It leaves Mike Babcock with less time to sort through the roster, and it also affects who gets a look in camp.
That includes veterans, not just younger players trying to break through. General manager Stan Bowman has said the Oilers are unlikely to invite players to camp on Professional Tryout Agreements, or PTOs. If that becomes a league-wide habit, it could close one of the more familiar doors for players hoping to earn a contract with a strong showing before the season starts.
The move would be a break from a past practice that has worked out for Edmonton more than once.
PTOs often go nowhere, and with only four preseason games, using one of those spots on a player who is not part of the long-term plan carries even more risk. Still, the Oilers have had some real success stories when they’ve taken the gamble.
Alex Chiasson is one of them. Signed to a PTO in the 2017-18 preseason, he not only made the team but turned in a career year with 22 goals, playing 73 games and logging just shy of seventeen minutes a night. That performance earned him a two-year deal with Edmonton.
Sam Gagner is another example. The former Oilers first-round pick returned for a third stint with the club on a PTO in 2023, and he ended up sticking with the big team.
He played 28 games that season, scoring five goals and finishing with ten points. Over a full 82-game pace, that would have worked out to 15 goals and around 30 points.
For Oilers fans, it also gave them a chance to cheer for a well-liked veteran on a much stronger roster than the ones he played on early in his career.
In Other News...
Dylan Larkin Just Got Pulled Into Trade Chatter Red Wings Fans Hate
The offseason rumor mill keeps circling familiar names, and for Edmonton the appeal is obvious: if the Oilers are going to chase another major piece, it has to be someone who can move the needle without wrecking the rest of the roster. The latest round of speculation has included Quinn Hughes, Connor Hellebuyck, Dylan Larkin, Kirill Marchenko and Chris Kreider, with each player presenting a different mix of upside, cost and team control that makes any fit far from simple.
For the Oilers, the conversation comes back to the same hard realities every time. Edmonton can explore options, and some targets make more sense than others, but the cap math and the asking prices leave very little room for mistakes. Even when a player looks like a clean on-ice fit, the bigger question is whether the Oilers can actually get him without paying a price that changes the rest of their summer. [Read more 🡒]
Colton Dach Has A Real Chance To Solve An Oilers Need
Colton Dachs first stretch in Edmonton gave the Oilers a glimpse of the kind of bottom-six presence they have been trying to add. After arriving at the 2026 trade deadline, he chipped in offensively, played with plenty of physicality and helped make himself noticeable in both the regular season and the playoffs before a lower-body injury interrupted his run. Even in a brief sample, he looked like a player who could fit the kind of energy-heavy role this roster has needed when the games get tighter.
Now the question is whether that glimpse turns into something more permanent. Dach is expected to push for a fourth-line job in 2026-27, and the appeal is obvious for Edmonton: a bigger, harder style that can bring pace without sacrificing bite. The Oilers have options to sort through on the forward depth chart, but Dach has already shown enough to make this one worth watching closely once camp opens. [Read more 🡒]
Quinn Hutson Suddenly Has A Real Shot In Edmonton
Quinn Hutsons path in Edmonton has been a patient one, but it suddenly looks like it could lead somewhere real. The 24-year-old winger signed a two-year extension in January 2026 and has spent most of his time with the Bakersfield Condors, where he has continued to show the scoring touch that first made him interesting at the NCAA and AHL levels.
Now, with the Oilers looking ahead to the 2026-27 training camp, Hutson is in the mix to push for an NHL job rather than simply being depth in the system. Edmontons front office has already identified him as a player who could be knocking on the door soon, which gives this camp a little more weight than another ordinary evaluation summer. [Read more 🡒]