The Edmonton Oilers have put themselves in a pretty comfortable spot heading into the season: no cap crunch, no need to squeeze into a 21- or 22-man roster, and enough flexibility to build a balanced group with real depth. That kind of breathing room matters, especially when the lineup already looks layered.
On opening night, the three centers were in place, both goalies were dressed, and most of the rest of the roster was accounted for. Zach Hyman did not play, but the other wingers were available.
On defense, everyone suited up except Jake Walman, who was on the team but did not play in the first game of the season on October 8, 2025. The opening night scratches were Walman, Troy Stecher and Curtis Lazar.
The opening night lineup for 2025-26 included Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Jason Dickinson down the middle. The wings were Zach Hyman, Matt Savoie, Vasily Podkolzin, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Kasperi Kapanen, Trent Frederic and Colton Dach.
The defense group featured Mattias Ekholm, Evan Bouchard, Ryan Shea, Connor Murphy, Jake Walman and Ty Emberson. In goal, the team had Frederik Andersen, Tristan Jarry and Devon Levi.
From an August 6, 2025 list, the players not rated as certain included Matt Savoie, Ty Emberson, Noah Philp, Ike Howard, Alec Regula and David Tomasek. At this point, there are 19 certain Oilers.
The names still being sorted out are Shakir Mukhamadullin, Spencer Stastney, Alec Regula, Mathieu Joseph, Mattias Janmark, Ike Howard, Josh Samanski, Quinn Hutson and Max Jones. The guess here is that the final four will be Mukhamadullin, Ike Howard, Josh Samanski and Mathieu Joseph. Mattias Janmark could go on injured reserve or waivers, and the rest would head to Bakersfield.
Even with this roster in place, the question remains whether this is a Stanley Cup winner. The answer from this view is no - it’s shy. Stan Bowman has until the deadline to find answers, and he’ll also need to see how the summer adjustments hold up once the regular season starts rolling.
There’s still a sense that the club needs to steal a player somewhere along the way, something in the mold of Kent Nilsson from the Minnesota North Stars 49 years ago or Dustin Penner from the Anaheim Ducks a decade back. And there’s one more issue to keep an eye on: a defenseman could be lost on waivers, with a pre-season trade also possible if the team wants to get something back for that kind of waiver risk.
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Oilers Fans Face A Familiar Connor McDavid Tradeoff This Season
Connor McDavid has made a career out of turning the Oilers into a nightly must-watch team, and this season the conversation around him is familiar: how much individual production comes with the territory when the bigger goal is winning in the spring. A recent fan survey suggests Edmonton supporters are bracing for a slight dip in his point totals, but not in the broader value he brings if the team is better positioned for playoff success.
The more interesting part is the temperature around what comes next if the Oilers keep coming up short. Fans may be willing to trade a little offense for a deeper run, but there is still an uneasy sense that the long view of McDavids future in Edmonton will depend on whether those results ever arrive. [Read more 🡒]
Capitals Face Intriguing Next Step With Two Young Forwards
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Around the league, the broader landscape is shifting in ways that could matter down the road for teams trying to build and keep star power. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly has suggested Houston could be the next expansion market, with play potentially beginning in the 2029-30 season, while Connor McDavids future continues to be a topic of conversation as his Oilers contract plays out. For the Capitals, the immediate focus remains on Leonard and Sourdif, but the market for young talent is only getting tighter. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers May Use A Familiar Face To Solve A Camp Dilemma
With training camp coming fast and the preseason shortened, the Oilers could use a low-risk way to add bodies and get a read on depth under new coaches Mike Babcock and D.J. Smith. Kurt Leavins of The Edmonton Journal floated the idea of bringing in a familiar face on a professional tryout contract, a practical move for a team that may lean toward players the staff already knows rather than spending precious time evaluating complete unknowns.
Curtis Lazar fits that description well. He has already worn an Oilers sweater and remains unsigned, making him an easy name to circle if Edmonton wants experience in a bottom-six role and some comfort in the camp competition. The appeal is obvious, even if the final decision still hinges on whether the organization wants to keep looking inward or give a known depth option another shot. [Read more 🡒]