Edmonton spent last season taking a step back after back-to-back runs to the Stanley Cup Final, and the result was a second-place finish in the Pacific followed by a first-round exit to Anaheim. Still, there’s a strong argument that the Oilers can bounce back fast.
The clearest reason starts at the top of the lineup, where Connor McDavid remains the best player alive and Leon Draisaitl is still a top-three center in the league. What makes the group more interesting now is everything around them.
Zach Hyman is coming off a bounce-back season with 52 points in just 58 games and heads into this year healthy. Vasili Podkolzin has also settled in as a useful two-way partner beside Draisaitl.
The bottom six remains thin beyond Jason Dickinson, but if someone like Isaac Howard forces his way onto the roster after a strong AHL season, Edmonton’s forward depth could have more to offer than just the two stars everyone already knows.
There’s also a quieter change on the blue line that could matter a lot. Evan Bouchard is looking more and more like a true elite two-way defenceman after piling up 95 points, while Mattias Ekholm still provides steady, dependable two-way play even as he gets older.
Edmonton also did well to move Darnell Nurse’s contract without retaining salary, then brought in Ryan Shea as a cheaper puck-moving option and added Shakir Mukhamadullin in the Nurse deal. That combination gives the Oilers a better look for less money, and if a new coach can bring more structure to the group, the defence may finally stop being the team’s biggest issue.
The other part of the equation is the way this roster fits a heavy forechecking style. Despite all the Babcock skepticism, Edmonton is one of the fastest teams in the league, and that speed should translate well if the system is as aggressive as it sounds. If it clicks, the Oilers should control the puck more often and create even more high-danger chances than they already do.
The biggest concern is still goaltending, along with whether Babcock’s system ends up resembling his old Toronto teams. Those clubs were strong in expected goals for but badly beaten in expected goals against, and that’s the kind of split that can wreck a playoff run. If Edmonton slides into that same pattern, the firepower and the blue-line upgrades won’t be enough.
But if the coaching change really does tighten things up defensively, this team has plenty of talent, speed, and better depth to get right back into the league’s top tier.
In Other News...
Connor Ingrams Sudden Ending Leaves Oilers With An Unexpected Goalie Question
Connor Ingrams sudden exit adds an unexpected wrinkle to the Oilers goalie picture, even if his time with the club was brief. The 29-year-old netminder, who has spent parts of his NHL career with Nashville, Arizona, Utah and Edmonton across 134 games, said he is stepping away from professional hockey after not getting any contract offers once the Oilers moved on to other goaltenders.
Ingrams next move is a deeply personal one, since he plans to return to school to study psychology and eventually use that path to help others. He has spoken openly about his mental health battles, including diagnoses of obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression, and his retirement closes the book on a career that carried both the pressures of the NHL and the weight of those off-ice challenges. [Read more 🡒]
Connor Ingrams NHL Exit Leaves Coyotes Fans With One Big Question
Connor Ingrams pro hockey run has come to a sudden close, with the goalie announcing his retirement on Instagram after not landing a contract for the upcoming season. The decision brings an end to a five-season NHL career that took him through Nashville, Arizona and, briefly, Edmonton, where he finished last season in a depth role before the offseason market dried up.
For Oilers fans, Ingrams time in Edmonton was short but noticeable, another reminder of how quickly the goaltending carousel can spin in the NHL. His last stretch with the club featured steady enough numbers to keep him in the conversation, but the bigger takeaway now is where he goes next, as he plans to leave the game and return to school to study psychology. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Face A Big Question About Babcock And Their Biggest Stars
The Oilers are entering the season with a familiar kind of spotlight on Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and this time it comes with a coaching wrinkle attached. Mike Babcocks reputation has always been built on demanding buy-in from his best players, and in Edmonton that naturally raises the question of how his approach will mesh with two stars who already set the standard every night. It is the kind of dynamic that can shape a room long before the first important game is played.
Jeff ONeill has made clear he is not sold on the idea that Babcock will be able to apply the same hard-nosed discipline to McDavid or Draisaitl that he once expected from other marquee names. Still, both players have already spoken positively about their new coach, which only adds another layer to the intrigue. For the Oilers, the real test is whether that public respect turns into the kind of accountability that holds up when the season starts to bite. [Read more 🡒]