The Edmonton Oilers have spent the summer doing something they probably needed more than anything else: getting away from hockey.
Leon Draisaitl has been on an African Safari. Connor McDavid was out enjoying himself on the water.
Zach Hyman has been keeping busy by hosting his annual Charity Golf Tournament. After the grind they’ve been through, that kind of reset matters for this group.
That’s especially true after their disappointing first-round playoff loss to the Anaheim Ducks this spring. The farther the Oilers can move from that series and clear their heads before the 2026-27 NHL season, the better. In fact, the time away from the rink might wind up being the biggest boost they get - even more important than hiring a new head coach and making smart personnel changes earlier in July.
The workload tells the story. When Edmonton skated in Game 4 against Anaheim, it was their 489th game over the last four years, the most of any NHL team in that span.
That kind of mileage adds up fast. And when you factor in the emotional and physical wear from reaching two Stanley Cup Finals, plus the pressure and travel McDavid and Draisaitl took on during the 2026 Winter Olympics and 4 Nations Face-Off in Feb. 2025, it’s not hard to understand why the two stars didn’t look like themselves against Anaheim.
This offseason should help change that.
Rest has long been one of the simplest ways to get back to peak performance, and the Oilers are in line to benefit from it. Getting the recovery their bodies need this summer will be a major part of whether they can put together a successful season.
Wayne Gretzky used to talk often about the value of stepping away from hockey in the summer and playing other sports like baseball or lacrosse. For Gretzky, that change of pace worked as a reset and helped him build skills that became part of his greatness. It’s a lesson that fits the Oilers, and really any player, at any age.
Not long ago, optimism around this team was hard to find. After they lost Game 6 to the Ducks in April, the offseason started in rough shape. The situation got even messier when news leaked about their interest in former Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy, creating a coaching controversy before the dust had even settled.
Then came the changes. They fired Kris Knoblauch and hired Mike Babcock.
They were also squeezed right up against the salary cap until they traded Darnell Nurse in early July, with the San Jose Sharks taking on his full salary. Piece by piece, the mood in Edmonton has shifted from frustration to belief.
General manager Stan Bowman has made his moves, and the core has had time to breathe. That combination, along with the long summer of rest, should leave the Oilers in a much better place when the season opens in late September.
They could still be right back among the NHL elite. They could also be one of the teams that catches people off guard. But after the number of games they’ve logged, this stretch away from the rink may be the biggest reason they’re ready to make noise in 2026-27 - bigger than the coaching change, bigger than Bowman’s trades and signings, and bigger than the new three-goalie rotation.
Skeptics outside Edmonton may not buy it. Oilers fans will. And they have every reason to think this could be the season McDavid finally gets his name on the Stanley Cup.
In Other News...
One Oilers Roster Question Could Still Define Their Cup Chances
Edmontons centre depth still looks like a strength on paper with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl driving the top of the lineup, but the roster picture gets a little less tidy after that. For a team trying to chase a Stanley Cup, the missing piece is a right-handed centre who can take on second- or third-line minutes and keep the middle of the ice from thinning out when the matchup game tightens in the playoffs.
Stan Bowman may have to keep working the trade market to find that fit, because the internal options do not fully solve the problem. The challenge is not just finding a centre, but finding one who can slot into a meaningful role without forcing Edmonton to overpay or reshuffle the lineup in a way that creates another hole somewhere else. [Read more 🡒]
One Former Oilers Goalie Is Still Waiting And Its Getting Strange
Nearly four weeks into NHL free agency, a couple of familiar Oilers names are still sitting in limbo, and the longer it goes, the more unusual it looks. Connor Ingrams market was expected to move quickly after he posted strong goaltending numbers last season and was projected for a modest deal, while Adam Henriques situation has been shaped by a rough year that left him looking more like a depth bet than a sure thing.
The goalie market has already done most of its business, with several unrestricted free agents finding new homes and other notable contracts getting done along the way. Ingram remains unsigned, which is the part that stands out most for Edmonton fans watching the board, while Henriques next step may be even less straightforward as he weighs what comes after a down season and a diminished role. [Read more 🡒]
McDavid Finally Opened Up About The Oilers Trading Darnell Nurse
Darnell Nurses departure closed the book on a 12-year run in Edmonton and left a real void in the room, not just on the blue line. Connor McDavid acknowledged the loss while also pointing to the fresh layer the Oilers have added around the roster, with the team trying to balance the emotional hit of moving on from a longtime core piece against the belief that the next phase can still push them forward.
McDavid also sounded encouraged by the arrival of Mike Babcock behind the bench, noting the value of a coach with that much experience and the chance for the group to learn from him. The Oilers now have to sort through the ripple effects of Nurses exit, including a leadership spot that will need filling, while also keeping an eye on how the new structure could shape the rest of the season. [Read more 🡒]