News Oilers Team Notes

Edmonton Oilers · Jul 23, 2025

Head coach Kris Knoblauch on his new coaching staff, adjustments to Oilers’ penalty kill, and more

Since taking over behind the bench on November 12, 2023, Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch has more combined regular-season and playoff wins than every coach in the NHL, except Paul Maurice.

Knoblauch and Maurice are tied with 123 wins, but it’s Maurice who has the upper hand where it counts most. His Panthers have beaten Knoblauch’s Oilers in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals. Maurice ranks second all-time in NHL regular-season games coached at 1,930, while Knoblauch just wrapped up his second season and has only 151 regular-season games under his belt.

Maurice missed the playoffs his first three years as an NHL coach and didn’t win a playoff series until his seventh season. Maurice lost two Stanley Cup Finals before winning the Cup in his 26th year as a head coach. He’s a great example of perseverance in the coaching fraternity.

Knoblauch has no reason to feel ashamed for not winning. Disappointed, sure, but he’s had an incredible start to his NHL coaching career, and the Oilers will enter this season as one of, if not the favourite, in the Western Conference.

But success isn’t guaranteed, and Knoblauch is driven to take that final step and bring home the Stanley Cup.

His coaching staff will look much different this season. Glen Gulutzan, Paul Coffey, Dustin Schwartz, and David Pelletier are all out. In their place: Mark Stuart will run the defence, Paul McFarland takes over the power play, Peter Aubry steps in as goalie coach, and Conor Allen joins as the new skills coach. Allen’s role, in particular, will be bigger than some expected. More on that below.

I had Kris Knoblauch on my radio yesterday on Sports 1440 and on the Oilersnation YouTube, and we discussed many things, but one thing caught my attention: I asked Knoblauch about his new staff and how they might approach this season differently.

“The penalty kill is where we will have the biggest adjustments,” said Knoblauch. “As for a five-on-five play, we’re always looking at how we can get better, but overall, I think we’re going to have pretty much the same systems. It’s taken us to the Stanley Cup final twice, but there will be a little more emphasis on skill development to execute plays. We reduced one coach (three on the bench instead of four), but we added a more of a traditional skills coach. We will have a bit more focus on player development. We will have some young high prospects coming in, as you mentioned, with Savoie and Howard, and we want to help those guys, but also help the veteran players. They’re always looking to improve their game. There are always skills that you can work on, and we wanted a guy who was completely focused on that skill development or skill enhancement that can help all our players.”

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Allen is the new skills coach, and his role will be bigger than we’ve seen before in the Oilers organization. There will be more practices based mainly on skill development.

“We will have that, and we’ll probably break up our traditional practices with skill developments, maybe at the beginning of practice or at the end to break it up,” said Knoblauch. “We’re very fortunate to have two ice sheets, so we can always do skills with a handful of players on one ice and then have them join our main practice immediately without losing any time with ice scrapes. We want to implement more of that this year. It’s something that’s very difficult to do in the NHL just because of the travel and the schedule and how many games you play, but I think it’s important.

“Our players spend so much time doing skill development over the summer, and then the regular season happens, and it’s (skill work) almost non-existent. I don’t think that’s right. I think we should be incorporating more of that in the regular season. It is a great plan right now, and hopefully, we can execute it during the season,” said Knoblauch.

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It is a great plan. It makes a lot of sense. I’ve often found it odd how much time the organization has put into player development — which focuses more on young, drafted players and prospects, and many of them never make it to the NHL — while teams didn’t have the same focus on skill development with NHL players. I asked Knoblauch why he felt it was the right time to make the change.

“I think once players get to the NHL, it’s almost as if their development’s done, they’ve made it to the highest level, and let’s just let them play,” said Knoblauch. “I don’t think that’s right, and my time in junior hockey and in the American Hockey League, the emphasis was on development and getting these players better, and I think it’s important that we were doing that here. I think between my experience in the American Hockey League with Hartford, I thought we had a good program there with a lot of emphasis on player development, but also talking with Stan (Bowman), he had the exact same vision. So, it was really easy for us to work together and find a way for this to work. He and I went through the application process of finding good coaches to fill our entire bench and the skill development role, and we were very aligned on this position.”

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Skill development practices are less taxing on players. And it can be very position-specific. Wingers can work on picking up pucks off the boards and making strong, smart plays in either the defensive or offensive zone. The forwards can work on quick touches in and around the net or tipping pucks, or quick, crisp give-and-gos. They could have sessions on edge work, making plays on their backhands, and not always focus on tactical drills. Defenceman can work on quick outlets, walking the blueline to create space, one-timers, and more. The options are endless, and not only will it sharpen their skills, but it will also likely lower the potential of being bored by running the same drills.

You can only break out so many times. Players like predictability and consistency, but if you have too much of it in practice, it can become tiresome. Knoblauch’s new approach should increase the “fun” factor but also improve their odds of burying more scoring chances. Last season at 5×5, Edmonton was first in shots on goal, second in high danger scoring chances, 13th in goals scored, and 27th in shooting percentage at 7.95%. The first two rankings are great. But the last two? Not so much.

In 2024 at 5×5, the Oilers were first in shots on goal and in high danger chances, third in goals scored, and 14th in SH%. Was last year a bit of bad luck? Possibly, but I’ve long argued that burying your chances is a skill. Hitting the pad or hitting the spot just above the pad to score is a difference of a few inches, and many factors lead to a player hitting, or missing, their spot (mainly time and space), but if you work on hitting those spots in practice, or getting the shot away half a second quicker, that could lead to more converted plays.

The Oilers are blessed with some highly skilled players, and keeping those skills sharp makes sense. I’m interested to see what skills the new Conor (Allen) will incorporate throughout the season.

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/edmon...ris-knoblauch-interview-new-staff-adjustments

Edmonton Oilers · Jul 24, 2025

Despite rumours, Oilers aren’t looking to sign prospect Nikita Yevseyev to entry-level contract this summer

Rumours that the Edmonton Oilers were working to sign prospect defenceman Nikita Yevseyev to an entry-level contract ahead of next season appear to be remaining just that.

A report from Elite Prospects had indicated that the two sides were in talks, but Oilersnation’s Jason Gregor reported Wednesday he heard “this will not be happening this off-season.”

Yevseyev came in as Oilersnation’s 20th ranked prospect last summer.

I’m hearing this will not happen this off-season. https://t.co/FccI1elmP2

— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) July 23, 2025

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The 21-year-old has split time between the VHL and KHL in Russia since he was drafted, playing 47 VHL games, scoring two goals and 15 points, and 105 KHL games, scoring seven goals and 12 points.

While he may not be coming to North America for next season, there are still questions that remain about where he will play next. After playing 38 games last year for the KHL’s Ak Bars Kazan, he doesn’t have a contract heading into next season. There’s some level of concern there given his young age, the fact that he’s been fighting for ice-time in recent years, and that the KHL season begins in the first week of September.

Reviews from his past season were murky, as opined in the Oilersnation mid-season prospect rankings report, where it was written how questions still remain about the player.

“He’s a good, but not great prospect at this time, so I am uncertain whether the Oilers would make a play to have him come over,” Bruce Curlock wrote. “There is no question he has AHL size, skating and defending ability. However, it is simply too murky to get a strong read on this player at this time.

“The only encouraging sign is that Yevseyev is back playing 10 minutes per night in a 6/7 role with AK Bars in the KHL. The more games he can play down the stretch, the better for Oilers management to get an understanding of this player.”

The Oilers surely aren’t in any rush here, as they do hold Yevseyev’s NHL rights indefinitely. Even beyond that, there’s a logjam of defencemen for the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors heading into next season, with Josh Brown, Alec Regula and Beau Akey set to break in on the right-side, and Riley Stillman, Arto Leppanen and Damien Carfagna filling spots on the left-side.

Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the DFO DFS Report. He can be followed on Twitter, currently known as X, at @zjlaing, or reached by email at [email protected].

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-arent-looking-sign-nikita-yevseyev

Edmonton Oilers · Jul 25, 2025

Real Life Podcast: Nation Gear history, Eli on the Ferris wheel, and AI-generated Tyler content

Thursday afternoon means a fresh episode of Real Life was recorded, edited, and is ready to help you wrap up your workweek. On today’s podcast, the guys discussed old Nation Gear designs, reality TV, Eli on the Ferris wheel, AI-generated content, and more.

The guys kicked off the Thursday episode of Real Life with a discussion about Nation Gear and whether Wanye and Baggedmilk have kept all of their old articles of clothing. After walking through some of the old designs, the conversation turned to how many hats everyone has and whether they wear them to death.

Changing gears, Wanye wanted to talk about Reality TV and a very special episode of Hoarders that lives rent-free in his mind. That led the guys to wonder if there is anything in their lives they love so much that could turn into an unreasonable obsession. As you’ll hear, everyone on the podcast is pretty boring apart from Wanye trying to adopt an all-day coffee routine that he heard a billionaire does daily.

From there, Eli talked about his time on the Ferris wheel at K-Days, after spending over 20+ hours there with Chris Sheetz as he pushed to set the world record for the most time cruising around. After spending so much time spinning around, Eli had a bunch of funny stories from his time cruising around for the record attempt. That said, Eli also broke the news that not every record attempt is what we think it is.

Finally, the guys wrapped up the Thursday episode of Real Life with a recap of the AI content Wanye made about Tyler over the last few weeks, and how we’re only allowed to use the images he made while Tyler is away on his honeymoon. Needless to say, the boys were having fun with an array of random topics that left Yaremchuk invariably uncomfortable.

Listen to the Thursday episode of Real Life below:

Subscribe to the Real Life Podcast for FREE on Spotify here, on Apple Podcasts here, on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/real-...e-ferris-wheel-and-ai-generated-tyler-content

Edmonton Oilers · Jul 26, 2025

Best Oilers Fights of 2024-25: Ty Emberson throws down with Jakub Lauko

Early in the season, the Edmonton Oilers needed to find a way to get going.

After starting the season 0-3-0, the Philadelphia Flyers were threatening to give the Oilers four consecutive losses before Troy Strecher fought Sean Couturier after hitting Stuart Skinner. Add in another fight and a game-tying goal, and the Oilers were able to win this game.

That started a notable streak for them, as their first six games with a fight were a win. That streak ended with a game against the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 21, 2024, as Drake Caggiula squared up with Matt Boldy. Less than a month later, the two teams faced off again. This game included the fight we’ll look at in this game.

Up 1-0 midway through the first period, Ty Emberson dropped the gloves with Jakub Lauko at centre ice. The Wild forward started by throwing four overhand rights, before switching and getting a good left off. Lauko caught him with a right after Emberson whiffed on a punch. The Oilers’ best set of punches came with a few upper cuts. Emberson missed wildly with a punch, and the two exchanged good shots until the linesman stepped in to end the fight.

It was a good old classic fight, no drama, just two players dropping the gloves early in a game to get the team going. On Hockeyfights.com, 59% of 54 votes gave the fight to Lauko, 17% gave it to Emberson, and 24% called it a draw. Overall, it finished with a 7.17 rating, the second-highest rated Oiler fight this season.

The two teams traded goals late in the first period, but the Oilers took control of the game in the second period, scoring three times in the middle frame and adding two more in the third to secure a 7-1 win.

This win extended the Oilers’ streak to four games during a stretch where they went 24-8-2. In regular-season games with at least one fight, the Oilers were 10-3.

Previously…

Vasily Podkolzin knocks out Jeremy Lauzon with three punches

Trent Frederic and Nic Hague drop gloves as playoff series with Golden Knights erupts

Darnell Nurse and Jonah Gadjovich throw bombs in the Stanley Cup Final

Best Oilers Fights of 2024-25: Corey Perry scraps with Joe Veleno

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/best-oilers-fights-2024-25-ty-emberson-jakub-lauko

Edmonton Oilers · Jul 27, 2025

Can the Oilers expect 35-year-old Mattias Ekholm to be a top-pairing defenceman?

The best trade that the Edmonton Oilers have made in the Connor McDavid era is the acquisition of defenceman Mattias Ekholm at the 2023 Trade Deadline from the Nashville Predators. Since the moment he arrived in Edmonton, Ekholm has been an extremely impactful player for the team, consistently playing the hardest minutes next to Evan Bouchard and performing exceptionally well. He has likely been Edmonton’s fourth-most valuable player behind McDavid, Draisaitl and Bouchard over the past three seasons.

However, in 2024-25, Ekholm’s season was plagued by injuries. Firstly, it was reported that Ekholm had been playing through an illness throughout the season. Then, he missed six games in March in which he seemed to be battling both an illness and a lower-body injury. When he returned, he only played four games in late March until missing several more games to a nagging lower-body injury yet again. He would return in a game against the San Jose Sharks on April 11, but wound up leaving after just three shifts, and the next day, TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reported that there was a possibility that Ekholm’s season could be over.

Luckily, Ekholm was able to return late in Edmonton’s playoff run during Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals. But unfortunately, for many fans, Ekholm’s most memorable moments in the 2025 playoffs were his critical mistakes on key goals against during Games 5 and 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals as the Oilers ultimately lost to the Florida Panthers for the second consecutive season.

Prior to this season, Ekholm was exceptionally durable. After all, he played 76+ games in each of the prior three seasons, and before that, Ekholm had a consecutive five-year streak of playing 80+ games (alongside also playing in all 68 of Nashville’s games during the shortened 2019-20 season).

But, Ekholm turned 35 this past May. As he enters the final year of his contract, questions remain about how much of an impact Ekholm can have given his age and the injuries he dealt with last season.

Will Ekholm continue to be a top-pairing defenceman for the Oilers moving forward? Or will his minutes have to be reduced as his age finally catches up? Let’s take a closer look.

Firstly, let’s dive into Ekholm’s on-ice impacts at even-strength. Specifically, I like using EvolvingHockey RAPM’s tool, an advanced regression model that attempts to measure a player’s offensive impact (generating scoring chances) and defensive impact (preventing scoring chances). It does this by taking their on-ice results and attempting to account for factors out of their control, such as quality of teammates, quality of competition, zone starts and so on. It’s not the be-all-end-all, but if used correctly, it can be extremely useful to get an idea of a player’s two-way impact. Here are Ekholm’s year-by-year RAPM impacts over the past five seasons:

Typically, most age curve studies indicate that a defenceman’s peak years are often between ~25-29. But, Ekholm has seemed to defy these standard age curves.

Ekholm is a player who has steadily and consistently improved over his career even into his thirties. He was consistently a fantastic top-four defenceman in Nashville, and has been even better in Edmonton. Both his offensive and defensive impacts have been extraordinary, to the point that his net two-way impact (RAPM xG ±) ranks second among all defencemen (!!) throughout the past three seasons, even slightly higher than Evan Bouchard’s. Simply put, these results are elite, and the fact that they have sustained in both Nashville and Edmonton strongly suggests that they aren’t just some byproduct of playing next to McDavid or Draisaitl; this is truly reflective of his ability.

Now, looking into Ekholm’s raw results, he did see a decline towards the second half of 2024-25, particularly in the month of February. With Ekholm on-ice during that month, the Oilers were out-scored at a horrendous ratio of 1 to 11, and his high-danger chance share of 40 percent was also far from pretty. However, it must be mentioned that it was around late January / early February when it was reported that Ekholm was playing through an illness. Furthermore, Ekholm boasted a fantastic 63 percent expected goal share in January, and a 67 percent expected goal share in the few games he played in March. Thus, it’s quite reasonable to say that his play in February is an outlier and can be attributed to his illness.

Let’s dive even deeper into Ekholm’s play. Per AllThreeZones, here are Ekholm’s microstats from 2024-25:

One thing that immediately stands out in this graph is Ekholm’s entry defence results.

Now, as players enter their mid-to-late thirties, one aspect of their game that immediately tends to see a dip is their foot speed and mobility. For defencemen, this can often result in a significant decline in their rush defence. One notable example that most Oilers fans should recall is Duncan Keith, who ranked as the NHL’s worst defender at suppressing scoring chances off the rush in his final two years at ages 38-39.

But that doesn’t seem to be the case for Ekholm, who has not only not seen a decline in his rush defending, but ranks as one of the best rush defenders in the NHL. His outstanding entry denial percentage of 17.2 percent this past season ranked 7th among all defenders in 2024-25.

While Ekholm’s foot speed at this stage of his career isn’t exactly awe-inspiring, he more than makes up for it with his defensive smarts. He is absolutely one of the most intelligent defencemen in the league, and his ability to consistently limit space and time at the blueline against some of the best rush attackers in the league is direct evidence of this.

As for the rest of Ekholm’s game, it is worth noting that his zone exit numbers were rather unimpressive this past season. Ekholm did see a slight offensive decline in 2024-25, so this is perhaps a reason why. Still, it should be noted that Ekholm has most often played next to Evan Bouchard, who does the heavy lifting in terms of breakout passing on this pair. So perhaps Ekholm’s zone exit results are a reflection of his role rather than his ability; Bouchard is the one who primarily facilitates the offensive breakout, while Ekholm tends to be the guy who busts the cycle and gets Bouchard the puck, while also clearing the puck out of the zone when needed. Ekholm’s solid retrieval success rate is a good sign here, though his exit success rate could and should be higher.

All in all, there seems to be no visible sign of any regression in Ekholm’s overall play. If anything, his defensive impacts in 2024-25 actually improved compared to the prior season despite dealing with injuries/illnesses over the course of the season. Furthermore, his two-way impacts this season, at age 34-35, are better than they were three years ago. Very encouraging.

Now, we’ve mostly discussed Ekholm’s regular-season play thus far in this article. What about the 2025 playoffs?

Jun 14, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm (14) battles for the puck against Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart (13) during the second period in game five of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

As mentioned earlier, Ekholm returned in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Star, and played in all six of Edmonton’s Stanley Cup Final games, playing seven playoff games in total. At a raw glance, his box score totals were quite good, as Ekholm accumulated 6 points in those 7 games as a defenceman.

But, there was significant discussion regarding Ekholm’s play in the final two games of the cup finals. In Edmonton’s 5-2 loss in Game 5, Ekholm was badly burnt off the rush by Marchand leading to Florida’s first goal, and then a failed zone entry in the neutral zone by Ekholm directly led to Florida’s second goal. Then, in the ultimate cup-clinching Game 6, Ekholm (and Bouchard)’s breakout mishap in the defensive zone directly led to Florida’s first goal. These mistakes at critical moments have sown doubt in the mind of some fans, who question if this is the start of a permanent regression in Ekholm’s play.

Still, two things must be mentioned here. Firstly, it’s quite obvious that Ekholm was not at 100% in the playoffs, particularly considering the fact that there was a chance he wouldn’t have played at all. And secondly, in the Stanley Cup Finals, Ekholm held a 52 percent expected goal differential, ranking second among Edmonton’s skaters and first amongst their defencemen. His actual goal differential was a mediocre 45 percent, but it again ranked first amongst Edmonton’s defencemen.

So even though Ekholm’s mistakes were quite poor and came at critical moments, his play was otherwise quite solid, especially relative to Edmonton’s other players. And, again, it’s more impressive considering that Ekholm was not fully healthy.

All things considered, whether Ekholm can continue to be a top-pairing defender for the Oilers will depend on the exact severity of his injury, which has yet to be fully disclosed publicly in detail. But his underlying numbers all suggest that, so far, there hasn’t really been any significant decline in Ekholm’s ability at all.

I believe what has allowed Ekholm to continue to be such an effective defenceman despite his age is that his game isn’t exceedingly reliant on his skating. This is the type of player that isn’t exactly elite at one aspect of the game, but is very good at practically everything.

While regression is still sooner than later as he turns 36 next May, it is extremely reasonable to believe that Ekholm will remain a quality top-four defender for the Oilers in 2025-26, if not continuing to sustain excellent results on the top-pair next to Evan Bouchard.

Find me on Twitter (@NHL_Sid)

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-mattiask-ekholm-still-top-pairing-defenceman

Edmonton Oilers · Jul 28, 2025

Best Oilers Goals of 2024-25: Connor McDavid scores his 1,000th NHL point

The best goal of the 2024-25 season for the Edmonton Oilers was a historic one.

Entering the 2024-25 season, Oilers’ captain Connor McDavid had 335 goals and 982 points in 645 games. It was well known that McDavid had a chance to become the fourth-fastest and fourth-youngest player to reach 1,000 points.

After the Oilers were shut out in the season opener, McDavid went on a six-game point streak, picking up three goals and eight points to bring him to 990 points. After being held pointless in a 4-0 win, McDavid picked up two points on Oct. 27, but was injured in the following game.

Missing three games and just eight points away from 1,000, McDavid was held pointless in his first game back, but picked up a goal and three points in a 7-3 win against the Vancouver Canucks. In his next game, McDavid scored a goal and four points, bringing him to within one point of 1,000. In the following game, on Nov. 14, McDavid reached 1,000 points with a goal.

Darnell Nurse intercepted a dump-in and found Leon Draisaitl streaking up the wing for a two-on-one with McDavid because of a bad line change. Everyone, including the Nashville Predators’ defenceman, knew the puck was going to McDavid. Sliding the puck under the defenceman’s stick, Draisaitl got the puck to McDavid, who one-timed it into the back of the net for his 1,000th point of the season.

EDM NSH G17. November 14, 2024. Connor McDavid scores his 1,000th point. : Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/wZy5JrLx0e

— Nation Network Media (@NationNMedia) November 15, 2024

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McDavid added an assist in that game to reach 19 points on the season. He then added another 81 points to finish with 26 goals and 100 points in just 67 games, the eighth time in his career he’s reached the century mark.

While this goal didn’t have the flair of his goals against the New York Rangers or Utah Hockey Club, or Evan Bouchard’s goal against the Ottawa Senators, this one had importance. There is only a finite number of games in a season where a player reaches 1,000 points if they’re even able to. We Oiler fans were lucky to witness it, and there’s a good chance Leon Draisaitl reaches the mark next season as he’s just 44 points away.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-best-goals-2024-25-connor-mcdavid-1000th-point

Edmonton Oilers · Jul 28, 2025

Ken Holland made the best free-agent signing in Oilers history on this day in 2021

Four years sure do go by quickly.

It’s almost hard to believe that it’s been as long since the Edmonton Oilers and Zach Hyman signed a seven-year deal carrying a $5.5-million cap hit — but that’s probably because it’s felt like Hyman has been an Oiler for life.

Why? He’s a player who bleeds what turns Oilers fans into staunch supporters. His hard-working, never-take-a-shift-off, bring-your-lunch-pail, blue-collar style of play resonates with fans in Oil Country.

The contract undoubtedly looks like one of the best value deals in the entire league four years into it. He’s scored 144 goals, 114 assists and 258 points in 308 regular-season games, and another 35 goals and 60 points in 68 games.

He’s 17th in regular-season goal scoring and second in playoff goal scoring over that time, helping push the Oilers deep into the playoffs in nearly every run. Not only has he found himself looked to as a leader on this team, but he’s found himself a home, embracing the City of Edmonton and letting the City embrace him, too.

Over the last four regular seasons, he’s played 4,626 minutes at five-on-five and a whopping 63 percent of his ice-time alongside Connor McDavid on the Oilers’ top line. It’s easy to see why, too, as the duo have been nothing short of dominant, controlling 59.1 percent of the shot attempt share, 60.7 percent of the scoring chance share and a staggering 61.8 percent of the expected goal share. All the while, they’ve outscored the opposition 204-124, controlling 62.2 percent of the goal share.

Yeah, they’re pretty good.

Hyman’s had big highs in his time in Edmonton, setting multiple career bests:

Goals – 54, 2023-24

Assists – 47, 2022-23

Points – 83, 2022-23

Even-strength goals – 39, 2023-24

Power play goals – 15, 2022-23 and 2023-24

Average time on ice – 20:09, 2022-23

His individual impact on the Oilers on-ice product has been significant. According to Hockey Viz, his overall impacts have increased from being a low-to-middle-end second-line player, climbing to impacting the game as a first-line player this season.

There’s no denying this past season ended in a massively disappointing way. Well on pace to not just break the NHL record for hits in a single post-season but smash it entirely, his playoff run ended prematurely in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.

Early in that game, then Dallas Stars winger Mason Marchment found Hyman in the neutral zone, laying what seemed to be an innocuous hit. Right away Hyman lifted his arm and his stick hit the ice, skating quickly to the bench and down the tunnel. While there was hope that it was nothing more than a stinger, the Oilers got the worst news they could’ve, as he suffered a serious wrist injury that would sideline him for the remainder of the playoffs. The Oilers sorely missed him in the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers, but watching from the press box will surely motivate him heading into next season.

When the contract was signed, I opined that the deal was “a massive move that I think will pay off dividends for the Oilers down the road,” and that “if Edmonton is able to get five years strong years out of Hyman, I think this is a deal you can call a win for the team.”

Looking back, Hyman has greatly outperformed any expectations and not only can you call his signing a win for the team, it’s one you can call the best free agent signing in franchise history.

Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the DFO DFS Report. He can be followed on Twitter, currently known as X, at @zjlaing, or reached by email at [email protected].

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/best-free-agent-signing-edmonton-oilers-history-zach-hyman

Edmonton Oilers · Jul 30, 2025

McDavid and Oilers Can be Creative with new Contract

The relationship between Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers is much stronger than some want you to believe. You’ve likely read or heard numerous claims as to why he might leave. He isn’t leaving. An extension was always happening, and the only uncertainty is what the AAV and term of his new deal will be.

Will McDavid and the Oilers get creative?

For over a year, I’ve written that the Oilers and McDavid will sign an extension, and it would be the $16m range. He could sign for eight years, but I sense it might be closer to four — which is fine, but what if the Oilers and his camp decide to get creative?

The Oilers want to win, and in a salary cap world every dollar matters. Let’s assume McDavid is going to sign for four years around a $16m AAV. I spoke with Kyle Stich from AFP analytics on Tuesday and their projection had McDavid at $16.4m, because it was the same percentage of the cap as his current $12.5m AAV that was signed in the summer of 2017.

Instead of that, what if McDavid signs a one-year extension this August with a $14.6m AAV? This contract would be for the 2026-27 season. The salary cap that season will be $104m, while in 2027-28 it jumps up to $113m.

And then in January of 2027 (because when you sign a one-year extension you can’t sign a new deal until January of the year of the contract), McDavid signs a three-year extension at $17m AAV.

Why do this?

Because in 2026-27 the cap is $104m, while it jumps up to $113m the following year and will likely keep climbing. By signing the one-year deal when the cap is $9m lower, it gives the Oilers, and McDavid, more cap space to fill out the roster. At $14m he is still the highest paid Oiler, and likely highest paid in the NHL, and then when he signs the three-year extension, his total money earned over the four years is $65.6m, which would average $16.4m over the four seasons.

I haven’t seen an elite player do this, however, as Kevin Labanc did this with the San Jose Sharks. Labanc isn’t close to McDavid in terms of skill, but after scoring 56 points in 2019, he signed a one-year deal at $1m with the Sharks. Then the following summer he signed a four-year deal at $4.725m. Labanc only had 33 points in 2020, but he still got $4.725m. He averaged $3.98m over the five years, but in 2020, when the Sharks had no cap space, Labanc and his agent helped out the Sharks.

There is nothing illegal about it, at least not in the existing CBA or new CBA. It’s like the current LTIR rule. It didn’t look great when teams activated a player with a $9.5m AAV just in time for the playoffs, where there was no salary cap, but it was allowed. And right now, there is nothing stopping the Oilers and McDavid from signing a one-year deal, and then signing a three-year extension in January of 2027.

In 2026-27 McDavid’s salary ($14.6m) would eat up 14% of the cap (when he signed in 2017 it was 16.6%).
Then in 2027-28 McDavid’s $17m cap hit would be 15% of the cap, and then it would drop each year as the cap increased.

I understand some will scoff at the idea, mainly because it isn’t the norm and it only saves $1.5m to $1.8m depending on what he actually signs for. But the margin of victory is very thin in the playoffs, and having more cap space, if you use it properly, can be a significant advantage.

The other reason I like it is because it would quiet the mindless and always incorrect claims that McDavid isn’t happy. He could stand up and say, “I signed a one-year deal to give us more cap flexibility.”

The NHL and most organizations don’t have a history of trying new approaches or doing things differently, and while the cap savings aren’t massive, I still see value in considering it before the cap jumps up to $113m in 2027/2028.

OTHER PROJECTIONS…

Like McDavid, Mattias Ekholm, Jake Walman and Brett Kulak are entering the final year of their contracts and all could be UFAs next summer.

AFP has Ekholm signing a two-year deal with a $6.5m AAV. I was a bit surprised at that number. The term makes sense, but Ekholm will be 36 when his new deal kicks in. Will he still be playing top-pair minutes? I thought he’d be closer to $6m, maybe even $5.75m.

AFP projected Jake Walman to sign a five-year deal at $6.5m. Walman had a very good playoffs for the Oilers. He was solid in San Jose prior to the trade as well, however, with Ekholm healthy Walman won’t play as many minutes and likely will produce less offence. I could see them looking for a lower AAV than $6.5m. Also, the challenge for the Oilers is by paying Ekholm and Walman close to $6m each — that gives them three left-shot D-men, along with Darnell Nurse, getting top-four money. And unless Walman plays the right side, one of them will be in the third pair and not playing over 18 minutes. It gives them a built-in transition as Ekholm ages, and that is good, but if they sign both of them, it virtually guarantees Brett Kulak won’t be coming back, unless one of the other three is dealt.

AFP projected Kulak at $3.9m AAV for three years. I don’t see how they have room long-term for Nurse, Ekholm, Walman and Kulak. They need to have room to acquire a natural right-shot, second-pair defender. It will be interesting to see who GM Stan Bowman opts to move or not re-sign to create room for a 2RD.

I also asked about Vasily Podkolzin, who is a pending restricted RFA. AFP projected him with a two-year, $2.3-$2.4m AAV similar to Maxim Tsyplakov who signed earlier this summer with the Islanders. Podkolzin proved he is an effective forechecker and reliable defensively, but he didn’t add much offence in the regular season. However, he produced more in the playoffs, and with the Oilers’ new skills coach, Conor Allen, and their approach to more skill enhancement practices, Podkolzin is a prime candidate to produce more offensively. Signing him this summer, 14 months before his extension kicks in, gives them a good chance of him being a value contract.

Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the DFO DFS Report. He can be followed on Twitter, currently known as X, at @zjlaing, or reached by email at [email protected].

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-connor-mcdavid-creative-contract-extension

Edmonton Oilers · Jul 31, 2025

Better Lait Than Never: Do the Oilers have a run of contract extensions coming?

It’s Wednesday smack dab in the middle of the NHL dead zone, which means a fresh episode of Better Lait Than Never is ready to recap what was another slow news week in Edmonton. On today’s podcast, I discussed the Oilers’ potential extension list, Connor McDavid, Stan Bowman updates on the negotiation, and whatever else has happened over the last seven days.

With not much going on around the NHL these days, I started this week’s podcast with a trip to the rumour mill after Bob Stauffer speculated on Oilers Now that the Oilers could be getting some significant business done over the next month. Of course, nothing Bob said is written in stone, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t still able to have some fun with the rumours. Sticking with contract extensions, I ran through the latest rumblings about Connor McDavid’s upcoming extension, including potential dollar and term numbers from Frank Seravalli.

Finally, I wrapped up this week’s episode of BLTN with a Righteous Sack Beating about shrinkflation before wrapping up the podcast with another round of voicemails. The voicemail was quieter this week, but the messages were still as fun as ever. As always, the voicemails are a fun way to wrap up the show and give everyone a chance to share their thoughts. Another hearty thank you to everyone who contributed to this week’s episode, because having all of you in the mix makes the show so much better.

Want to leave a voicemail for next week’s show? Do it here!

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/bette...monton-oilers-have-contract-extensions-coming

Edmonton Oilers · Jul 31, 2025

Former Oilers captain Jason Smith ‘can’t wait to get back’ to Edmonton as new Oil Kings coach

A memorable player in Edmonton Oilers history is returning to town.

On Thursday, former Oilers captain Jason Smith was named the head coach of the Western Hockey League’s Edmonton Oil Kings, becoming just the sixth head coach in the franchise’s history.

Smith, who played for the Oilers from 1999 to 2007, admitted he’s happy to be back in the place he called home for most of his NHL career.

“I am extremely excited to join one of the elite organizations in the CHL,” Smith said in a release. “Edmonton has been home to me before as a player and I can’t wait to get back and be a part of the city again.”

The Calgary native was traded to the Oilers by the Toronto Maple Leafs in March for the 1998-99 season, becoming a mainstay on the team’s blue line, while becoming a fan favorite. From 2001 until he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in July 2007, Smith was the team’s captain, famously leading the team to an improbable appearance in the 2006 Stanley Cup Final.

Across eight seasons with the Oilers, Smith appeared in 542 regular-season games, scoring 31 goals and 82 assists for 113 points. He totaled over 100 penalty minutes three times with Edmonton, amassing 643 PIM in his tenure with the team. The former New Jersey Devils also scored 11 points in 68 postseason contests.

Smith takes over after the Oil Kings elected not to renew the contract of Luke Pierce, who only led the team to one playoff appearance in his three seasons at the helm, getting knocked out by the Prince Albert Raiders in the opening round this past spring. It was the team’s first postseason appearance since winning the Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2022. Edmonton went 74-118-9-3 under Pierce.

Oil Kings general manager Kirt Hill hopes Smith can restore the team’s elite status in one of the toughest leagues in junior hockey.

“Jason is a proven leader and will be a great cultural fit for our staff and players,” Hill said. “He brings a wealth of knowledge as not only a coach but through his years of playing experience, and we’re excited for this next chapter of Oil Kings hockey.”

Before returning to the province’s capital, Smith had been an associate coach with the Prince George Cougars from 2019 to 2021. He had recently been an assistant coach with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the Flyers’ American Hockey League affiliate, for the past four seasons. He was also an assistant with the Ottawa Senators from 2014-16.

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/forme...o-get-back-to-edmonton-as-new-oil-kings-coach

Edmonton Oilers · Aug 1, 2025

From McDavid’s Future to Division Hopes: 5 Key Questions for the Oilers

The sting of another Stanley Cup Final still lingers, and until October gets here, that feeling’s not going away. But for as close as the Oilers came to finally ending the drought over these last two seasons, there’s no reason to believe this team can’t go right back and finish the job. The 2025–26 season won’t be about building something — it’s about finally finishing the job.

With a core that’s locked in, a few new prospects to be excited about, and an entire province gagging for this team to take the next step, here are five of the biggest questions heading into the season that could change how things play out.

1. How will the goaltending hold up?

Stuart Skinner enters the final year of his contract with a clear mission: be the starting goaltender who can win the big games when his team needs it most. In 2024–25, Skinner made 51 starts and finished with a 26–18–4 record, a 2.81 GAA, a .896 save percentage, and three shutouts. He had moments of brilliance and plenty of stretches of inconsistency, but when it mattered most, he was able to get his team to the Stanley Cup Final for a second straight year. Now, the bar is higher. Much higher.

As we speak today, Calvin Pickard, who quietly put together a strong season: 22–10–1, a 2.71 GAA, and a .900 save percentage in 36 appearances, will be the backup goalie for a second straight season. For a guy many expected to be the starter in Bakersfield, Pickard often fought above his weight class and gave the Oilers legit starts, but can he be trusted for 25–30 games again this year? Can Calvin Pickard be the guy the team depends on to smooth out any wrinkles in the crease?

The big question is whether Skinner can be more than “solid” and if he can do it more consistently. Those a two massive questions. If Stu can push his save percentage back over .905 and clean up the soft goals, the Oilers don’t just have the chance to be contenders — they’ll be terrifying. If not, this storyline won’t go away, and Stan Bowman will be forced to overpay for an upgrade at the deadline. In terms of questions for the upcoming season, how can anyone have anything other than goaltending at the top of the list?

2. How much should we expect from Matt Savoie and Isaac Howard?

Matt Savoie and Isaac Howard are pencilled in to be contributors this season, and there’s a real chance both will make the team out of camp and be expected to contribute from the jump. With cap space tight and the forward group still looking for consistent scoring depth, this is the perfect time for young players to earn real NHL minutes. The question is whether or not these two are ready for primetime and have the ability to handle the pressure that comes in this market.

Savoie, who got a brief look late last season, is coming off a strong AHL showing and brings speed, vision, and tenacity — the kind of profile that should work nicely in the lineup if the coaching staff gives him room to breathe. Howard, acquired this summer, played in college last year, scored at a point-per-game pace, won the Hobey Baker Award, and seems primed to take the next step. That said, we’ve seen plenty of young players get whipped around in the NHL, especially in the early days when they’re still learning what it takes at hockey’s highest level.

Can either one crack 15–20 goals? It depends on opportunity and their ability to stay healthy, but it’s a question I have based on Edmonton’s need for both of them to contribute. Savoie’s IQ and motor might give him the edge early, but Howard’s shot and confidence could make him a sneaky weapon if he manages to stick. Either way, the Oilers would love for one of them to grab a roster spot and run with it. Cheap, skilled forwards are worth their weight in gold, but with next to no NHL experience for either of them, I’m interested to see how much of the weight these two can carry.

3. Will we get a Connor McDavid extension?

This one is the elephant in every room this summer. Connor McDavid is eligible to sign a contract extension right now, with his current deal set to expire on June 30, 2026. While he’s said all the right things publicly — maybe even given us a scare or two in his year-end presser — fans are holding their breath until ink hits paper. I mean, how else would you react when the best player on earth is up for renewal? McDavid put up 100 points (26 G, 74 A) in 76 games last year while dealing with nagging injuries and playing a more pass-first game.

Even with a “down” year by his own standards, No. 97 was still the most dominant player in the league in transition, zone entries, and possession-driving metrics. If the team plans to continue trending upward — and if the front office can do everything possible to surround him with Cup-calibre depth — the smart money is still on Connor staying. But until his name is on a new contract, his storyline is going to hang over everything like a black cloud.

The good news is that Bob Stauffer speculated on his show this past week that McDavid could get an extension by the end of August. With Leon Draisaitl’s wedding on deck, Stauffer suggested nothing was ever going to happen until his Dynamic Duo partner’s big day is out of the way, so maybe that paves the way for a late-August extension.

“Let’s say by August the 28th, which is a Thursday, a month from today, I could foresee a scenario where extensions are done on Podzkolzin, Walman, Ekholm, and McDavid,” he said on Monday’s edition of OilersNow. “So I’m not moving off it.

“(Frank) Seravalli and myself both said 100 percent that Connor would re-sign. All along, nothing was happening before Leon’s wedding. I could see some traction occurring after that. Oh, and a potential extension for Kris Knoblauch as well. Those ones. I would say that (Brett) Kulak will probably have a decision to make.”

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At this point in the summer, McDavid can sign his new deal at any time, but it’s also important to remember he doesn’t have to. And until he does, expect the media to ask about it *constantly*, Leafs fans to dream and make photoshops incessantly, and the noise to keep getting louder and louder. From my side of the computer screen, the best day of the year will be when McDavid extends with the Oilers, but until that happens, his future in Edmonton will be a question on all of our minds.

4. What tactical changes will Kris Knoblauch implement?

Kris Knoblauch walked into a storm two seasons ago and calmly guided the Oilers from near rock bottom to back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances. He didn’t need sweeping changes — just clarity, trust, and stability. But now, with a full off-season and a coaching staff of his choosing, it’s fair to expect more of his own stamp on this team. It’s also fair to expect that he comes up with whatever details are needed to finally get over the hump and bring Lord Stanley home.

Look for adjustments to the defensive-zone structure, perhaps bringing more support down low and allowing D-men like Evan Bouchard to activate more selectively. I could see the Oilers wanting to generate more offence by bringing their defencemen up on the rush. Bouchard, who exploded for 82 points (18 G, 64 A) in 81 games two years ago, will once again be a big part of that equation. But while we’ll wonder for sure about the offensive adjustments, it’s the even-strength changes in the defensive zone that will likely bear the most fruit.

Another thing we’ll see some changes to is how Edmonton works their penalty kill. We already heard Knoblauch speak about wanting to make PK adjustments, but those are just words until we actually see some adjustments. In 2024-25, the Oilers’ PK finished the season with a 78.2 kill percentage, which was good for 16th overall, and that’s nowhere near good enough for anyone who spent the year watching games. Finding a way to kill off more penalties will be crucial to the team’s success, and I want to know how these new coaches and adjustments will help fix the problem.

5. Can the Oilers win their first division title since 1987?

Let’s say it again for the people in the back: the Edmonton Oilers have not won their division since 1987. That’s a wild stat given some of the teams that competed and won it all after the 1986-87 campaign. With all the talent they’ve had over the years — and now with the best player of this generation — they still haven’t been able to finish first in the Pacific Division, and I want to know if this is the year.

Last season, the Oilers went 48–29–5 for 101 points — good enough for third in the division behind Vegas and Los Angeles — and they did it while navigating another slow start and some major injuries down the stretch. Still, a slow start and some inconsistency kept them from chasing down Vancouver and Vegas, and I wonder if this is the season the team can put it all together more consistently. I know we don’t care much about the regular season anymore, but it sure would be nice if we did. This year? No excuses.

If the Oilers start strong and avoid the November collapse, the division is absolutely within reach, even with Vegas going out and getting Mitch Marner in free agency. And while banners aren’t everything, claiming that top seed would send a message: this team isn’t just trying to win — they expect to. And while a division win isn’t the price we’re all after, getting that first job done by setting the tone for the playoffs instead of riding in with a wobble or a limp. Obviously, winning the Pacific Division will take some luck, but I can’t see why they should be in the mix with Vegas being the only real team I see challenging them for the top seed.

Final Thoughts

The 2025–26 Oilers are a team with championship expectations — not just hopes. The roster is still pretty damned good. The stars are in their prime. The pain of falling just short again for a second straight year is still fresh, and I expect every single guy in that locker room knows exactly what it will take to go one step further.

Goaltending. Depth. Coaching. Health. It all matters. But above all else, this group has belief. Real belief. And if a few of these questions get answered the right way, then maybe — just maybe — we’ll finally get to see the Cup raised in Edmonton again. One more step. That’s all that’s left. See you at the parade.

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/5-key-questions-edmonton-oilers-mcdavid-future-goaltending

Edmonton Oilers · Aug 1, 2025

Oilers’ McDavid, Hyman, Nugent-Hopkins, and Bouchard invited to Hockey Canada Orientation Camp

Hockey Canada has invited four members of the Edmonton Oilers to the National Teams Orientation Camp in preparation for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.

Connor McDavid, Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Evan Bouchard were among the 42 players invited who will take part in a three-day off-ice event that involves players and staff from the men’s, women’s, and para hockey teams. According to the press release, the event includes presentations, team-building opportunities, team meetings and media opportunities in preparation for the upcoming season.

In terms of players invited, the Oilers are tied with the Vegas Golden Knights with the second most players at the orientation with four in total, with only the Florida Panthers having more at five. This does not mean that all four Oilers players will be heading to Milan next February, since McDavid is the only one confirmed to be going at the time of filing.

For Hyman, Nugent-Hopkins, and Bouchard, their invitation suggests they are being heavily considered by management for Hockey Canada, and they will at the very least be high on their list for injury replacements. Out of the other three Edmonton players invited, Bouchard has the best chance to join McDavid, but there is certainly a world where all three get to represent their country on the biggest stage.

If Hyman were to make the cut, it would be his first chance playing for Canada since turning pro and his first time in general since the 2013 Maccabiah Games.

Nugent-Hopkins has also yet to play for Canada at a major international tournament since entering the NHL in 2011. He did play for Team North America at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and for Canada at the 2018 World Hockey Championship, but he hasn’t gotten to participate in any major festivities since the 2013 World Juniors.

As for Bouchard, this would also be his first appearance for Canada after turning pro since he last suited up for his country was as an alternate captain at the 2019 World Juniors.

While it is unclear which of those three will be joining McDavid in Italy, the likes of Hyman, Nugent-Hopkins, and Bouchard are at the very least on Canada’s radar and could be in the mix down to the wire.

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/edmon...uchard-invited-hockey-canada-orientation-camp

Edmonton Oilers · Aug 2, 2025

‘There’s so much emotion’: Stan Bowman talks about the pressure of playing for the Oilers

It’s no secret that playing in Edmonton means stepping into the pressure cooker. The city lives and breathes hockey 365 days a year, and when you’re suiting up for the Oilers, you’re not just playing for a team — you’re playing for a ride-or-die town that surfs the highs and lows every single night the boys are on TV. That’s always been true around here, but in a world of constant connection, that spotlight has gotten a whole lot more intense.

During a recent sit-down on the 100% Hockey Talk podcast, Oilers GM Stan Bowman addressed the reality of playing in a market like Edmonton, speaking candidly about the challenges his goaltenders face when things aren’t always going well. While defending his decision not to bring in a new goalie over the summer, Bowman touched on something bigger — the weight of public opinion and how it can spread like wildfire on social media.

“There’s so much emotion, and there’s so much passion, but there’s also sometimes just so much noise out there,” he said. “Twenty years ago, there was just as much emotion and noise, but there was really no platform for these people to connect… Now, when someone yells out their window, they can connect to millions of people at one time.”

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It’s a fair point. The passion for the Oilers in this city hasn’t changed in decades — it’s always been off the charts — but what is pretty new is the reach within a fanbase that’s more connected than ever. A single tweet, post, article, or comment can gain traction in minutes, and criticism that used to stay in your basement, group chat, or at the bar gets amplified and echoed across timelines, feeds, and comment sections. And for the players — especially the goalies — that spotlight can be red hot.

And while we’re as dialled in as any fanbase in the league, the noise that comes from us isn’t always fair. Edmonton’s goaltending tandem helped backstop the team to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, but there are times on socials when you’d think Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard have never won a game. Getting to the finals twice in a row is nothing to sneeze at. In fact, it’s something only one other city in the league can say right now, with the obvious difference that they got to celebrate while we’re asking what happened. And yet, because the Stanley Cup still hasn’t come back to Edmonton since 1990, the microscope remains focused on what went wrong.

“I think to change something just to change it, I don’t know that I’ve ever been a big fan of that,” Bowman explained. “You have to be confident the change you’re making is an improvement.”

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If I’m reading between the lines here, Bowman is saying the easy move might have been to switch things up in net just to calm the waters and get a fresh face between the pipes. But change for the sake of change isn’t how you build sustained success. We’ve lived through plenty of off-seasons where we thought the Oilers won the summer only to have things blow up in our faces months later. The challenge Bowman is facing here, of course, is convincing the masses that sometimes the best move is no move at all.

That’s not always an easy sell in Edmonton, especially when so many of us have the goaltending singled out as the major reason the Oilers aren’t Stanley Cup champs. And that passion is a huge part of what makes this place so special. The Oilers matter here. Every game matters. Every shift matters. Sites like Oilersnation survive because the passion in the fanbase allows us the opportunity to do what we do, and I’m forever grateful for that. The jerseys aren’t just merchandise — they’re a uniform that unites most of Northern Alberta — and having a community with expectations as high as ours can lead to some unhinged reactions for good or for bad.

“I think that’s just part of the world that we’re living in today. I don’t know if it’s good or bad. It’s the society that we’re all part of. And, you know, I think there’s a lot of elements to social media that are a big reason for that. I think there’s tons of benefits of social media. But there are some downsides too.”

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But that same passion can boil over, especially when things don’t go our way. And right now, after two consecutive losses in the final, the sentiment for some folks around the goaltending is turning from a red flag into a rolling bowl. This is a team built to win, but many of us will point to the chain only being as strong as its weakest link. And right now, a lot of people see the goaltending as that flimsy piece. The core is in its prime, the Cup window is open, and the fan base knows we only have a finite period available to get the job done. When that pressure gets filtered through social media, it can create a storm that’s tough to weather, regardless of where a guy plays or how long they’ve been around.

“Even if they have no credibility and don’t know what they’re talking about, there’s a lot of other people and that’s the world we have to live with. So we can’t sit here and say it’s bad because there’s tons of great sides to it. But I think that is the downside, which is the passion and the emotion of the fans and the media has allowed some of this stuff to probably get out of hand.”

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Bowman isn’t wrong to point out that we live in a different world now, and that connecting with our favourite team is now easier than it’s ever been. Everyone has a voice, and sometimes the loudest ones aren’t always right, but that’s the double-edged sword of being a fan in 2025 — connection comes with consequence. And in a city like Edmonton, where the love for our team runs as deep as it gets, the volume isn’t going down any time soon. That said, being on social media isn’t unique for Oilers fans. Every fanbase in every league faces these same challenges, issues, and emotional rollercoaster that is being a pro-sports fan, but I also think it’s fair to question some of the takes we put out there, especially when they’re getting personal or downright dangerous.

So what’s the solution? I think it starts with balance. The same fans who are critical today will be chanting your name tomorrow — we know that’s true — and that’s part of what makes this market so much fun. I’ve been to markets where the fans don’t care much about what’s happening on the ice, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere other than a city like Edmonton, where the fans care about the team’s success more than anything. In my opinion, there is no greater fanbase in the world, and I’ll argue that point until the day the milk goes bad. Be passionate, be loud, be engaged, but let’s fall off the rails and turn into Leafs fans.

I think we can all do a better job of taking a minute to consider what we’re putting out into the world. Playing in Edmonton isn’t for the faint of heart — that passion is what makes it great — but I do think a bunch of us could be a touch more balanced. Because at the end of the day, even though this is the form of entertainment we staple into our lives, we’re just talking about a hockey team. The guys on the ice aren’t robots or feeling-less clones. Even though they say they don’t read social media, we all know they do. And while the volume on social media is built on real passion, it’s important to get outside and touch some grass sometimes before being mad about a missed save turns into something way darker than what happened on the ice.

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-gm-stan-bowman-interview-pressure

Edmonton Oilers · Aug 3, 2025

Oilersnation’s Summer 2025 Prospect Countdown – No. 10: Eemil Vinni

Welcome to Oilersnation’s Top Prospect Countdown for Summer 2025. This list profiles players and goaltenders under 25 years old who have played fewer than 25 NHL games.

After three consecutive drafts focused solely on skaters, the Edmonton Oilers have shifted course in recent years, selecting one goaltender in each of the past four drafts. Most were late-round swings, but in 2024, they made a bigger bet on the position by using the 64th overall pick on Finnish netminder Eemil Vinni.

With the goaltending picture uncertain both short- and long-term, could Vinni emerge as a goalie of the future for the Oilers?

Eemil Vinni

Position: Goaltender

Shoots: Left

Nationality: Finland

Date of Birth: Dec. 18, 2005

Drafted: 64th overall in 2024

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 185 pounds

Born in Vantaa, Finland, a city just north of the nation’s capital, Eemil Vinni developed through the junior ranks of HIFK (Sporting Society Comrades, Helsinki). He played at the U16, U18, and U20 levels before moving to Joensuun Kiekko-Pojat for the 2023-24 season, a club in Finland’s second-tier professional league.

Over 37 games with JoKP, Vinni recorded a 17-9-10 record with a .892 save percentage and a 2.72 goals-against average. He posted a .867 save percentage in seven playoff games as the team bowed out in the second round.

Vinni entered that summer’s draft as the top-ranked international goaltender by NHL Central Scouting, and the Oilers selected him 64th overall. Here’s what Elite Prospects had to say in their draft guide:

Eemil Vinni is a well-rounded goaltender who has an exciting approach to the game which plays into his strengths. The 6-foot-2 netminder is not afraid to attack shooters and force their hand – leading to a lot of mistakes by opponents. Very active and assertive in the crease, but not overly aggressive. He controls pucks with his hands extremely well, and his elite edgework completes the package.

Click to expand...

The 2024-25 season was largely a write-off for Vinni after undergoing back surgery in the off-season. He posted a .910 save percentage over seven games with HIFK’s U20 team and appeared in just two games at the pro level.

According to a report from Finnish media outlet Jatkoaika in April, Vinni signed a one-year deal to return to Joensuun Kiekko-Pojat for the 2025-26 season. Despite reported interest from other European clubs, he chose to go back to the team where he found success in his pre-draft year.

The hope for Vinni is that he has a fully healthy season and that he can see plenty of game action. He’ll be splitting the net with 27-year-old Juho Ahopelto, who played 12 games for JoKP last season as the backup to Los Angeles Kings prospect Juho Markkanen.

Vinni is certainly a name who can quickly climb up Edmonton’s prospect rankings, as we’ll see with another goalie later on the list.

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-summer-2025-prospect-countdown-10-eemil-vinni

Edmonton Oilers · Aug 3, 2025

Oilers: How Jesse Puljujarvi stacks up with the 2016 NHL Draft

It’s safe to say that Jesse Puljujarvi never panned out in the National Hockey League.

Drafted by the Edmonton Oilers fourth overall in the 2016 draft, Puljujarvi is the latest installment in a new series looking back at past Oilers draft picks, and how they stack up with their respective classes.

Puljujarvi wasn’t the only draft pick in that first round that didn’t pan out, though.

The first round misses

Believe it or not, Puljujarvi has played the 13th most NHL games among first round picks from that class, appearing in 387 games with the Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers across eight seasons.

Two top 10 picks have played fewer NHL games — Olli Juolevi, drafted fifth overall by the Vancouver Canucks, and Alexander Nylander, drafted eighth overall by the Buffalo Sabres.

Juolevi has played in just 41 games with the Canucks, Florida Panthers and Detroit Red Wings, while Nylander has played in 126 with the Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets and Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Value

There was lots of late round value in this draft. Jesper Bratt was selected by the New Jersey Devils in the sixth round, 162nd overall, and has played in 552 games, the seventh most of any player taken that year.

Also taken in the sixth round was Brandon Hagel, selected 159th overall by the Buffalo Sabres. Hagel never played for the Sabres, and never signed with them, either. They relinquished his rights and he would sign with the Chicago Blackhawks, later breaking out as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning. His 375 NHL games rank 23rd in the class.

Round two had some solid selections, too. Alex DeBrincat was taken 39th overall by the Blackhawks, playing the third most games in the class, while Samuel Girard, selected by the Nashville Predators 47th overall, has played in the eighth most NHL games.

How does Puljujarvi stack up with the class?

Whether you look at games played, goals, assists or points, Puljujarvi ranks within the top-23 among players taken that year.

With 387 games, 58 goals, 70 assists and 128 points, he’s played the 21st most games, scored the 19th most goals, the 23rd most assists and the 22nd most points.

Those are more than respectable numbers when you look at the rest of the class, as according to HockeyDB, the averages for all those categories are well surpassed by the Bison King. The average games played are 183, the average goals are 32, the average assists are 50 and the average points are 82.

Who should’ve the Oilers selected instead?

There were two other players taken shortly after Puljujarvi that the Oilers should’ve taken: Matthew Tkachuk, who went sixth overall to the Calgary Flames, or Clayton Keller, who went seventh to the Arizona Coyotes.

With a career that’s seen him score 240 goals, 395 assists and 636 points in 642 games, Tkachuk leads the class in games played and assists, is third in goals behind DeBrincat and Auston Matthews, taken first overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs, and ranks second in points.

Keller, meanwhile, has scored 196 goals, 312 points and 508 points in 601 games, ranking within the top-five for each category.

Hindsight, of course, is 20/20, in situations like these, and while Puljujarvi never hit the ceiling expected of a top-five pick in a draft, he made a solid career. And seemingly at every stop he made, he was under appreciated for the things he did so well, playing strong defensive hockey away from the puck and helping his teams tilt the ice in the right direction.

His career has now taken him overseas, having signed a two-year deal in Switzerland to play for the Swiss National League’s Genève-Servette HC.

One has to wonder what kind of a career he would’ve had if he wasn’t plagued with hip issues.

Past classes

Nail Yakupov — 2012 NHL Draft

Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the DFO DFS Report. He can be followed on Twitter, currently known as X, at @zjlaing, or reached by email at [email protected].

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-jesse-puljujarvi-stacks-up-2016-nhl-draft

Edmonton Oilers · Aug 4, 2025

‘You can get some energy out of change’: Oilers GM Stan Bowman talks changing goaltending coaches, roster turnover, and more

It has been an offseason of change for the Edmonton Oilers.

Along with some important players finding new homes, the team also saw a notable change in its coaching staff, as the Oilers elected not to bring back Dustin Schwartz as the team’s goaltending coach.

It led to the team hiring former Chicago Blackhawks developmental goalie coach, Peter Aubry.

In a recent appearance on 100% Hockey with Millard and Shannon, Oilers general manager Stan Bowman was asked about how difficult it was to change goaltending coaches.

“That was hard. It was,” Bowman said. “I know Dustin had been there for a long time, and I think it wasn’t really so much about people doing a bad job. I think sometimes change is good. And when you’ve had one thing for a long time – [Stuart Skinner’s] been there for a few years in a row, and same with [Calvin] Pickard. I just felt maybe a little bit of a different look would be good for our organization.”

One of the largest criticisms surrounding the Oilers for the past couple of years, despite the team making it to the Stanley Cup Finals in each of the past two seasons, has been the team’s inconsistent play between the pipes. Despite Skinner showing glimpses of being a championship-quality goaltender, it hasn’t been enough to take Edmonton to the Promised Land.

Bowman also believes changing things up can be beneficial for a team.

“I think sometimes you can get some energy out of change. It doesn’t always have to mean that there was horrible reasons for it or why. I just think sometimes change is good, and that was really the thought process that went into that one.”

Bowman had a previous relationship with Aubry, having hired him during his time with Chicago. He admits that there are many traits that make Aubry the right man for the job.

“He’s a fantastic guy, Bowman stated. “He’s fun to be around. I think he’s a very collaborative guy…I think he’s established, always, a good relationship with the goalies. I think a lot of it is a technical aspect to goaltending, without a doubt. But I do think that there’s a large part of it that’s the mental side…It’s the toughest position to play in professional sports.

“So, you have to have a good relationship with your goalies, and to be able to help them through those ups and downs that are inevitable.”

Bowman also brought up his workload behind the scenes over the past month or so, mentioning that the Oilers have been making some changes in the wake of losing players like Connor Brown, Viktor Arvidsson, Evander Kane, and more.

“We wanted to try to make a few changes. I’ve always felt, coming after when we won some of those years in Chicago, I never thought it made sense to bring everybody back. I always like to have a little bit of newness to the group. Whether you win or lose, I think it’s important to try to have some guys that weren’t part of that group, and they didn’t experience the long run. … I think you need some of that newness and that energy to push your group.”

The Oilers won’t be a completely new-look team, having re-signed depth players like Trent Frederic and Kasperi Kapanen, along with extending Evan Bouchard. Yet, Bowman wants to see what new faces, like forward Andrew Mangiapane, can bring to the table.

“I think sometimes you need some different players. One of the focuses was to try to bring a little bit of youth to our team…We have more of a veteran team. I think we’ve tried to get younger [with] some of the moves we made, because I think that’s important for a team to have some of that energy from players that haven’t been through it…I think having some new faces that haven’t done it is good for your group and push them forward.”

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/some-...-changing-goaltending-coaches-roster-turnover

Edmonton Oilers · Aug 4, 2025

Oilersnation’s Summer 2025 Prospect Countdown – No. 9: Paul Fischer

Welcome to Oilersnation’s Top Prospect Countdown for Summer 2025. This list profiles players and goaltenders under 25 years old who have played fewer than 25 NHL games.

Last August, the St. Louis Blues made waves by signing two young Oilers, Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway, to offer sheets. Both former first-round picks were restricted free agents, and Edmonton chose not to match either deal.

As compensation, the Blues sent their second- and third-round picks in the 2025 draft to Edmonton. The Oilers also received defenceman Paul Fischer in exchange for “Future Considerations” as a sweetener for letting both players walk.

Paul Fischer

Position: Defence

Shoots: Left

Nationality: United States

Date of Birth: Jan. 30, 2005

Drafted: 138th overall in 2023

Height: 6-foot-0

Weight: 200 pounds

One emerging trend during Stan Bowman’s first year as general manager of the Oilers is a clear investment in players from the U.S. National Team Development Program.

Following last summer’s offer sheets, Bowman cleared salary cap space by trading Cody Ceci for Ty Emberson, a USNTDP product. Another alum, Trent Frederic, signed an eight-year extension with Edmonton after being acquired at the trade deadline. This summer’s biggest addition, Isaac Howard, also came through the USNTDP pipeline.

And then there’s Paul Fischer, a native of River Forest, Illinois, who won gold with Team USA at both the U18 and U20 World Juniors. Selected by St. Louis in the fifth round of the 2023 draft, here’s how Elite Prospects described the defenceman in their Draft Guide:

Fischer’s a steady defensive presence, bringing a tight gap, proactive threat elimination, and physicality. He leverages his frame to ride guys out while defending the rush. He doesn’t fall for slips or dangles, and rubs guys out before making a simple but effective exit pass.

Click to expand...

Fischer recorded two goals and 16 points with a minus-three rating over 34 games in his freshman season at the University of Notre Dame in 2023-24. He took a step forward offensively in 2024-25, leading the team’s blueline with 21 points in 36 games. However, the increased responsibility came with growing pains defensively, as he finished with a team-worst minus-19 rating.

Listed at 6-foot-0 and 200 pounds, Fischer isn’t an especially imposing defender, but his strength lies in his skating, highlighted by smooth strides and strong balance. With few left-handed defencemen in the system, he stands out as an intriguing long-term project for the Oilers.

Fischer still has two years of NCAA eligibility, so there’s no urgency to sign him to an entry-level deal. He’ll again play top-four minutes for Notre Dame in 2025-26, and the hope is that he continues to grow offensively while tightening up his defensive game.

Top Prospects Countdown…

Honourable Mentions

No. 10: Eemil Vinni

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-summer-2025-prospect-countdown-9-paul-fischer

Edmonton Oilers · Aug 5, 2025

‘He’s a tone-setter’: Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk lands NHL 26 cover

Edmonton Oilers fans may want to photoshop their own version of NHL 26.

That’s because on Monday morning, the NHL announced EA Sports’ cover athlete for the latest instalment of their NHL franchise: Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk.

“He’s a tone-setter, a leader, and now a cover star,” the NHL’s announcement read.

He’s a tone-setter, a leader, and now a cover star.

Matthew Tkachuk is the face of #NHL26.

See the full reveal August 6th: https://t.co/gsLeVReKbu pic.twitter.com/S24tmSe834

— NHL (@NHL) August 4, 2025

Click to expand...

It’s been quite the run for Tkachuk since he arrived in Florida a little over three years ago, helping lead the Panthers to three Stanley Cup Final appearances in a row, winning each of the last two. Those came with the Oilers losing back-to-back finals.

This was a tumultuous year for Tkachuk personally, however. He appeared in just 52 regular season games scoring 22 goals and 57 points, and while he represented the United States at the 4-Nations Face-Off, he suffered a serious injury that held him out for the second half of the season. Tkachuk tore his adductor off the bone and suffered a sports hernia.

He, as everyone remembers, was involved in one of three early fights at the 4-Nations Face-Off, when he fought Brandon Hagel off the opening faceoff for the Gold Medal game.

The winger was able to play in all 23 playoff games for the Panthers, scoring eight goals and 23 points in 23 games.

Tkachuk becomes the third Florida Panther to be made an NHL cover athlete, following goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck, who donned the North America cover for NHL 97, and Olli Jokinen, who was on the European cover of NHL 2005, replacing Vancouver Canucks forward Markus Naslund.

Being on the cover hasn’t always worked out well for the players teams. As noted by JFreshHockey on X, an NHL cover athletes team has only made it past the second round of the playoffs once in the season he appeared on the cover (Patrick Kane, NHL 2010), and past the first round three times (Kane, NHL 2010, Vladimir Tarasenko, NHL 17 and Cale Makar NHL 24).

Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the DFO DFS Report. He can be followed on Twitter, currently known as X, at @zjlaing, or reached by email at [email protected].

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/florida-panthers-matthew-tkachuk-nhl-26-cover

Edmonton Oilers · Aug 5, 2025

Oilers set to travel more than any team in the NHL this season

If you were hoping that the Edmonton Oilers would catch a break on the travel schedule this year, I’ve got some bad news. Not only are they not getting a break on travel, but our beloved Oilers will actually spend more time on a plane than anyone else. According to Bill Speros of Bookies.com, Edmonton will lead the entire NHL in miles travelled during the 2025–26 season, and they’re not even one of the teams leaving the continent to start the season in Europe.

NHL Miles Traveled 2025-26

The 32 NHL teams will travel more than 1.3 million this season, with Pittsburgh and Nashville visiting Sweden, and the Oilers taking a 7,114-mile trip acoss North America.

Full Story & Details In Comments pic.twitter.com/sjtaTfcVgU

— Bill Speros (@billsperos) July 28, 2025

Click to expand...

While teams like the Penguins (2nd place on the list) and Predators are heading to Stockholm in November to kick off the season for the NHL Global Series, the Oilers are sticking around and still somehow top the mileage leaderboard. How? Why? Huh? Personally, I blame the schedule-makers and a brutal road stretch in November that looks like it was put together by someone with a personal grudge against our beloved squadron.

Between November 12th and 22nd, the Oilers will play seven road games in 11 days. That stretch includes stops in Philly, Columbus, Carolina, Buffalo, Washington, Tampa Bay, and wraps with a Stanley Cup Final rematch against the Panthers in Sunrise, Florida. According to Bill Speros, that slog of a travel schedule works out to nearly 10,000 miles in a week and a half. That is a haul when you consider the last-place Islanders’ entire travel schedule is only 3x more for the entire season. The boys are going to Netflix hard, right?

At the end of the day, living on a plane isn’t anything new for the Oilers. According to Thomas Nestico of TJ Stats, the boys logged over 50,000 miles during the 2024–25 season, so another year of major travel time was probably to be expected. It’s a product of having your closest division rivals not named Calgary still being a multi-hour flight away, but that doesn’t make these numbers any less staggering. I don’t know how many of you reading this are big travellers, but even with being on the PJ, spending that much time on flights/airports/runways is a grind no matter how you’re getting around.

How the rest of the league stacks up

The only other team that even comes close to the Oilers’ travel schedule is the second-place Pittsburgh Penguins thanks to their trip to Sweden to start the year and a league-high 22 separate road trips sprinkled throughout their calendar. Even with bopping over to Stockholm, that’s a massive jump from where the Penguins were at last year when they traveled just 31,700 miles, which was good for dead last in the NHL. Maybe this is good training for any Pens who want to bail for an Edmonton exit?

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the New York Islanders will travel less than anyone in the league at 28,477 miles total. As I’m sure you’ve heard plenty over the years, it’s easy for these guys to sleep in their own beds when your divisional rivals are basically a hop, skip, and jump away. The Isles’ mileage is barely half of Edmonton’s, and I think that’s bananas. The Islanders will knock out a lot of their total distance with two extended road trips in November and January, but for the most part, they’ll stay close to home on the East Coast. Must be nice, right?

And just when you think things might slow down, don’t forget that the NHL is taking a three-week break from February 5th to 25th when a selection of players will compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics. So if and when Oilers like Connor McDavid are selected to represent their countries — four Oilers were invited to the Olympic summer camp — those dudes will be racking up even more mileage on top of what is already a punishing travel slate. Again, say what you will about how these guys move around, but there’s little doubt that the eastern teams don’t have a significant rest advantage.

The Wrap

Life on the road isn’t new for the Edmonton Oilers, but it’s worth repeating just how much tougher the grind is when you spend nearly twice the time in the air as the last place team. The Oilers don’t have the luxury of short hops or same-day trips — they fly all over the continent in sometimes strange orders — it’s long flights, time zone changes, and back-to-backs sometimes in different states. That’s a solid even on a private jet. Again. But if the last two seasons showed us anything, it’s that this team can travel the world and still find ways to win play meaningful hockey when it matters most. I just hope the Oilers do everything they’re legally allowed to do to make the experience a little bit smoother because Gord knows our boys will be living on that plane for huge chunks in the six-month window that is the 2025-26 NHL season.

UPDATE…

After posting the article, I got a text from Jason Gregor about this guy’s numbers being wrong. Per our man, the numbers posted by the NHL paint a different picture of where the Oilers are at on the road. Below you’ll see the numbers that Gregor compiled from the league.

TEAM
MILES
KM
TEAM
MILES
KM

DAL
49,549
79,747
FLA
39,837
64,117

SJS
48,847
78,611
STL
39,506
63,575

COL
47,426
76,325
NYR
38,929
62,655

NSH
46,163
74,291
CHI
38,237
61,531

VAN
46,101
74,189
MIN
37,139
59,767

ANA
45,734
73,605
CBJ
36,835
59,283

VGK
45,040
72,488
WSH
36,592
58,892

CGY
43,993
70,804
PHI
35,882
57,749

EDM
43,791
70,477
CAR
35,463
57,072

WPG
43,455
69,932
MTL
34,920
56,201

PIT
43,419
69,883
OTT
34,710
55,854

BOS
43,083
69,334
NJD
33,873
54,511

SEA
42,918
69,067
BUF
32,518
52,327

LAK
42,577
68,523
DET
32,315
52,006

UTA
42,012
67,614
TOR
32,056
51,593

TBL
40,221
64,725
NYI
28,953
46,602

So, what does it mean? Don’t believe everything you read on the Internet. That said, the guy is doubling down on his numbers being accurate, but even so, I think I’ll trust my man JG over some rando.

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-travel-more-than-any-nhl-team

Edmonton Oilers · Aug 6, 2025

7 Oilers who turned strong playoff performances into multi-year contracts

There’s chatter that the Edmonton Oilers plan to sign D-man Jake Walman to a long-term contract extension. As Zach Laing reports, according to Evolving Hockey, the deal could be close to six years with a $6.278-million cap hit, and this likely reflects Walman’s strong playoff performance last season, where he recorded 10 points (2 goals, 8 assists) in 22 games and led the entire league in blocked shots with 66.

That said, because of Walman’s tremendous playoff run, a long-term contract extension is well-deserved and one I’m in favour of, and it may be just around the corner this offseason. With that in mind, and following that trend, here’s a look at seven Oilers who turned strong playoff performances into multi-year contracts the following offseason.

Fernando Pisani – Signed a 4-Year, $10 Million Contract Following the 2006 Playoffs

Fernando Pisani was drafted by the Oilers in the eighth round of the 1996 NHL Draft but didn’t begin his NHL career until age 26. In his third season, he set a career high with 37 points (18G, 19A) in 80 games during the 2005–06 regular season, then followed it up with an unforgettable performance during Edmonton’s run to the 2006 Stanley Cup Final.

Pisani scored a league-leading 14 goals and four assists in 24 playoff games, and only three of those came on the power play, one was a spectacular shorthanded tally, and the other 10 came at even strength, including five game-winners, with none bigger than the iconic goal he scored in Game 5 of the Final.

The Oilers were down 3–1 in the series against the Carolina Hurricanes, and in Game 5, they found themselves tied 3–3 in overtime. While killing a penalty, Pisani stepped up as the OT short-handed hero, as the late Robin Brownlee described his goal:

“Pisani’s snipe, top shelf snapshot over the glove of Cam Ward after he snatched the puck on a Rod Brind’Amour pass attempt at the blueline, was his 11th of the post-season and it gave the Oilers a 4-3 win, sending the series back to Edmonton for Game 6. A shorthanded overtime winner?

How often does that happen? How often does any of what we saw in the spring of 2006 – 14 goals, including five game-winners in a span of 24 games by a player who never scored more than 18 goals in a season — happen? Pisani was the unlikeliest of heroes, an Edmonton boy who’d toiled in the AHL and didn’t even make it the NHL until he was 26. It was perfect.”

Click to expand...

That goal was indeed perfect and instantly became one of the most memorable in Oilers playoff history. Unfortunately, his efforts during that playoff run weren’t enough to bring the Stanley Cup to Edmonton. However, because of his incredible performance, the Oilers rewarded Pisani with a four-year, $10 million contract on July 1, 2006.

On this day in 2006, Edmonton Oilers forward Fernando Pisani scored the iconic overtime goal in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals pic.twitter.com/vSXu0F4Yos

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) June 14, 2025

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That said, before the start of the 2007–08 season, he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, which sidelined him for the first 26 games of the campaign. The illness began to impact his health, and as a result, he was never fully able to replicate the impact he had during the 2006 Cup run. Over the next four seasons in Edmonton, he tallied 89 regular-season points in 211 games before playing his final NHL season with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010–11.

Dwayne Roloson – Signed a 3-Year, $11 Million Contract Following the 2006 Playoffs

In 2006, the Oilers were holding onto the eighth seed in the Western Conference when then-GM Kevin Lowe acquired veteran goaltender Dwayne Roloson from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a first-round draft pick and a conditional third-round pick. The netminder helped the team secure the final playoff spot and took his game to a whole new level once the playoffs began.

Facing the first-seeded Detroit Red Wings in the first round, he posted a .929 save percentage (SV%), helping his team pull off a huge upset with a 4–2 series win. He matched that .929 SV% against the San Jose Sharks in the second round, which included a spectacular glove save on sniper Jonathan Cheechoo in double overtime of Game 3, helping the Oilers secure the win and eliminate the Sharks in six games. The netminder then posted a .939 SV% in the Western Conference Final against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.

16 years ago today…
The underdog @EdmontonOilers completed a stunning rally from 2-0 down in their 2nd round series to San Jose as Dwayne Roloson stopped all 24 SOG he faced in a series-clinching 2-0 victory in Game 6 at Rexall Place.
Roloson had a .932 SVP in the series. pic.twitter.com/rSSxVivNBy

— Bob Stauffer (@Bob_Stauffer) May 17, 2022

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, Roloson suffered a severe knee injury during Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final when Marc-André Bergeron accidentally drove Andrew Ladd straight into him in the crease, which was a devastating collision for the team. The injury forced Roloson out for the remainder of the series, and backup Jussi Markkanen manned the net, with the Oilers eventually losing to the Hurricanes in seven games.

That said, Roloson put on an incredible performance during the 2006 playoff run, posting a 12-5 record with a 2.32 goals-against average (GAA) and a league-leading .927 SV%. As a result, the Oilers signed the then 36-year-old netminder to a three-year, $11 million contract the following offseason.

Overall, “Roli the Goalie” played in 174 regular-season games over the next three seasons with the Oilers, going 70-75-20 and posting a .908 SV% during that span before signing with the New York Islanders in July 2009.

Ales Hemsky – Signed a 6-Year, $24 Million Contract Extension Following the 2006 Playoffs

Former Oiler Ales Hemsky was the 13th overall pick in the 2001 NHL Draft and made his NHL debut during the 2002–03 season, putting up 30 points in his rookie campaign and following it up with 24 points in his sophomore season. In 2005-06, he posted 77 points in the regular season, marking his breakout year.

Moreover, he carried his stellar play into the playoffs, registering 17 points (6G, 11A) in 24 postseason games and had several highlights, most notably scoring the tying goal late in Game 6 against Detroit in the first round, followed by the go-ahead goal with just over a minute remaining. That goal held up as the game-winner, eliminating the powerhouse Red Wings and marking the final NHL game of Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman’s career.

OTD 2006
Game 6 West Quarter-Final
Ales Hemsky eliminates the Red Wings.
4-3 #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/jWQ0SsebUb

— Vintage Oilers (@VintageOilers) May 1, 2023

Click to expand...

Hemsky was just 22 years old during the 2006 playoff run and was already under contract for the 2006–07 season. But after a strong postseason showing and with a desire to lock up their future star, Edmonton decided to sign him to a six-year, $24 million contract extension in July 2006.

Hemsky played a total of 11 years in Oil Country, and while his highest point total after 2006 was 71 points, the talented winger was one of the few bright spots during the Oilers’ decade of darkness.

Kris Russell – Signed a 4-Year, $16 Million Contract Following the 2017 Playoffs

The Oilers signed veteran blueliner Kris Russell to a one-year, $3.1 million deal on Oct. 7, 2016, just before the season opener. He posted 13 points (1G, 12A) during the regular season, led the team with 213 blocked shots, and carried his dependable defensive play into the postseason.

In the playoffs, he was a minute muncher for the blue and orange, playing the third-most minutes of any Oiler during the team’s playoff run with 286:19, behind only Adam Larsson and Connor McDavid. Moreover, he led the team in blocked shots by a wide margin in the postseason, finishing with 54, well ahead of fellow D-man Oscar Klefbom’s 28.

The #Oilers have signed Kris Russell to a four-year contract extension. pic.twitter.com/GQMLKCEuGX

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) June 23, 2017

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His biggest block came in Game 5 of the opening round against the Sharks, when he got in front of a Brent Burns blast in overtime and moments later, former Oiler David Desharnais scored the OT winner, giving Edmonton a 3–2 series lead.

Russell also posted four assists and was effective in breaking the puck out, but it was his rugged defensive play that season — particularly his gritty workload in the playoffs — that led the Oilers to sign him to a four-year, $16 million contract in June 2017.

Russell played the remainder of his contract with the Oilers before they re-signed him for one more year for the 2021–22 campaign, which was his final NHL season. In total, he appeared in 339 regular-season games with the team.

Brett Kulak – Signed a 4-Year, $11 Million Contract Following the 2022 Playoffs

The Oilers acquired D-man Brett Kulak from the Montreal Canadiens at the 2022 trade deadline in exchange for William Lagesson, a conditional second-round pick, and a seventh-rounder.

He played in 18 regular-season games down the stretch, producing eight points (2G, 6A), and was solid in 16 playoff games that season. He recorded five assists and, as Zach Laing described, he “was a near-perfect fit in the lineup.” He averaged just over 16 minutes of steady hockey a night in the playoffs, used his speed, defended well, and seemed to bring out the best in his D-partner, Tyson Barrie, during that run.

According to Natural Stat Trick, he had a 63.16% goal share, and high-danger chances were 8–4 in his favour when he was on the ice at 5v5. All in all, he helped stabilize the third pair in the postseason and also showed he could handle second-pair responsibilities when needed.

Brett Kulak, signed 4x$2.75M by EDM, is an excellent defence-first defenceman who does all the little things right and makes whoever he plays with better. Played great with the Oilers. #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/rA4W8p2xOm

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 13, 2022

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Impressed by Kulak’s performance during the 2022 playoff run, Edmonton signed the Stony Plain, AB native to a four-year, $11 million contract in the following offseason. He has since been a stabilizing force on the Oilers’ back end as he approaches the final year of his contract in 2025–26.

Evander Kane – Signed a 4-Year, $20.5 Million Contract Following the 2022 Playoffs

The Oilers picked up Evander Kane as a free agent in January 2022 after San Jose terminated his contract. He caught fire in the final stretch of the 2021-22 regular season, scoring 39 points in 43 games, and then turned up the heat even more with a spectacular 2022 playoff run.

He scored 13 goals in 15 playoff games, tying for first place with Nathan MacKinnon. Additionally, Kane scored seven goals in seven games against the Los Angeles Kings in the opening round, then added five goals in five games against Calgary, including a natural hat trick in Game 2 of the Battle of Alberta series. As well, his 11 even-strength goals led the league that postseason.

He's back.

The #Oilers have signed Evander Kane to a four-year contract with an AAV of $5.125 million.

@evanderkane_9 | #LetsGoOilers

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) July 13, 2022

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Beyond scoring, the rugged forward was a physical force with 73 hits in 15 games, which was fourth-most in the league and led the playoffs in penalty minutes with 37. The Colorado Avalanche wound up sweeping the Oilers in four games in the Western Conference Final. Still, following Kane’s tremendous postseason, he signed a four-year $20 million contract with the club on July 13, 2022.

Overall, Kane scored 62 goals and 111 points in 161 regular-season games for the Oilers, and added 26 goals and 42 points in 68 playoff games. However, he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks on June 25, 2025.

Mattias Janmark – Signed a 3-Year, $4.35 Million Contract Following the 2024 Playoffs

Oilers forward Mattias Janmark originally signed with Edmonton in July 2022 on a one-year deal worth $1.25 million, putting up 25 points that season. He then re-signed another one-year deal in June 2023, taking a pay cut to $1 million, and recorded just 12 points in the 2023–24 regular season.

However, during the 2024 playoffs, Janmark recorded eight points in 25 games. While he didn’t exactly light up the scoresheet, he was highly effective in his bottom-six role. The Oilers’ penalty kill that postseason was an incredible 94.3%, the best in NHL history, and Janmark played a big part in that, playing the second-most minutes among forwards (49:45) and scoring two shorthanded goals. He also scored the game-winner in Game 5 against the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final.

CLEANING UP

The #Oilers have re-signed forward Mattias Janmark to a three-year contract with an AAV of $1.45 million. #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/5xyvIVrHNO

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) July 2, 2024

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Additionally, Janmark rose to the occasion in the Stanley Cup Final. While he recorded only eight points during the postseason, four of those came in the Final — two goals and two assist and he was also the only Oiler to score in Game 7’s 2-1 loss to the Panthers.

Janmark was a pending unrestricted free agent after the 2023–24 season, but his strong playoff performance likely played a key role in his earning a multi-year deal from the Oilers just seven days after the loss to Florida, signing a three-year, $4.35 million contract on July 1, 2024.

Having said that, while not every deal has been perfect, the Oilers have had their fair share of solid signings following strong playoff performances, but which signing stands out as your favourite?

THE OILERSNATION OPEN PRES. BY STAR MECHANICAL

When: Friday, August 29th, 2025

Where: Millwoods Golf Course

What:

Foursome teams – $1300 | Solo (Mosaic team) – $325

All in support of Gregor’s Grads.

A day of golf followed by a Banquet lunch and an exclusive after party.

Sign up at nationgear.ca.

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/7-oilers-turned-strong-playoff-performances-multi-year-contracts

TEAM	MILES	KM	TEAM	MILES	KM
DAL	49,549	79,747	FLA	39,837	64,117
SJS	48,847	78,611	STL	39,506	63,575
COL	47,426	76,325	NYR	38,929	62,655
NSH	46,163	74,291	CHI	38,237	61,531
VAN	46,101	74,189	MIN	37,139	59,767
ANA	45,734	73,605	CBJ	36,835	59,283
VGK	45,040	72,488	WSH	36,592	58,892
CGY	43,993	70,804	PHI	35,882	57,749
EDM	43,791	70,477	CAR	35,463	57,072
WPG	43,455	69,932	MTL	34,920	56,201
PIT	43,419	69,883	OTT	34,710	55,854
BOS	43,083	69,334	NJD	33,873	54,511
SEA	42,918	69,067	BUF	32,518	52,327
LAK	42,577	68,523	DET	32,315	52,006
UTA	42,012	67,614	TOR	32,056	51,593
TBL	40,221	64,725	NYI	28,953	46,602

News Oilers Team Notes

Starter

PRESENTED BY STAR MECHANICAL​

Starter

ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365​

Starter

Starter

Previously…​

Starter

PRESENTED BY 6IX INNING STRETCH PODCAST​

Starter

Starter

ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365​

Starter

ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365​

Starter

Starter

ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365​

Starter

1. How will the goaltending hold up?​

2. How much should we expect from Matt Savoie and Isaac Howard?​

3. Will we get a Connor McDavid extension?​

4. What tactical changes will Kris Knoblauch implement?​

5. Can the Oilers win their first division title since 1987?​

Final Thoughts​

PRESENTED BY ODD COMPANY​

Starter

Starter

PRESENTED BY STAR MECHANICAL​

Starter

Eemil Vinni​

Starter

The first round misses​

The Value​

How does Puljujarvi stack up with the class?​

Who should’ve the Oilers selected instead?​

Past classes​

ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365​

Starter

Starter

Paul Fischer​

Top Prospects Countdown…​

Starter

ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365​

Starter

How the rest of the league stacks up​

The Wrap​

UPDATE…​

PRESENTED BY 6IX INNING STRETCH PODCAST​

Starter

Fernando Pisani – Signed a 4-Year, $10 Million Contract Following the 2006 Playoffs​

Dwayne Roloson – Signed a 3-Year, $11 Million Contract Following the 2006 Playoffs​

Ales Hemsky – Signed a 6-Year, $24 Million Contract Extension Following the 2006 Playoffs​

Kris Russell – Signed a 4-Year, $16 Million Contract Following the 2017 Playoffs​

Brett Kulak – Signed a 4-Year, $11 Million Contract Following the 2022 Playoffs​

Evander Kane – Signed a 4-Year, $20.5 Million Contract Following the 2022 Playoffs​

Mattias Janmark – Signed a 3-Year, $4.35 Million Contract Following the 2024 Playoffs​

THE OILERSNATION OPEN PRES. BY STAR MECHANICAL​

PRESENTED BY STAR MECHANICAL

ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365

Previously…

PRESENTED BY 6IX INNING STRETCH PODCAST

ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365

ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365

ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365

1. How will the goaltending hold up?

2. How much should we expect from Matt Savoie and Isaac Howard?

3. Will we get a Connor McDavid extension?

4. What tactical changes will Kris Knoblauch implement?

5. Can the Oilers win their first division title since 1987?

Final Thoughts

PRESENTED BY ODD COMPANY

PRESENTED BY STAR MECHANICAL

Eemil Vinni

The first round misses

The Value

How does Puljujarvi stack up with the class?

Who should’ve the Oilers selected instead?

Past classes

ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365

Paul Fischer

Top Prospects Countdown…

ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365

How the rest of the league stacks up

The Wrap

UPDATE…

PRESENTED BY 6IX INNING STRETCH PODCAST

Fernando Pisani – Signed a 4-Year, $10 Million Contract Following the 2006 Playoffs

Dwayne Roloson – Signed a 3-Year, $11 Million Contract Following the 2006 Playoffs

Ales Hemsky – Signed a 6-Year, $24 Million Contract Extension Following the 2006 Playoffs

Kris Russell – Signed a 4-Year, $16 Million Contract Following the 2017 Playoffs

Brett Kulak – Signed a 4-Year, $11 Million Contract Following the 2022 Playoffs

Evander Kane – Signed a 4-Year, $20.5 Million Contract Following the 2022 Playoffs

Mattias Janmark – Signed a 3-Year, $4.35 Million Contract Following the 2024 Playoffs

THE OILERSNATION OPEN PRES. BY STAR MECHANICAL