In the Pressbox

Do Not Suffer Quietly

Wed, 06 May 2026 23:38:46 -0400

I have nothing but complete and total respect for Victor Hedman after he announced today that he had been out of the lineup while focusing on his mental health. When an athlete as heralded and celebrated as Hedman speaks about how he needed to step away from the game that has brought him his celebrity status, it might be time to take a longer look at how hockey and sports in general takes a mental toll on those who play the game. We saw Linus Ullmark speak of the struggles he went through earlier this season, Robin Lehner has been struggling with his mental health for a while, and Ville Heinola spoke of hiring a mental health coach to help him this season. Clearly, this is a health issue that all professional sports leagues should be working to improve, and I commend Victor Hedman for speaking out today about his mental health situation.

Hedman spoke openly and honestly with reporters today as he spoke about his prolonged absence from the Lightning lineup, telling the assembled media that he's been seeing a therapist for years.

"It just helps to have someone to talk to. My therapist has no clue what hockey is. She's learning, but that's kind of nice, too," Hedman told reporters about his therapy sessions. "She's not focused on me as a hockey player, she's focused on me as a person. That's been great, and she's been a tremendous help. She's one of the big reasons that I'm standing here today and feeling the way I feel."

Seeking treatment for mental health issues is nothing new for hockey players, but being as open and honest about those struggles is a vast difference compared to the various ways that some dealt with their deteriorating mental health in the past. Coaches, fans, and media would question a player's "mental toughness" if one were to show ay sort of weakness, and players often remained silent and treated their struggles with mental health through dependencies that affected them and their loved ones. In short, mental health issues have always been present for elite-level hockey players, but, thankfully, things are changing since those days of yesteryear for those needing help.

A 2025 study titled Elite Ice Hockey Players’ Well-Being: A Scoping Review published in the National Library of Medicine written by Pierre-Luc Veillette, Stéphanie Girard, Jason D'Amours, Vincent Huard Pelletier, and Paule Miquelon looked at "the psychological factors contributing to elite ice hockey players' well-being". The study was based on published works that focused on "anxiety and depressive symptoms, motivational variables, and coping strategies at different career stages" of the hockey players described in those articles.

The findings by the authors showed that there are many factors that lead to elite male hockey players struggling with mental health. The study did identify that it was a poor representation of women's hockey as there weren't many articles which they could study, but everything from concussions and their long-term effects to lack of routine for retired players to negative experiences with coaches and parents led to negative thoughts and behaviours in hockey players.

Hedman, in his comments today, indicated that fellow players may be changing how mental health situations are viewed within the league.

"In the beginning it was more with my therapist. Guys were reaching out, and I really didn't have the energy to reach back at that point," Hedman said. "But it was a tremendous amount of support, not just from my teammates, but around the league as well. Tremendous support, and now we're just looking forward to what's ahead."

This aligns with the study above that noted that "athletes who seek social support during injuries tend to cope better during their rehabilitation process. Thus, strong support networks — including teammates, coaches, and family — are instrumental in fostering effective coping strategies". Hedman indicated that the support from teammates and players around the league helped him escape the darkness, and that's a great sign for how hockey may be changing for the better. No longer are players told to "tough it out". Instead, there's compassion and empathy when a player is asking for help.

"The mental part is just as important, if not more important, than the physical part," Hedman stated matter-of-factly about his time away from the Lightning. "This game has given me everything, but it takes a toll on you as well. So just don't sit around with your thoughts by yourself. Just reach out and get the help you need."

There are a pile of great resources for people who may not know where to turn as well. The Canadian Mental Health Association can be reached 24/7 by dialing or texting 9-8-8, there are many provincial resources that can help, the Kids Help Phone has info and resources for younger people seeking help, HeadsUpGuys has mental health resources specifically for men, Indigenous Peoples can get 24/7 help through Hope For Wellness, and the Women's Health Clinic offers assistance to women, Two-Spirit, genderqueer, trans and non-binary people. All of these organizations are incredible and I am grateful they are helping those who ask for help.

I urge anyone who is struggling with any sort of mental health issue - anxiety, depression, overwhelming emotions, or suicidal thoughts - to use the resources above to find some light. As Victor Hedman said, he began his journey with a therapist, but not everyone has the means to be able to get that kind of help. Using the free resources above is a good start in navigating any and all mental health issues one may be experiencing. You don't have to be an NHL player to do that.

Perhaps Victor Hedman said it best near the end of his press conference when he stated, "There's a lot of people out there that can help you, and that's what I found out. It's never too late either."

Full credit to Victor Hedman for being a leader by speaking out about his struggles today. If he can help one person get the help he or she needs with his message, he's done a good thing. And if NHL players are coming to one another's aid when they're struggling, there still is decency and good in a business that often shows little of either trait.

Knowing that NHL players are lifelong teammates who may play on different teams is one thing, but seeing those friendships come before logos or contracts when a player is asking restores a little faith in the game for me. In saying that, if you need help, don't suffer quietly. Be like Victor Hedman and ask for help. As he said, "There's a lot of people out there that can help you" and "It's never too late".

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Moose comeback falls short in Grand Rapids as Griffins grab 2-1 series lead

Wed, 06 May 2026 22:22:58 -0400

Recap of the game.

Better Lait Than Never: A long Oilers offseason, pressure on Stan Bowman, and the NHL draft lottery

Wed, 06 May 2026 22:00:00 -0400

It’s been another wild week around here with the Oilers rollercoaster making another loop, and I’ve got a fresh episode of Better Lait Than Never ready to recap it all. On today’s podcast, I discussed the Oilers getting bumped from the playoffs, a long summer ahead, pressure on Stan Bowman, and more.

I kicked off this week’s episode with a quick recap of what’s been happening since the Oilers got knocked out in Round 1 of the NHL playoffs. With the exit interviews now behind us, the thing that stuck out to me the most was how honest the leadership group was with their assessment. Both Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid gave incredibly honest feedback on where the team is, their concerns, and the timelines Stan Bowman has to turn this thing around. Needless to say, the pressure on the Oilers’ management to get this right is as high today as it’s likely ever been.

Finally, I wrapped up this week’s episode of BLTN with a pair of guest Righteous Sack Beatings, then closed out the podcast with another round of voicemails. The voicemail was alive this week after the playoff exit, and I had a great time with everyone’s takes on whatever you wanted to talk about. The voicemail is my favourite 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. 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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Top 100 Oilers: No. 34 — Taylor Hall

Wed, 06 May 2026 20:00:59 -0400

Oilersnation is reviving the Top 100 Edmonton Oilers of All Time list, a project originally created by the late Robin Brownlee in 2015. Taylor Hall comes in at No. 34 on our updated 2025 list. He was ranked No. 28 on Brownlee’s original list.

A light was cast in the midst of the Decade of Darkness once Taylor Hall was drafted first overall in 2010 by the Edmonton Oilers.

At the time, the Oilers were four years removed from a playoff appearance, when they lost the Stanley Cup Final in seven games to the Carolina Hurricanes. The 2009-10 season was especially atrocious as the team posted a 27-47-8 record slotting them as the worst team in the NHL.

This allowed the team to receive the first overall draft pick, and for a moment, hope was restored after a long playoff drought.

Notable

Hall is one of few players who has beaten Wayne Gretzky in multiple scoring records.

On March 30, 2013, Hall scored the fastest hat trick to start the game in Edmonton Oilers history against the Vancouver Canucks. His first goal came just 16 seconds into the game at even strength, the next Oilers goal was scored one minute and 49 seconds later by defenceman Ladislav Smid. Then, Hall scored again at the 2:43 mark, and capped off the hat trick a little over five minutes of play later, at 7:53.

This defeated Gretzky’s previous 12:38 record that came in the 1985-86 season. Hall’s Oilers remained up 4-0 for the second and third period, closing out the win on the back of Devan Dubnyk’s shutout, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ two assists.

The other record of Gretzky’s that the young superstar broke was the fastest back-to-back goal record on Oct. 17, 2013. He scored two goals in the span of eight seconds, besting the previous title by just one tick. Unfortunately, the Oilers would go on to lose this game 3-2 to the New York Islanders.

The Story

Hall played 183 games, recording 123 goals and 280 points with the Ontario Hockey League’s Windsor Spitfires. That domination did not escape the playoffs, where he logged 16 goals and 36 points through 20 games in the 2009 championship, then 17 goals and 35 points in 19 games in 2010.

He spent six seasons with the Oilers and was their best player through the worst extended stretch of hockey in franchise history, until Connor McDavid was drafted in 2015. He and Jordan Eberle, who was drafted 22nd overall the same year, formed quite the dynamic duo despite the team’s overall lack of success. For the former, he tallied 132 goals and 328 points in 381 games played.

In the 2016 offseason, Hall was traded in the infamous one-for-one exchange, that saw Adam Larsson dealt to the Oilers by the New Jersey Devils. And if I may briefly break the fourth wall, I still remember finding out about it while ordering a Philly cheesesteak with my mom when I was 12-years-old.

After his time with the Oilers, Hall spent three years with the New Jersey Devils, his most notable being the 2017-18 season where he won the Hart Memorial Trophy. That year he scored 39 goals and 93 points, resulting in the first NHL playoff appearance for the left winger. In the short-lived five game postseason for Hall and his team, he was above a point per game with six. Overall with the Devils, he achieved 76 goals and 208 points over 211 games.

On Dec. 16, 2019, Hall was traded to the Arizona Coyotes alongside his teammate Blake Speers. The trade saw Kevin Bahl, Nick Merkley, Nate Schnarr, a conditional 2020 first-round pick, and a conditional 2021 third-round pick return to the Devils.

With the Coyotes, Hall played 35 games before electing to sign with the Buffalo Sabres in the 2020 offseason. His season in Buffalo was the NHL’s reconstructed COVID-19 season resulting in Hall playing 37 games where, only scoring two goals (19 points).

When the Sabres were on track to miss their tenth consecutive playoffs, they elected to move on from the forward as he didn’t pan out the way they had hoped. The Sabres traded Hall and Curtis Lazar to the Boston Bruins for Anders Bjork and a 2021 second-round pick.

Throughout his 158 games in Buffalo, he seemed to return to form, recording 44 goals and 111 points. However, he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2023 with Nick Foligno for Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula.

Chicago was another short lived stint for Hall. He played 56 games over a season, with personal totals of 11 goals and 28 points. Then he was traded for the fourth time in his career, as he was a part of a complicated three-team deal.

The Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, and Carolina Hurricanes were the three parties to engage in the trade that was highlighted by Mikko Rantanen being transferred to the Canes, who returned a second round pick in 2025, a fourth in 2026, Jack Drury, and Martin Nečas to the Avs. Among this, Hall was sent to Carolina with Nils Juntorp for a third round pick in the 2025 draft.

Currently, Hall is in the playoffs with Carolina, who just completed the sweep against the Ottawa Senators on Apr. 25. The winger recorded 2 goals and 7 points throughout the four game series, as the Canes appear to be favourites for the cup this year.

In his career, he has played in 58 playoff games, where he has contributed 18 goals and 42 points across seven appearances. Hall’s regular season stats have also been impressive, as he has registered 302 goals and 787 points in 989 games.

A June 30, 2016 edition of the Edmonton Journal details the Oilers trading Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils for Adam Larsson.

What Brownlee said

Back in the dark days of what seemed like a perpetual rebuild by the Edmonton Oilers, I always thought that it would be Taylor Hall leading the way when the team finally got as good as it is today. It would be Hall, a two-time Memorial Cup MVP, first overall draft pick in 2010 and a big enough deal the team pulled Kevin Lowe’s jersey out of mothballs and gave it to him, who would be the man.

Not so. Here we are seven years later with the Oilers at long last giving their fans something to yell about – other than profanities over another lost season — as they charge toward their first playoff spot in a decade, and it turns out that Hall was just a placeholder for Connor McDavid. Connor da man. Hall is still toiling with an also-ran, but he’s doing it half a continent and a conference away as a member of the New Jersey Devils.

…

For me, Hall is the most talented player the post-2006 Oilers have had outside of McDavid, and allowing that Draisaitl looks to be well on his way. In that regard, he is sort of the Doug Weight of his era – the best player on a team that didn’t win much of anything. Weight’s Oilers, at least, mixed in some memorable playoff moments. If Hall had been a member of this edition of the Oilers, a part of this return to contention outside of being the trade chip that landed Larsson, he’d be higher on this list already.

The Last 10

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NHL Notebook: Canadian GM’s react to Draft Lottery results as league announces salary cap for 2026-27

Wed, 06 May 2026 19:00:13 -0400

On Tuesday morning, Auston Matthews’ future in Toronto was reported as uncertain, and later that night, those may have been quelled.

The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery had the Toronto Maple Leafs jump from fifth best odds, to the sweepstakes winners as they were awarded the first overall selection in this year’s draft.

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Oilers will lose rights to two prospects if not signed soon

Wed, 06 May 2026 17:00:05 -0400

Two Edmonton Oilers prospects will become unrestricted free agents soon if the organization doesn’t sign them to a contract.

Every season, there is a group of previously drafted talent who become free agents when their team doesn’t offer them an entry-level contract.

PuckPedia released the list of players whose draft rights expire. For the Oilers, it’s Petr Hauser and Albin Sundin.

Hauser was drafted out of Europe in 2022 and will become a Draft-Related Unrestricted Free Agent if not signed to an ELC before June 1, 2026.

The New Jersey Devils originally selected the 22-year-old in the fifth round, 141st overall. His rights were swapped in the three-way deal in March 2025 that brought Trent Frederic and Max Jones to Edmonton.

The Oilers parted with a 2025 second-round pick, a 2026 fourth-round pick, and Maximus Wanner in the trade. Hauser is playing in the Czech League with Vitkovice HC. He scored three goals and 10 points in 41 games this season. In August, he attended the Oilers Development Camp, but otherwise has stayed playing in Europe.

Albin Sundin would be one of just two 20-year-olds to become a Draft-Related Unrestricted Free Agent. He was a sixth-round draft choice in the 2024 draft, 183rd overall, out of Vastra Frolunda Jr.

The offensive defenceman has struggled to produce. In fact, he scored just four goals and nine points in 51 games with Timra IK. Since Sundin was drafted out of Europe at age 20, the Oilers have his rights for a shorter window than other prospects.

Interestingly, the only player drafted in the fourth, fifth, or sixth rounds of the 2024 draft to play NHL games is Oilers’ prospect Connor Clattenburg.

The Oilers also signed a seventh-round pick from 2024 in William Nicholl to an entry-level contract out of the London Knights program, and he is progressing well for such a late draft choice. He finished his season with the Bakersfield Condors, suiting up five times and scoring once.

Michael Menzies is an Oilersnation columnist and co-host of PreGaming and Oilersnation After Dark. He’s also been the play-by-play voice of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the AJHL since 2019. With seven years of news experience as the Editor-at-Large of Lakeland Connect in Bonnyville, Menzies collects vinyl, books, and stomach issues. Follow him on X at Menzies_4.

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Oilers’ Ekholm joins Sweden, Samanski joins Germany for World Championship

Wed, 06 May 2026 15:00:09 -0400

Another pair of Edmonton Oilers will be packing their bags and heading to Switzerland for the World Championship.

Defenceman Mattias Ekholm is set to join Sweden, white centre Josh Samanski will join Germany, the Oilers announced Wednesday.

Playing at the Worlds is nothing new for Ekholm, who was uncerimoniously left off Sweden’s Olympic roster earlier this year. He’s played in five previous tournaments, 2014 (Bronze), 2015, 2016, 2018 (Gold), and 2019, appearing in 32 games, scoring four goals and 16 assists.

Ekhom has represented Sweden many other times internationally, including at the U18 and U20 tournaments, the 2017 World Cup of Hockey and the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Samanski, meanwhile, is set to represent Germany for the second time in his young career. He was at the Worlds last year with Germany, scoring two goals and five points in seven games, and while they didn’t make the quarterfinals in their group, they qualified to play in this year’s tournament.

Similarly to Ekholm, Samanski has played in U20 tournament internationally, and earlier this year, joined Oilers teammate Leon Draisaitl at the Olympics, scoring a goal and two points in five games.

Samanski made his pro debut in North America this season with the Oilers, appearing in 45 AHL games with the Bakersfield Condors, scoring eight goals and 31 points, and 24 NHL games scoring two goals and four points. He got his first taste of the NHL playoffs, too, scoring a goal and two points in five games against the Anaheim Ducks.

Two other Oilers — Evan Bouchard and Darnell Nurse — will join Team Canada, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger, but neither have been confirmed.

The tournament is set to run from May 15 to 31. Sweden and Canada both are in group B for the tournament, while Germany sits in Group A.

Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s managing editor, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the Daily Faceoff DFS Hockey Report. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.

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From My Eyes: Effort beats talent and the Oilers came up short

Wed, 06 May 2026 13:00:16 -0400

While it took me some time to recover from the heartbreaking loss to the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, I finally sat down to write about my beloved Edmonton Oilers. This was my first piece for Oilersnation, and I genuinely believed that this version of the team was destined to go far and succeed. Sadly, I was wrong.

What struck me most in the first round was a simple, yet powerful observation. I coach girls’ softball, and over the past six years, I always preach one “Brentism” to my athletes: effort beats talent, if talent has no effort. I wholeheartedly believe in this, and I know my girls get tired of hearing it, but deep down, they know it’s true. A talented athlete who doesn’t put in the effort can often be outperformed by someone with less raw skill, but who works harder. I’ve seen this countless times across many sports, and I truly believe that was a key reason behind the Oilers’ downfall against the Ducks and essentially deemed a failure for the 2025-26 season.

The Oilers are a team bursting with talent — there’s no denying how exceptional they are on paper. Connor McDavid is arguably the best player in the league. Leon Draisaitl, without question, ranks easily in the top five. Evan Bouchard stands out as one of the top offensive defensemen in the NHL. Zach Hyman consistently plays in the gritty, dirty areas and excels there. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is a versatile, vital piece. Connor Murphy is a relentless shot-blocking machine.

I could go on for days about the incredible skill on this team. The talent runs deep. So then, what went wrong?

Injuries definitely played a big role, as we learned after the series concluded. McDavid suffered a lower-leg fracture. Draisaitl and Jason Dickinson (fracture as well) also battled injuries. The team wasn’t at full strength. But even so, I firmly believe what I’ve always believed: effort can triumph over talent when effort is missing. The 2025-26 Edmonton Oilers showed almost no effort throughout most of the season, and that attitude spilled directly into the playoffs. That simply isn’t good enough. This cannot be the way next season unfolds.

Stan Bowman faces an incredibly tough task this offseason if he remains in his position. He must step up, make the necessary changes, and rebuild this team’s drive and determination. It’s not negotiable — there’s no option but to find players whose compete level matches that of Zach Hyman, Kasperi Kapanen, and Vasily Podkolzin. And he must take a hard, honest look at his coaching staff, re-evaluate everything, and pursue a mindset of relentless improvement.

The clock is ticking — starting now. Find more effort.

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Winnipeg Jets prospect Edison Engle changes commitment to Western Michigan

Wed, 06 May 2026 12:56:42 -0400

After his first OHL season he has switched up his college commitment.

Manitoba Moose pre-game 3 (round 2) report vs Grand Rapids Griffins

Wed, 06 May 2026 11:15:25 -0400

A look at the projected lineups and pre-game interviews.

Why Jake DeBrusk is not a solution for the Oilers

Wed, 06 May 2026 11:00:50 -0400

Why Jake DeBrusk is not a solution for the Edmonton Oilers

For nearly half a decade, trade speculation has linked the Edmonton Oilers to Jake DeBrusk. After he signed long-term with the Canucks in 2024, however, that discussion died down.

A recent article on CanucksArmy reignited the conversation about Edmonton as a potential landing spot, as Vancouver seeks to move some of its veteran players for futures.

Speculation regarding Edmonton’s interest in DeBrusk dates back to 2021-22, when he requested a trade out of Boston. The request leaked to the public, and insiders were quick to link the Edmonton native with his hometown team. His father, Louie DeBrusk, played six seasons with the Oilers during the 1990s and currently serves as the colour commentator for their Sportsnet broadcasts.

The fit made sense at the time. Edmonton needed secondary scoring, and DeBrusk needed a fresh start.

Bruins GM Don Sweeney tried to facilitate a trade, but nothing ever materialized. After a strong second half of the season and an offseason coaching change, DeBrusk rescinded his trade request. He continued to play for Boston until he became an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024.

Rumours resurfaced between DeBrusk and the Oilers that summer, but once again, it never came to fruition. Instead, he signed a massive seven-year deal with Vancouver worth an AAV of $5.5 million.

Two years into his contract, the Canucks have imploded. They won just 25 games this season, finishing dead last in the NHL. With a teardown likely on the horizon, DeBrusk commented on his lack of interest in going through a rebuild earlier this season. While he later walked back those comments, he remains a logical trade chip for Vancouver as they look ahead to the future.

Are the Oilers a reasonable landing spot? Or will yet another round of DeBrusk to Edmonton speculation go nowhere? Let’s look at the fit.

Could DeBrusk help the Oilers power play?

You can’t talk about Jake DeBrusk without discussing the power play. In 2025-26, he set an NHL record for the highest percentage of goals scored on the man advantage by a 20-goal scorer. He potted a ridiculous 19 power play goals, three more than Leon Draisaitl, while scoring just four at even strength.

DeBrusk is one of the best net-front players on the power play in the league. His hand-eye coordination on tips and deflections is terrific, and he’s strong on his stick, making him available for backdoor tap-ins near the goal mouth. That is his biggest asset as a player.

Do the Oilers really need any of that, though, with Zach Hyman playing a similar role? Hyman isn’t as involved on the Oilers’ power play as DeBrusk is in Vancouver, generating about seven fewer shots per hour on average. Still, he scored over ten power play goals in three of the last four seasons. I don’t see the net front area as a weakness on this unit, nor is it necessary to make it a bigger focus of what the Oilers do. Their power play ranked number one in the NHL this season.

Hyman is getting older, and they may eventually replace him on the top unit, but the more sensible path forward is to give that spot to a young, up-and-coming player in the organization. Vasily Podkolzin has already shown a propensity for mucking it up in front of the net at even strength. Josh Samanski could be a future fit too — he played the net-front power-play spot for Germany at the 2026 Olympics.

The Oilers have already gone down the path of acquiring veterans rather than letting young players graduate into their natural long-term roles on the team. In the case of Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg, that choice proved costly.

Would DeBrusk be an upgrade on the power play? Probably. But unless they’re acquiring a true star, I don’t like the philosophy of spending assets on a veteran to fill a high-leverage role when there are players already on the team who are ready and waiting.

Even strength play

Like most of the Canucks, DeBrusk had a miserable season at even strength. He scored three goals at five-on-five in 969 minutes. His 0.93 points per hour was lower than multiple Oilers bottom-six forwards, including Curtis Lazar (0.96), Josh Samanski (1), Isaac Howard (1.16), and Andrew Mangiapane (1.17).

To be fair, luck was not on his side this season. DeBrusk finished with a five-on-five shooting percentage of 2.5 percent. That was the lowest mark of any Canuck forward who played at least 200 minutes. It was only the second time in his nine-year NHL career that he shot under nine percent. I doubt we’ll see him shoot that poorly again.

Taking a four-year sample, containing both his most fortunate season (2022-23 with the Bruins) and his unluckiest season (2025-26), DeBrusk averages 1.55 points per hour at even strength. That would rank seventh among Oiler forwards in 2025-26, sandwiched between Podkolzin and Matt Savoie.

It’s no secret that the Oilers are looking for top-six forwards this offseason. Assuming his finishing at even strength rebounds, DeBrusk can produce at a middle-six rate while providing a possible upgrade on the power play. He ranks in the 90th percentile in skating speed, which would add more pace to Edmonton’s forward group. Unfortunately, that isn’t enough to make him worthwhile for the Oilers.

$5.5 million isn’t a terrible cap hit for a team with a ton of space, but there are far better value bets out there for a team in the Oilers’ situation. They’ve struck out on middle-six acquisitions around a similar cap hit over the past few years, with Arvidsson, Mangiapane, and Jeff Skinner all lasting only one season (or less). Unlike those players, if DeBrusk fails to live up to expectations, they would be stuck with him under contract for four more years. This would be a dangerous bet by the Oilers. With such a thin margin for error, they need to acquire cheap, high upside players or proven slam-dunks. DeBrusk is neither.

He turns 30 in October. His five-on-five production has decreased for three consecutive seasons. His services aren’t necessary for the number one power play in the league to succeed. Fans and analysts in Vancouver might see a fit there, but the Oilers would be wise to pass on DeBrusk yet again.

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Your lottery team knows where their pick is now. Here’s why they should trade it

Wed, 06 May 2026 09:05:00 -0400

Last night saw the hockey world settle in to watch the NHL draft lottery, an annual event in which a collection of ping pong balls reward whichever franchise and its fans are found to be the most noble and pure of heart.

So now we know the NHL’s order for this June’s draft, pending any trades. And it really feels like we’re only saying that last part to be polite. It’s exceedingly rare to see a team trade a pick in the first half of the first round, at least once the lottery has come and gone and the pick order is locked in. And that’s especially true if you ignore trades where teams move up or down a few spots, like the Flyers moving up to 12th last year in a minor draft floor deal with the Penguins. As far as anything bigger, we might see a move every year or two, like last year’s Noah Dobson trade, or the Senators getting Alex DeBrincat in 2022. But it’s rare.

And that's a shame, because every lottery team should be open to trading their pick. Yes, all of them.

>> Read the full post at The Athletic

The Oilers need to prioritize re-signing Kasperi Kapanen

Wed, 06 May 2026 09:00:44 -0400

There’s a long list of things that need to get done this offseason for the Edmonton Oilers, and some decisions will require weighing the options, but re-signing Kasperi Kapanen should be an easy one to make, and extending him should be at the top of the priority list.

The 2025–26 regular season was a rather tough one for Kapanen, as it was filled with injuries that limited him to playing exactly half the season, 41 games, in which he produced 17 points (eight goals, nine assists). He also mentioned back in January, while out of the lineup, that “I feel like I’ve got to some pretty dark places.”

Yet, the 29-year-old battled through the adversity of an injury-filled season, and eventually, the light at the end of the tunnel began to shine.

Because when the playoffs started, he rejoined Leon Draisaitl, who had missed the last 14 games of the regular season, along with Vasily Podkolzin on the second line, and Kapanen was dialled in from the opening puck drop in Game 1 versus the Anaheim Ducks and for the rest of the series.

Kapanen was one of the Oilers’ best players in the playoffs

The Kuopio, Finland native came out flying in Game 1, getting on the scoresheet in the first period by batting down his own rebound and finishing in tight. He then scored the game-winning goal with less than two minutes left on a night where he led the team with seven shots.

Overall, Kapanen kept his foot on the gas pedal throughout the series and was one of the Oilers’ best players each night against the Ducks, and even rode shotgun when Draisaitl and Connor McDavid were loaded up on the top line, finishing third on the team with six points, while his four goals led the club in the playoffs.

KASPERI KAPANEN GIVES THE OILERS A LATE LEAD IN THE THIRD, 4-3 OILERS!

Winnipeg Jets Morning Papers: Today’s Hockey Headlines | May 6, 2026

Wed, 06 May 2026 07:30:09 -0400

A daily roundup of Jets, Moose coverage — all the pro hockey news that matters in Manitoba and beyond.

COMMENTARY: Solutions Exist In Age Limit Debate

Wed, 06 May 2026 05:00:00 -0400

The latest big news to hit the college hockey landscape, in case you haven't heard by now, is the NCAA's plan to "standardize" its age eligibility rules across sports. The plan will eliminate redshirts, giving everyone five seasons of eligibility over five years, without exceptions except in certain special circumstances (military duty, etc...).The biggest effect, however, will be on hockey, where...

Clarkson Announces Plan to Opt-In to Revenue Share Agreement

Wed, 06 May 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Clarkson will become the first Division III school playing D-I ECAC hockey to announce plans to opt-in to the NCAA's revenue sharing model, beginning in 2026-27.The decision allows Clarkson to pay up to $20.5 million in revenue share money to players in its two D-I sports, men's and women's hockey. Though realistically Clarkson won't allocate that much, it gives the option to keep up with other programs...

Today In NHL History - Bure Elbows Churla

Tue, 05 May 2026 22:24:46 -0400

On May 4th in 1994, Vancouver Canucks superstar Pavel Bure blindsided Dallas Stars forward Shane Churla with an unpenalized elbow to the head sending a message to the Stars Goon-In-Chief for his teammates' shenanigans. The Canucks won Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinal 3-0 on the back of Bure's two goals, eventually taking the series 4-1. Churla refused to shake Bure's hand at the end of

Today In NHL History - Luongo's Playoff Poop

Tue, 05 May 2026 22:24:22 -0400

On May 3rd in 2007, Vancouver Canucks backup backstop Dany Sabourin surprised everyone, including GM Dave Nonis, starting the overtime period against the Anaheim Ducks in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals in place of netminder Roberto Luongo. Originally thought to be an equipment issue, Luongo later revealed his absence had more to do with plumbing than padding admitting that he

Today In NHL History - Domi Elbows Niedermayer

Tue, 05 May 2026 22:23:50 -0400

On May 3rd in 2001, Toronto Maple Leafs bruiser Tie Domi delivered a vicious elbow to the head of New Jersey Devils blueliner Scott Niedermayer rendering him unconscious. The cheapshot came with 7 seconds to play in Game 4 of the 2001 Eastern Conference Semifinals with Toronto up 3-1. Despite a tearful apology, Domi was suspended for rest of the playoffs and the first eight games of the next

Five-In-Five For All

Tue, 05 May 2026 22:05:08 -0400

For as much as I support U SPORTS hockey, it's hard to argue that the machine south of the border known as the NCAA isn't a system that churns out all sorts of talent. One can make a case that the University of Michigan, North Dakota, Boston College, and Boston University, and the University of Minnesota have been factories for hockey talent for years with the number of players they sent to the NHL, and a vast number of these players have been top picks in the NHL draft while playing long NHL careers. However, a change to the NCAA's eligibility setup may now change how players view NCAA offers to play college hockey.

The new eligibility rules would perceivably change how players treat college hockey opportunities. The newly-proposed rule reads,

"Permit student-athletes up to five years of eligibility beginning the regular academic year after they turn 19 or graduate from high school, whichever happens earlier."

I can tell you that I graduated high school when I was 17 and started university the following September at the same age. Under the new rules, this would mean that I would have started an NCAA hockey career at 18 and it would have ended at age 23 regardless red shirt seasons or any season where I was injured. The exceptions to the five-year eligibility are few and far between under the new setup.

If I had chosen to go to junior hockey and play there, I would need to decide before turning 19 whether or not I was joining an NCAA program. If I play junior hockey until I was 20, I'd lose one year of eligibility since the new rules state that eligibility starts at age 19. Clearly, this is going to force a lot of decisions for both players and programs when it comes to recruiting and planning rosters for both junior hockey and NCAA teams. Nothing can ever be easy, right?

If there is a benefit to the start of eligibility, it would allow high school graduates a chance to take that gap year between high school and university. Many universities have looked at the benefits and drawbacks of the gap year, and there's even an association that promotes using the gap year. Personal anecdotes, government sites, and even Harvard University suggest taking the gap year for a number of reasons. This might be the best part of the new eligibility rule.

Where this rule presents a major problem for NCAA programs is transfers and professional players. Aidan de la Gorgendiere would have had to make a decision on NCAA hockey in 2020 after his second season with the WHL's Saskatoon Blades after 110 WHL games and 33 points. I'm not certain that many NCAA teams would have been seeking de la Gorgendiere, and the five-year length of time for his eligibility means his 2025-26 season with the University of Nebraska-Omaha may not have happened. Clearly, that wouldn't be good.

For current students, the good news is that the new eligibility rules will not apply to them. The bad news is that students coming into university programs will see it applied to them. What this means is that even if a player shows up and is red-shirted all season long, one season of eligibility will be used. The new rules are strict about five years of eligibility in a five-year period, so it doesn't matter if a player is good enough for a roster spot because the clock is running.

The flip side is that coaches don't have to worry about burning a year of eligibility by dressing a player for one game, so younger players may get a shot if teams struggle. If there are kids who stand out in practice, they can be dressed for games at any time. Coaches are no longer planning for the future when it comes to recruiting players.

There are still a pile of questions that need to be answered when it comes to certain situations for hockey eligibility, but this new eligibility rule instituted by the NCAA will affect all sports. With exceptions only being made for pregnancies, military service, and religious missions, it seems the NCAA is set on ensuring that eligibility for any sport ends at the age of 24 for all athletes in all sports.

It will be a new landscape in American university sports when this five-in-five rule is finalized. Whether it changes the sports being played at the NCAA level is unknown at the moment, but time will answer that question as we find out how NCAA men's and women's hockey programs works under the new eligibility rules.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Oilersnation Radio: The Oilers’ off-season begins

Tue, 05 May 2026 22:00:37 -0400

It’s Tuesday afternoon, which means a fresh episode of Oilersnation Radio is ready to massage your eardrums with an hour of off-season Oilers talk. On today’s podcast, the fellas discussed the Oilers’ post-season pressers, the Dynamic Duo’s scathing comments, free agency, injury updates, and more.

We kicked off the Tuesday episode of ONR with a delicious debate about how concerned everyone was about the post-season press conferences, given that the Dynamic Duo didn’t exactly pull punches with their answers. From the team not being good enough to even taking steps backward, the messaging from the Oilers’ best players was as blunt as you could get. Needless to say, when Draisaitl and McDavid speak as honestly as they do, Edmonton’s management desperately needs to take notice.

Shifting gears, the boys called David Quadrelli from Canucksarmy to see if they could pitch him a trade proposal live on the podcast, with the Oilers sending Tristan Jarry or Darnell Nurse to Vancouver to clear cap space. As you’ll hear, some of the boys’ ideas were well received by Quads, while others were shot down almost immediately. They also discussed the Oilers’ coaching situation after news came out of Tampa Bay that Jon Cooper isn’t going anywhere, ruining the dreams the guys started on Friday’s episode.

Finally, we wrapped up the episode of the podcast with another round of betting talk for our friends at bet365, and a round of Tenable about the World Championships to add a little levity after a very annoying week. With the playoff run wrapped up and cut short, the boys spent the bulk of the podcast moving through a range of topics, most related to the playoffs, some not, but that’s the way things go on the off-season episodes of ONR.

Listen to the Tuesday episode of Oilersnation Radio below:

Subscribe to Oilersnation Radio for FREE on Soundcloud here, on Apple Podcasts, or wherever else you get your podcasts from!

NHL Draft Lottery power rankings: Who needs it, who deserves it, who passes the Leafs?

Tue, 05 May 2026 21:07:00 -0400

The draft lottery is tonight, with 15 teams vying to move up the order and the Canucks hoping to stay put in the one-spot. With separate lotteries for each of the first two picks, there are a number of ways this could all play out. Let’s dig into some of the possibilities, in our annual draft lottery power rankings.

>> Read the full post at The Athletic

Toronto Maple Leafs win NHL Draft Lottery, will select first overall

Tue, 05 May 2026 19:30:04 -0400

In another stunning NHL Draft Lottery result, the Toronto Maple Leafs will select first overall.

That’s a benefit for the Edmonton Oilers that the best overall player is headed to the Eastern Conference, as four Pacific Division teams had a five per cent chance or greater at drafting first overall.

Toronto had the fifth best odds entering the lottery after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Viewers got to watch the lottery balls get selected live on television, as fans were hoping for the right four number combination to signify their team winning the lottery.

The Leafs reversal of fortune comes just 24 hours after the team’s surprising hire of John Chayka as general manager, and the massive friction at the introductory press conference, where Chayka was called a “con man” and “liar” by columnist Steve Simmons.

A report by The Athletic’s Chris Johnson said that former first overall pick Auston Matthews needed to see the team make major improvements before he’d commit to staying in Toronto for the long-term.

New senior advisor and former Mats Sundin must’ve been a lucky charm at the lottery, as they had a 8.5 per cent chance heading into the night. The team will be able to draft Gavin McKenna first overall if they so choose.

There was a greater chance that the Leafs were going to fall in the draft, meaning they wouldn’t have had their first-round pick this year anyways due to multiple previous trades.

Sharks rise, Pacific fall

The big loser was the Oilers’ Pacific Division rival in the Vancouver Canucks, who fell two spots and will select third overall. They had a 25.5 per cent chance at finishing first heading into the lottery.

The Calgary Flames also fell two spots to the sixth overall choice.

The Pacific Division did have a high-riser as the San Jose Sharks won the second overall pick in the lottery. San Jose selected second overall last year, first overall a season prior to choose Macklin Celebrini, and fourth overall the year before that.

The most a team could rise in the lottery was ten positions.

Toronto Maple Leafs
San Jose Sharks
Vancouver Canucks
Chicago Blackhawks
New York Rangers
Calgary Flames
Seattle Kraken
Winnipeg Jets
Florida Panthers
Nashville Predators
St. Louis Blues
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
Columbus Blue Jackets
St. Louis Blues
Washington Capitals

ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365

Oilers rivals in Canucks, Flames fall in Draft Lottery in stunning Leafs victory

Tue, 05 May 2026 19:30:04 -0400

In another stunning NHL Draft Lottery result, the Toronto Maple Leafs will select first overall.

There was a greater chance that the Leafs were going to fall in the draft, meaning they wouldn’t have had their first-round pick this year anyways due to multiple previous trades.

Sharks rise, Pacific fall

The Calgary Flames also fell two spots to the sixth overall choice.

The most a team could rise in the lottery was ten positions.

Toronto Maple Leafs
San Jose Sharks
Vancouver Canucks
Chicago Blackhawks
New York Rangers
Calgary Flames
Seattle Kraken
Winnipeg Jets
Florida Panthers
Nashville Predators
St. Louis Blues
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
Columbus Blue Jackets
St. Louis Blues
Washington Capitals

ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365

Winnipeg Jets set to draft eighth overall following NHL Draft Lottery

Tue, 05 May 2026 19:29:42 -0400

Lottery balls change Jets’ draft position.

NHL Notebook: Auston Matthews uncertain about future with Maple Leafs, NHL Draft Lottery tonight

Tue, 05 May 2026 19:00:53 -0400

Auston Matthews’ future in Toronto is reportedly dependent on what the Toronto Maple Leafs’ new management can do this off-season.

According to The Athletic’s Chris Johnston, there are currently no guarantees that the Arizona native will be back with the Leafs for the 2026-27 season.

New, for @TheAthletic: Auston Matthews isn't yet sure if he'll be back in Toronto next season. The Maple Leafs are on the clock with their captain

Oilers reportedly tried to trade Darnell Nurse to Maple Leafs for Nic Roy at deadline

Tue, 05 May 2026 18:00:21 -0400

It’s no longer smoke that the Edmonton Oilers seemingly have a desire to move on from Darnell Nurse.

As the 2024 playoffs wound down, his name began to appear on trade target boards as a potential option to be moved, and a year later, the Oilers asked Nurse to waive his no-trade clause — something he declined.

Ahead of the trade deadline this year, there was chatter that the Oilers could look to move Nurse, something The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta confirmed after the deadline.

Pagnotta took that confirmation a step further Tuesday on Oilersnation Everyday, saying the Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs had discussions around a deal that would’ve moved Nurse out east for

“We touched on this after the trade deadline, I’ve mentioned it a few times: Nurse’s name was out there the week of the deadline. They offered him up to at least one team, that team said no, that team now has a new general manager. That team probably won’t go in that direction, they didn’t want to go in that direction before with the previous guy. I can’t imagine new guy wanting to do that. One of the other pieces part of that deal that Edmonton was looking at, from what I was told, he’s on Colorado right now.

“Edmonton spoke to Toronto ahead of the deadline to try to make that happen, obviously it didn’t, and it was really that close at the time, from what I was told. His name was circulating. They spoke to the Leafs, that didn’t happen. We’ll see where that kind of goes.”

Any chatter between the Oilers and Leafs would’ve likely been in late February, as Edmonton wound up trading for Jason Dickinson to be their third-line centre — a move that worked out well. Roy ended up with the Colorado Avalanche, where he scored three goals and five points in 15 games in the regular season, and has added two goals and three points in five playoffs games heading into Tuesday’s Game 2 matchup against the Minnesota Wild.

Pagnotta added that in any potential Nurse deal, it wouldn’t be one where the team freed up all of his $9.25 million contract.

“They’re not moving Nurse to free up $9.25 million. That’s not happening… If you’re moving him out, even if you’re retaining a little bit, you’re doing so with the hope of freeing up a few million to give yourself more flexibility.”

Edmonton is a team to watch heading into the summer, and if they do look to move Nurse again, it would be nothing short of a franchise-altering move. Nurse, large contract aside, is a piece of Edmonton’s core and the second-longest-serving player on the roster, next to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Time will tell what will come of this chatter, but it will surely be a storyline to follow.

You can listen to the full episode of Oilersnation Everyday below.

</div> The <a href="http://oilersnation.com/combinations">Edmonton Oilers</a> can’t panic this <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/05/05/overview-critical-2026-offseason-stan-bowman-edmonton-oilers/">off-season</a>. Making knee-jerk decisions won’t help them reach their ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup in the near future. There will be tough decisions, but their process can’t be rash or emotional. President Jeff Jackson and general manager <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/05/04/stan-bowman-thinks-edmonton-oilers-dramatically-different-roster-next-year-darnell-nurse-kris-knoblauch-trent-frederic-tristan-jarry/">Stan Bowman</a> want to win, and they have pressure to win. Owner Daryl Katz is the ultimate decision maker. He has no one above him, while Jackson, Bowman and head coach <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/05/04/monday-mailbag-will-kris-knoblauch-be-coaching-edmonton-oilers-october/">Kris Knoblauch</a> do. All of them want to win, and the Oilers’ off-season decisions will start at the top of funnel down. If there are any changes in management those decisions need to be made first. I’ve heard the Oilers are looking to add to their management team. <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/05/30/edmonton-oilers-hire-kalle-larsson-as-senior-director-of-player-development/">Kalle Larsson</a> did a lot of quality work this year, and I could see him getting a promotion to assistant general manager. Bill Scott, who quietly has done a lot of great work and gained significant experience over the past 16 seasons with the organization, has had multiple interviews with Nashville for their vacant GM job. He is on the short list of finalists. The Oilers don’t want to lose him, but if he is offered the Predators job he will take it and they will need to replace him. When a team loses emotions run high. Owners, managers, coaches, fans and media at different levels will call for change. Some will be too emotional and call for massive changes, while others will be more calculated and take some time to analyze every level. Some fans have called for Stan Bowman to be fired. Same as Knoblauch. Let’s look at those scenarios. Bowman was named GM on July 24, 2024. One of the first decisions under his tenure was to not match the offer sheets for Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway. Holloway just signed a <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/05/01/st-louis-blues-sign-former-edmonton-oilers-dylan-holloway-five-year-7-75-million-aav-extension/">five-year extension</a> worth $7.75 million after he produced 26-37-63 last season and 22-29-51 in 59 games this season. Holloway and Broberg were good young players and losing them wasn’t ideal. Edmonton received second and third round picks in 2025 as well 2028 third rounder and prospect Paul Fischer on August 20th. The Oilers moved the second rounder to Boston for <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/05/02/edmonton-oilers-stan-bowman-underwhelming-trent-frederic-tristan-jarry-struggles-poor-play-kris-knoblauch-goaltending-playoffs/">Trent Frederic</a> and Max Jones, while they drafted Tommy Lafreniere with the third round pick. Edmonton lost this transaction. It might improve down the road, but they lost the two best players. When the Oilers knew they weren’t going to match the offer sheets, Bowman acquired <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/04/30/vasily-podkolzin-kasperi-kapanen-stepping-up-for-edmonton-oilers-anaheim-ducks-nhl-playoffs/">Vasily Podkolzin</a> (August 18th, 2024) from Vancouver for a 2025 fourth round pick (they re-acquired the pick before the draft when they sent <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/03/31/former-edmonton-oilers-evander-kane-plays-1000th-nhl-game/">Evander Kane</a> to Vancouver). Acquiring Podkolzin for a fourth has worked out incredibly well. Podkolzin scored 19 goals this year, 17 at 5×5 and added 18 assists. He skates well, his aggressive and will fight when needed. Podkolzin made $1 million the past two season and was great value, and his new $2.95 million deal for three seasons begins next season. He’s given the Oilers great value and if he continues to improve like it looks like he will be one of the best contracts in the NHL for the next three seasons. Bowman did a pretty good job replacing Holloway with Podkolzin at a much lower cost. On the same day, Bowman traded Cody Ceci to San Jose for <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2025/10/02/edmonton-oilers-beauty-matt-savoie-big-year-for-ty-emberson/">Ty Emberson</a>. Emberson has emerged as a solid third pair defender. This was partially a salary cap transaction. Trade has been okay. In November 2024, Bowman claimed Kasperi Kapanen on waivers from St. Louis. He’s turned out to be a great acquisition. He’s played very well in the playoffs last year and this season. He battled injuries this year and only played 41 games, and doesn’t have the stats to ask for a big raise. He made $1.3 million last season and he likes Edmonton and the Oilers like him. Re-signing him for two years at $2.1-2.4 million makes sense. He’s fast, skilled, can shoot, is physical and can kill penalties and he performs well in the playoffs. He’s been a big win for Bowman. In March 2024 the Oilers acquired Trent Frederic and Max Jones for Max Wanner and a second and fourth rounder in 2025. Frederic was signed to an eight-year, $3.85 million extension last June. The term was, and is, a concern. Frederic did not have a good season. If, and it is a big if at this point, he can rediscover the player he was in Boston and score 15 goals and add 15 assists and play physical the AAV will look okay for the next few seasons, but this deal aging well is unlikely. Jones played much better this season, until getting injured late in the year. I’m not sure he will re-sign with the Oilers or not. A few days later Bowman acquired Jake Walman from San Jose for a first round pick in 2026. Walman played very well last season in the playoffs, had an inconsistent regular season, but played well again in the playoffs. His <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/05/04/edmonton-oilers-jumped-the-gun-jake-walman-extension-theres-still-hope/">new seven-year, $7 million AAV</a> deal begins this season. Bowman signed him to that deal last summer. Walman and Mattias Ekholm essentially swamped AAVs. Ekholm’s salary for the next three season will now be $4 million while Walman will be $7 million. It would seem the plan is for Walman to take over Ekholm’s minutes over the next season while Ekholm moves more into a 15-18 minute/game defenceman. Walman needs to stay healthy, which has been a challenge as he misses 20-25 games each season. That is the risk with his contract. When he’s on, Walman is a solid contributor, but Ekholm has been more consistent in his career, and the Oilers will need Walman to find that consistency for this deal to work out. <h2>2025/2026…</h2> On April 2, 2025, Bowman signed <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/04/18/is-josh-samanski-in-edmonton-oilersopening-night-playoff-lineup/">Josh Samanski</a> out of Germany. It didn’t get a lot of fanfar, but Samanski has an unexpectedly great first season. He played well in the American League, represented Germany at the Olympics, and then played well for the Oiler down the stretch. He is reliable defensively. His first instinct is to play solid defensive hockey, which the Oilers need. Samanski will need to get stronger on the puck, and work on creating a bit more offensively, but he looks like a solid bottom six forward moving forward. A great free agent signing. Bowman’s first free agency as the Oilers general manager wasn’t great. He signed <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/03/10/andrew-mangiapane-chicago-blackhawks-edmonton-oilers-trades-restart-struggles/">Andrew Mangiapane</a> for two years at $3.6 million AAV. It did not work out. Mangiapane was given opportunities and it didn’t work. Bowman ended up moving him to Chicago along with a 2027 first round pick for Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach. If Dickinson signs a new deal in Edmonton the deal will look very good. Dach is a pending RFA and will receive a qualifying offer, if not a contract before July first. Edmonton likes his speed and tenacity and he has decent hands. Curtiz Lazar signed a one-year deal at $775,000 and lived up to his contract. He chipped in offensively won faceoff, and in the playoffs, he led the Oilers in penalties drawn. Solid low-cost signing. On July 8, Bowman acquired <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/04/15/oilers-prospects-isaac-howard-quinn-hutson-named-to-2025-26-ahl-all-rookie-team/">Isaac Howard</a> from Tampa Bay for Sam O’Reilly. Howard is more of a scorer, while O’Reilly is pegged as a solid two-way centre. Howard signed a three-year entry level deal with the Oilers the same day and had a productive rookie season. Howard scored 24 goals and 50 points in 47 games in Bakersfield and chipped in 2-3-5 in 29 games with the Oilers. He will be given every chance to replace Roslovic next season. Howard and O’Reilly are both good prospects who offer different skill sets. It is too early to say with certainty how the deal will work out for both clubs. Just before the season began, Bowman acquired <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/05/03/edmonton-oilers-connor-ingram-playing-canadian-market-if-you-can-play-here-youll-be-fine-anywhere-else/">Connor Ingram</a> from Utah for nothing (future considerations). Ingram started in the American Hockey League and was recalled in December and played well. Getting him for nothing and having him play well was a win for Edmonton. A few days later Bowman signed Jack Roslovic for one year at $1.5 million. He gave the Oilers great value scoring 21 goals in 69 games. A great signing for the price. Bowman traded <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/02/15/edmonton-oilers-letters-to-the-editor-tristan-jarry-stuart-skinner-coaching-staff/">Stuart Skinner</a>, Brett Kulak and a second round pick in 2029 for Tristan Jarry and Samuel Poulin. The Oilers gave up a lot, and the trade did not work out well for them this season. Jarry got injured in his third start with the Oilers and missed a month. When he returned, he couldn’t find his game and the Oilers, due to underachieving all season, didn’t have time to let him find it. He lost the starting job to Connor Ingram. The trade doesn’t look good right now, but it could improve next year. Jarry will have all summer to work with Peter Aubrey in Edmonton, and he needs to get fully healthy. If he does, there is time to salvage the trade, but he will need to play well for that to happen. So far, the trade hasn’t worked out well for Edmonton. At trade deadline Bowman acquired Connor Murphy for a second round (2028) pick. The deal looks good now, but if Murphy signs (which I think is very likely) the deal will look great for the Oilers. Acquiring a second pair right shot D-man, who will play three playoff years, maybe more, for a second-round pick is a great acquisition. But they need to sign him for it to be great. He also did the Dickinson and Dach trade for Mangiapane as outlined above. Bowman hit homeruns with Podkolzin and Kapanen. Walman was a solid acquisition as was Murphy. Dickinson could be great if he signs a new deal. The offer sheet decision cost them two quality players. The Frederic contract was awful in year one as was the Jarry trade. Bowman will need those players to perform much better otherwise those will be two huge misses, and some would argue they already are. I expect Bowman to remain GM. He recognized the team needs to get better defensively by adding Murphy and Dickinson. Now he needs to sign them. He has experience in re-tooling a Stanley Cup Final roster. He won a Cup with the Blackhawks in 2010, although he inherited that roster. Then the Hawks lost in the first round in 2011 and 2012, before winning the Cup again in 2013 and 2014. The Oilers have repeated that cycle through two seasons. They made the Cup Final (lost, didn’t win) in Bowman’s first year and then lost in the opening round in his second season. He will want the third year to be better and go more than one round. But he should have the experience in seeing how to re-tool a team to get back in the mix for the Stanley Cup. <h1>COACHING…</h1> Since being hired on November 12th, 2023, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/05/03/edmonton-oilers-kris-knoblauch-worried-about-job-firing-paul-coffey-penalty-kill/">Kris Knoblauch</a> has the fourth most regular season wins among NHL head coaches with 135. He trails Jon Cooper (136), Rod Brind’amour (143) and Jared Bednar (146). His 31 playoff wins are second to Paul Maurice’s 32. Knoblauch currently has the most wins regular season and playoffs combined since joining the NHL with 166 followed by Brind’amour (164 and counting), Maurice (162) and Bednar (160 and counting). Knoblauch has had a lot of success. However, I do think he had a bit of an off-year coaching this past season compared to his first two. The Oilers never found any consistency in their defensive game. They had a very good 25-game stretch defensively in December and January, but other than that they never got on track in their own zone. I asked Leon Draisaitl if the team needs to improve their defensive focus. “Yeah, for sure, and I take myself right to the top of that,” said Draisaitl. “I wasn’t necessarily happy with the way I defended all season or the details in my game. I feel like they slipped away from me a little bit, and that’s certainly something that I really want to focus on. Those things are hard to focus on in the summer. The summer skates, they’re summer skates. But when I’m coming back here, and I think that should be our focus for next season, at least to start the year, that those little details, they go a long way. And I can only speak for myself, but I do think that it slipped into our group a little bit and it got away from us a little bit.” In 2025, Knoblauch sent a message early to the group when he benched Leon Draisaitl in the fourth game of the season. Draisaitl had taken four penalties in four games, and three of them were undisciplined. Draisaitl sat on the bench for almost seven minutes. Message sent. Draisaitl only took one minor penalty in the next 33 games. Give Draisaitl credit for handling it like a pro. He didn’t pout; he took responsibility and played smarter. Knoblauch had ample opportunities in the first few months of the season to get the group’s attention. He could have sat a veteran for seven to 15 minutes to get the group’s attention. Too many of their top minute-eaters weren’t playing well enough defensively. Evan Bouchard, Darnell Nurse, Mattias Ekholm, Draisaitl, Connor McDavid. Any of them could have been used. Knoblauch opted not to, and I think the standard to where they need to be defensively wasn’t drilled home strong enough. He can learn from that. <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2025/06/29/edmonton-oilers-looking-extend-contract-kris-knoblauch-dallas-stars-hire-glen-gulutzan/">Glen Gulutzan</a> got the head coaching job in Dallas and Paul Coffey wasn’t on the bench to start the season. Goalie coach, Dustin Schwartz and skating coach David Pelletier also didn’t return. Mark Stuart was promoted to run the defence, while Paul McFarland was hired to run the power play, Peter Aubry was the new goalie coach and Conor Allen the new skills coach. The PP remained solid, Aubry worked with four goalies, two of which came in during the season, while Allen’s skill work before practice was received very well by the players. Many of the young players really enjoyed it. I do think the Oilers lacked some experience on the bench, and Coffey returned late in the year. Essentially demoting Stuart. I have an analogy for Knoblauch. Look at him like a 35-goal scorer. He isn’t an elite coach yet, but he’s shown really good promise his first two seasons. If a player has two seasons with 37 and 36 goals, but dips to 22 in his third season. Do you trade him, or do you think he can rebound? That’s how I view Knoblauch. He didn’t match his previous two seasons, but I think it is premature to fire him. Let him grow and learn. Many Oilers fans commented online <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/05/05/edmonton-oilers-jon-cooper-tampa-bay-lightning-hes-here-for-a-while/">dreaming about Jon Cooper leaving Tampa Bay</a>. Sorry, but that was never happening, unless Cooper decides he wants to leave, similar to Paul Maurice leaving Winnipeg. Tampa Bay GM Julien Brisebois said today, Cooper “will be here for a while.” Cooper is a great coach, but he didn’t win right away. He lost in the first round his first season, then lost in the Final in year two (2015). Then they lost in the third round, missed the playoffs in 2017, lost in the third round in 2018, lost in the first round in 2019, after winning 62 games, and then won the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021. What if Tampa Bay had decided to fire him after missing the playoffs in his fourth season? They didn’t overreact. They let him grow and develop as an NHL head coach. I’m not saying Knoblauch is destined to be on the same path as Cooper, but a few missteps in his third season aren’t enough for me to fire him. He can learn a lot from this season and develop more next year. I do think he needs to hire one or two assistants with some NHL experience this off-season. I’d be surprised if Stuart returns. He wasn’t happy being demoted, and I think it would be difficult to bring him back to run the defense. Not to mention, the penalty kill has struggled mightily the past two playoffs. Stuart put in an entirely new PK system this season and it never took. I can’t get a good read on if Coffey returns to the bench, but my gut says he won’t, so I think the opportunity for Knoblauch to hire two new assistants is there. The hiring cycle for coaches begins now. Unlike last season, when Gulutzan left after the Cup Final, and most of the experienced coaches had jobs, this year Knoblauch will be able to interview more candidates. From my seat, retaining Bowman and Knoblauch makes sense. Both need to have a better year in 2026-27 than they had last season, but both have shown they are capable of making the right decisions and strategies to help the team. <h1>SNAPSHOTS…</h1> — I don’t expect Jack Roslovic to return. He will test the market, and some team will offer him at least $3m likely more on a multi-year deal. I like him as a player, but the Oilers want to make room to give Isaac Howard an opportunity to play in the top-nine and Roslovic is likely the odd man out. — I don’t envision Adam Henrique returning. The Oilers missed him on the penalty kill in the playoffs, but Josh Samanski will get a chance to play that role next season. — <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/02/16/monday-mailbag-did-edmonton-oilers-give-calvin-pickard-a-raw-deal/">Calvin Pickard</a> won’t be returning either. The Oilers will either re-sign Connor Ingram or look for another backup not named Pickard. He was a great teammate and good backup during his time with the organization. — Curtis Lazar likely won’t return either. They have Mattias Janmark, Samanski, and Trent Frederic already signed. And Colton Dach is an RFA who will be signed. I could see Max Jones coming back though. They like his size and speed and his AAV will fit in their cap structure. — Looking at the pending UFA class of goalies, I don’t see many options clearly better than Ingram. I like Daniil Tarasov, but I expect Florida to re-sign him before July 1. Sergei Bobrovsky could be interesting, but he had a rough year, and right now I’m told his salary demands are pretty high. If he is still unsigned on July 10, then you could look at him as the cost would be lower. Ingram could be the safest bet, unless the Oilers go the trade route. I’d be interested to see what Buffalo does with Alex Lyon, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi. Will they keep all three? Something to monitor. — Edmonton could use a right-shot fourth-line centre. Kevin Stenlund would be a great option. He’s big, can kill penalties and he’s great on faceoffs. If Utah doesn’t extend him before July 1st, I’d be calling his agent right away. <hr /> <h2>ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365</h2> <div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="325" data-promotion-id="19111"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Fans hoping for an Oilers and Jon Cooper marriage to be disappointed: ‘He’s here for a while’</h1> Tue, 05 May 2026 16:00:14 -0400 You’ve been in a relationship with your girlfriend for almost three years.  Since you’ve met, it’s been instant chemistry. Romance is in the air. You make each other laugh. She gets along with your friends, and you get along with her friends. It’s the best relationship you’ve both had. Those first two years are worthy of Instagram carousels with all-too-earnest taglines. But as time goes on, there are squabbles. That happens after all. Who washes the dishes? Why are you playing video games all the time? Why do you chew so loudly? <div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2107" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="325"></div> The sheen wears off. You see each other’s flaws up front. All those annoying things they do get to you. Maybe even a fight about ideological differences. Then, there’s this coworker of yours. Gorgeous. Successful. Perhaps out of your league. As your relationship goes through its adversity, your eye starts to wander. You’ve never even considered her an option because she’s rock solid in her relationship. Or so you think. But…what would happen if she even broke up with her husband? Is it possible? Could it be? All of a sudden, you strike up conversations, innocent ones on the surface but probing for bits of information. “Everything good over there? Yeah? No, that’s good. Really good. I’m happy for you. Truly.” It doesn’t help that your friend raves about your coworkers and how ideal she would be, the one. Everyone agrees in the friend group. They’ll even say it within earshot of your girlfriend… <h2>Not likely</h2> I’ve extended this analogy long enough, but this is how I see <a href="https://oilersnation.com/">Edmonton Oilers</a> fans’ hopes that Jon Cooper will be served with a divorce from the Tampa Bay Lightning. The longest-tenured coach in the National Hockey League, a two-time Stanley Cup champion, is now part of four straight first-round losses. You can argue the Lightning and Cooper accomplished all they can do together, being at the helm since 2013 and reaching the Final four times. Is it just time for an amicable split? Good times, fond memories, but irreconcilable differences? Don’t bet on it. “He’s here for a while,” said Lightning general manager <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8xfwwTz1MM&t=1575s">Julien BriseBois</a> on Tuesday morning. Coaches don’t stay with one team that long these days. A contingent of Oilers fans was rooting for the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/nhl-news-toronto-maple-leafs-hire-john-chayka-general-manager-montreal-canadiens-beat-tampa-bay-lightning-masterton-trophy-nominees">Montreal Canadiens</a> in Game 7 to put more strain on their relationship. Maybe Connor McDavid too, wearing red pom-poms on his couch on Sunday night. He’s been around the block with eligible coaches before and became a not-so-secret admirer of Cooper’s <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/sunday-scramble-edmonton-oilers-connor-mcdavid-coaching-pacific-division-playoff-race-nhl-playoffs-jack-hughes-puck-aj-greer-hit-kris-knoblauch-job-security">after raving</a> about Tampa’s structure following a March loss. “They got a great system. They’re perfectly coached. They all know what they’re doing all over the ice. It’s impressive,” said McDavid at the time. “They’re extremely well coached, they’re extremely well organized.” But BriseBois’ exit interview reads like Cooper’s job is safe. No lawyers or settlements coming here. Insiders tell People Magazine they’re “rock solid.” Cooper is a finalist for the Jack Adams, after all, although he’s never won the award. Not to mention all the extras this season Cooper went through. He headmanned Team Canada. His father passed away recently. The team arguably did more with less than they’ve had in years, with a blueline that relied on up-and-coming players. “It was a big year for him,” said BriseBois. “When you start putting it in context like that, yeah, it’s amazing what he’s been able to do again. I know in our business, we put a lot of emphasis on the head coach. I’m certainly not taking anything away from Coop. You know my affection and admiration for Coop, but it’s a staff, right?” Maybe it was just the Hockey Gods. <h2>‘That’s been our excuse’</h2> Jon Cooper said as much after Game 7. Whether it was the Lightning controlling the play and only allowing nine shots to the Habs, or the United States winning in overtime while Canada controlled the play in the gold medal game. He had a <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/jon-cooper-blames-hockey-gods-052738731.html">zen-like</a> response. “At the end of the game, and you’re just sitting there saying, ‘The hockey gods have been in my corner many, many times, and tonight they’re in the other corner.’ And that’s what happens,” said Cooper. But others involved in the relationship hinted at Trouble in Paradise. Goaltending extraordinaire <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A92YFDVL_X8&t=2s">Andrei Vasilevskiy</a> was much less sangfroid in his exit, clearly frustrated with the recent losing. “I feel like that’s been our excuse the past few years,” said Vasilevskiy. If his comments were in a Canadian market, they’d be fodder for an entire summer. He mentioned specifically the lack of goal support he’s received in five Game 7s and dramatically rolled his eyes when the Hockey Gods were brought up by a reporter. “Hockey Gods, bad bounces…bad bounces for sure, yes. But at the end of the day, it’s a broken record, over and over again,” he said. “We have to man up here. Our big players should be our best players on the ice. Again, it’s a part of the journey.” <h2>Swipe right?</h2> So, are they on rocks in Tampa? Probably not. There is soul-searching needed, a solo retreat required. Time to cool off after things said in the heat of the moment. At the end of the night, this seven-year itch needs two to tango for Oilers fans to see Cooper and McDavid link up at Rogers Place. Unless it’s a Danielle Steel finish, it’s just not meant to be. The Oilers fan can cast a wandering eye to another Stanley Cup winner in Bruce Cassidy, the prettiest girl at the ball right now, but some say is high maintenance. He’s on the market if they like, bringer of high highs in the good times, but burns out a relationship fast, insiders say. We all know the type. It’s a season of salacious headlines. Who DMs who? What are my options? You have to be concerned that your coaching crush gets wooed by a partner willing to shoot their shot. Or be concerned that you dump your once ride-or-die too quickly. Thanks, next. <hr /> Michael Menzies is an Oilersnation columnist and co-host of PreGaming and Oilersnation After Dark. He’s also been the play-by-play voice of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the AJHL since 2019. With seven years of news experience as the Editor-at-Large of Lakeland Connect in Bonnyville, Menzies collects vinyl, books, and stomach issues. Follow him on X at Menzies_4. <hr /> <h2>ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365</h2> <div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="325" data-promotion-id="19111"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Oilers prospect Roby Järventie signs contract in Swiss League</h1> Tue, 05 May 2026 15:00:44 -0400 Roby Järventie may be headed overseas.  The <a href="https://oilersnation.com/">Edmonton Oilers</a> prospect signed a two-year contract with HC Ambri Piotta of the National League in Switzerland on Tuesday. “Hockey Club Ambrì Piotta is pleased to announce that it has extended the contract of forward Michael Joly until 2028 and has signed forwards Nate Schnarr and Roby Järventie until the end of the 2027/2028 season,” a <a href="https://hcap-ch.translate.goog/it/news/rinnovo-per-joly-ingaggiati-schnarr-e-j%C3%A4rventie?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US">press release</a> says. Järventie, who will turn 24 in August, had a career season with the Bakersfield Condors, scoring 23 goals and 47 points in 61 games in the American Hockey League in 2025-26. He suited up three times with the Oilers. In total, he’s played 10 NHL games. The former second-round pick, taken 33rd overall in the 2020 draft, finished fifth in Condors team scoring. But is he leaving for sure? Last March, Järventie signed <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-prospect-roby-jarventie-play-in-finland">a contract</a> to play in his native Finland with his brothers, but reportedly did so to ensure he’d know he’d have a place to play in 2025. Just a few months later, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/prospect-roby-jarventie-signs-one-year-deal-edmonton-oilers">he accepted</a> a one-year, two-way deal with the Oilers. With his contract expiring, he is a <a href="https://puckpedia.com/group6">Group 6</a> unrestricted free agent, according to PuckPedia. Typically used to allow “tweener” players more flexibility and options, he is free to sign with any team since he’s played three pro seasons and played fewer than 80 NHL games. Usually, the age of UFAs is 27. In his career, Järventie has played 204 AHL games with the Belleville Senators and Bakersfield Condors, scoring 138 points. Internationally, he’s played in two U20 World Championships in 2020 and 2021 with the Finnish national team, winning a bronze and a silver medal. <a class="text-accent" href="https://oilersnation.com/news/oilers-trade-xavier-bourgault-and-jake-chiasson-to-sens-for-roby-jarventie-and-fourth-round-pick">The Oilers traded</a> Xavier Bourgault and Jake Chiasson to the Senators for the <a class="text-accent" href="https://oilersnation.com/news/4-interesting-facts-about-edmonton-oilers-new-addition-roby-jarventie">Finnish prospect</a> and a fourth-round pick in July 2024, which was then used to acquire Vasily Podkolzin. If he does leave, Maxim Berezkin, a 24-year-old <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/report-edmonton-oilers-to-sign-prospect-maxim-berezkin-one-year-entry-level-contract">Russian prospect</a> playing in the KHL, has signed a <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/edmonton-oilers-sign-maxim-berezkin-one-year-entry-level-contract-nhl-khl-yaroslavl-lokomotiv">one-year contract</a> and could be heading over to North America. That may soften the blow. He was originally drafted by the Oilers in the fifth round of the 2020 draft. <hr /> Michael Menzies is an Oilersnation columnist and co-host of PreGaming and Oilersnation After Dark. He’s also been the play-by-play voice of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the AJHL since 2019. With seven years of news experience as the Editor-at-Large of Lakeland Connect in Bonnyville, Menzies collects vinyl, books, and stomach issues. Follow him on X at Menzies_4. <hr /> <h2>PRESENTED BY LeaseBusters</h2> <div id=":lw" class="ii gt"> <div id=":lv" class="a3s aiL"> <div id="avWBGd-20"> <div dir="ltr"> <div>LeaseBusters is Canada’s premier lease takeover marketplace, helping drivers get out of their current vehicle leases without costly penalties or negative equity. Instead of paying thousands to break a lease, sellers connect with qualified buyers ready to take it over—saving money and avoiding financial stress. Buyers benefit from shorter-term commitments and often better monthly payments, while dealerships retain a replacement customer and leasing companies keep contracts active. It’s a smarter, more efficient solution for everyone involved. Four parties, four wins—only with LeaseBusters. For more information, check out <a href="http://www.leasebusters.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.LeaseBusters.com&source=gmail&ust=1775087155244000&usg=AOvVaw2PMw2Qb9zTS5C2tUISKT6u">www.LeaseBusters.com.</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>An Overview of a Critical 2026 Off-Season for Stan Bowman and the Edmonton Oilers</h1> Tue, 05 May 2026 14:00:04 -0400 Welcome to the longest off-season the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/edmonton-oilers-player-stats">Edmonton Oilers</a> have faced in years.  After a first-round exit against the Anaheim Ducks, the back-to-back Western Conference champions have more to answer than they’ve had at any point in this run. The result is one thing. The concern is that this version of the roster didn’t consistently look like a serious contender. The pressure on general manager Stan Bowman to build a winning roster around Connor McDavid has turned up since the captain inked a team-friendly discount last fall. With McDavid’s discounted $12.5 million cap hit comes only two years of term on the contract, meaning there’s legitimate flight risk if Bowman can’t capitalize. This off-season isn’t about <a href="https://oilersnation.com/edmonton-oilers-line-combinations">maintaining a group</a> that was on the cusp of winning. It’s about finding weaknesses and making improvements. Here’s what the front office has to work through this summer. <h2 class="mb-5 text-2xl font-bold">The Buyout Window</h2> The off-season gets moving shortly after the playoffs. The NHL’s primary buyout window officially opens on the later of June 15 or 48 hours following the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final. It runs until June 30 at 5 p.m. ET, immediately preceding the start of free agency. Using a buyout is almost an annual summer tradition in Edmonton. The Oilers bought out Lauri Korpikoski in 2016, Benoit Pouliot in 2017, Eric Gryba in 2018, Andrej Sekera in 2019, James Neal in 2021, and <a class="text-accent" href="https://oilersnation.com/news/oilers-to-buy-out-final-three-seasons-of-goaltender-jack-campbells-contract">Jack Campbell in 2024</a>. The only scenario where a buyout makes sense is if the team needs immediate cap flexibility and can’t find a trade partner. Last summer, Bowman was able to trade Evander Kane and Viktor Arvidsson for salary cap relief, which is preferable to stacking more and more dead cap charges. <h2 class="mb-5 text-2xl font-bold">The 2026 NHL Draft</h2> The 2026 NHL Draft lottery is on Tuesday night, but we won’t know the complete order of picks until after the playoffs have concluded. The Oilers had the second-to-last selection in the previous two drafts because of their back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Final. This year, given the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/nhl-standings">team’s middling 41-30-11 record</a> and first-round exit, they’ll have higher draft priority. Bowman moved Edmonton’s 2026 first-round pick at the 2024-25 trade deadline to acquire Jake Walman from the San Jose Sharks. The fourth- and fifth-round picks were also traded in separate deals, leaving the Oilers with their second-, third-, sixth-, and seventh-round selections this summer. The Oilers didn’t make their first selection in last year’s draft until the middle of the third round. This year, they’re set to head to the podium in the middle of the second round. Bowman can try to move down for added draft capital, or he can take a swing at a higher-upside prospect than the team had available last summer. <ul class="mb-5 list-disc pl-8"> <li class="">Round 1 – Traded to San Jose Sharks (March 2025)</li> <li class="">Round 2 – Own Selection</li> <li class="">Round 3 – Own Selection </li> <li class="">Round 4 – Traded to Boston Bruins (March 2025) </li> <li class="">Round 5 – Traded to Nashville Predators (June 2025)</li> <li class="">Round 6 – Own Selection</li> <li class="">Round 7 – Own Selection</li> </ul> <h2 class="mb-5 text-2xl font-bold">Restricted Free Agents</h2> The biggest story early last off-season for the Oilers was restricted free agent Evan Bouchard. After losing both Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway to offer sheets by the St. Louis Blues in his first summer as general manager, Bowman didn’t waste any time getting a deal done with one of the league’s top puck-moving defenders. Bouchard inked a <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-sign-evan-bouchard-four-year-10-5-million-aav-extension">four-year extension worth $10.5 million annually</a> on June 30, just a couple of weeks after Edmonton was defeated in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers. Barring an unforeseen trade, this summer won’t feature any major, long-term RFA contracts for the Oilers. Edmonton’s two most notable RFAs are depth players Colton Dach and Spencer Stastney, while Roby Jarventie and Connor Ungar are a couple of interesting minor-league prospects in need of new deals. <ul class="mb-5 list-disc pl-8"> <li class="">F – Colton Dach</li> <li>D – Spencer Stastney (Arbitration Eligible)</li> <li class="">F – Josh Bloom </li> <li class="">F – Roby Jarventie (Arbitration Eligible)</li> <li>F – Owen Michaels</li> <li>F – Matvei Petrov</li> <li class="">G – Connor Ungar (Arbitration Eligible)</li> </ul> <h2 class="mb-5 text-2xl font-bold">Unrestricted Free Agents</h2> <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/sunday-scramble-stan-bowman-good-at-the-margins-but-big-swings-and-misses">Bowman’s priority over the next few weeks</a> will be to determine which unrestricted free agents are going to get extension offers and which will hit the open market on July 1. Jason Dickinson and Connor Murphy, the team’s two biggest additions before this season’s trade deadline, are both set to become UFAs. Given the long-term contracts signed by other recent deadline additions, Trent Frederic and Jake Walman, it’s safe to assume that Bowman acquired the two former Blackhawks with the future in mind. Other impending UFAs who impressed in Edmonton this year are Jack Roslovic, Kasperi Kapanen, and Connor Ingram. Roslovic inked a <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-reportedly-signing-jack-roslovic">one-year contract</a> shortly after the start of the regular season after not being able to find a multi-year deal in the summer. He made good on the show-me deal and finished tied for fourth on the team with 21 goals. Kapanen scored 17 points over 41 games during an injury-riddled regular season, then chipped in four goals and six points in six games for the Oilers in the playoffs. Ingram was acquired in a <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-trade-for-connor-ingram-utah-mammoth">change-of-scenery deal</a> with the Utah Mammoth at the beginning of October. He started the season in the American Hockey League, then posted a 16-10-3 record and a .899 save percentage in 32 games for the Oilers. Bowman will have to decide which of these players are long-term solutions. Depth can be replaced, but losing contributors from the middle of the lineup without clear upgrades would leave the roster thinner than it already is. <ul class="mb-5 list-disc pl-8"> <li>F – Jason Dickinson</li> <li class="">F – Adam Henrique</li> <li>F – Max Jones</li> <li class="">F – Kasperi Kapanen</li> <li>F – Curtis Lazar</li> <li class="">F – Jack Roslovic</li> <li>D – Connor Murphy </li> <li>G – Connor Ingram</li> <li>G – Calvin Pickard</li> <li class="">F – James Hamblin </li> <li>F – Samuel Poulin (Group VI)</li> <li class="">D – Cam Dineen </li> </ul> <h2>Players Signed for 2026-27</h2> The Oilers have ten forwards, five defencemen, and one goaltender under contract next season at a combined salary cap hit of just over $88.5 million. That total also considers the penalty for buying out Jack Campbell’s contract and an overage carryover triggered by Matthew Savoie earning entry-level performance bonuses. <ul class="mb-5 list-disc pl-8"> <li class="">F – Leon Draisaitl ($14 million)</li> <li class="">F – Connor McDavid ($12.5 million)</li> <li class="">F – Zach Hyman ($5.5 million)</li> <li class="">F – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins ($5.125 million)</li> <li>F – Trent Frederic ($3.85 million)</li> <li>F – Vasily Podkolzin ($2.95 million)</li> <li>F – Mattias Janmark ($1.45 million)</li> <li>F – Josh Samanski ($975,000)</li> <li>F – Isaac Howard ($950,000)</li> <li>F – Matthew Savoie ($886,666)</li> <li class="">D – Evan Bouchard ($10.5 million)</li> <li class="">D – Darnell Nurse ($9.25 million)</li> <li>D – Jake Walman ($7 million)</li> <li class="">D – Mattias Ekholm ($4 million)</li> <li>D – Ty Emberson ($1.3 million)</li> <li>G – Tristan Jarry ($5.375 million)</li> <li class="">Jack Campbell Buyout ($2.6 million)</li> <li class="">Bonus Overage Carryover ($250k) </li> <li class="">Total Projected Cap Hit (~88.5 million)</li> <li class="">Salary Cap Ceiling ($104 million)</li> </ul> With the cap ceiling set to rise to $104 million this summer, barring trades, the Oilers will have roughly $15.5 million to fill out the rest of their roster around the 16 players mentioned above. Bringing back Dickinson, Roslovic, Kapanen, Murphy, and Ingram would eat up a significant chunk of that available salary cap room, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/stan-bowman-thinks-edmonton-oilers-dramatically-different-roster-next-year-darnell-nurse-kris-knoblauch-trent-frederic-tristan-jarry">so Bowman has some choices to make</a>. Does he let a couple of those free agents walk to maintain salary cap flexibility later in the summer? Does he explore trading a contract such as Tristan Jarry, or even a veteran name like Darnell Nurse or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins? Bowman has his core locked in for two more years. What he does with the rest of the roster will determine whether this group gets another real run. </article> <article> <h1>Team Canada adds Oilers’ Bouchard, Nurse to World Championship roster</h1> Tue, 05 May 2026 12:00:39 -0400 A pair of <a href="http://oilersnation.com/stats">Edmonton Oilers</a> defencemen will be heading to Switzerland to represent Canada at the World Hockey Championship.  <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2019/04/29/darnell-nurse-to-play-for-team-canada-at-world-hockey-championships/">Darnell Nurse</a> and <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/04/29/praise-paul-coffey-edmonton-oilers-evan-bouchard-clutch-mode-game-5-anaheim-ducks-nhl-playoffs/">Evan Bouchard</a> are set to don the red and white at the annual tournament, set to take place between May 15 to 31, 2026, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"> Evan Bouchard and Darnell Nurse added to Team Canada’s roster for the Men’s World Hockey Championship. — Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) <a href="https://twitter.com/DarrenDreger/status/2051688120744018235?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> For Nurse, it will be his third time playing for Canada at the World Championship, playing on the 2018 and 2019 teams. In 2018, he was joined by <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2018/04/30/mcdavid-named-captain-for-canada-at-world-hockey-championship/">Connor McDavid</a> and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, as Canada finished fourth in the tournament. The following year, he was the lone Oilers player for Canada, picking up a Silver medal. Between the tournaments, he’s scored two goals and five points in 20 games. Nurse had previously represented Canada at the 2015 World Juniors, as well as U18 and U17 tournaments for Canada. For Bouchard, this will be his first time playing in the World Championship, but not his first time playing for Canada, represnting his country at the 2019 World Juniors, scoring three assists for Canada. He scored one goal and six points playing for Canada White at the U17 championship in 2016. The management group for Canada’s 2026 World Championship team has been hard at work building an impressive roster. Young stars Gavin McKenna and Macklin Celebrini will be heading to Switzerland, as well as a solid group of veterans, including John Tavares, Ryan O’Reilly, Mathew Barzal, Morgan Rielly, Robert Thomas and Mark Scheifele. Canada will look to make the podium for the first time in three years, most recently winning gold in 2021 and 2022, and silver in 2019 and 2022. Canada will play in Group B at the tournament, with Sweden, Czechia, Denmark, Italy, Slovakia, Norway, and Slovenia. Canada’s round-robin play begins on Friday, May 15, when Canada takes on Sweden at 8:20 a.m. MT. Here’s how their full schedule breaks down, with all times in MT: <ul> <li>Friday, May 15. 8:20 a.m. — vs. Sweden</li> <li>Saturday, May 16. 8:20 a.m. — vs. Italy</li> <li>Monday, May 18. 8:20 a.m. — vs. Denmark</li> <li>Thursday, May 21. 9:20 a.m. — vs. Norway</li> <li>Friday, May 22. 8:20 a.m. — vs. Slovenia</li> <li>Sunday, May 24. 12:20 p.m. — vs. Slovakia</li> <li>Tuesday, May 26. 12:20 p.m. — vs. Czechia</li> </ul> <hr /> Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s managing editor, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@DFOFantasy/streams">Daily Faceoff DFS Hockey Report</a>. He can be followed on X at <a href="http://www.x.com/zjlaing">@zjlaing</a>, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com. <hr /> <h2>PRESENTED BY DERRICK DODGE</h2> There’s a new chapter beginning at <a href="https://www.derrickdodge.com/inventory/new/">Derrick Dodge</a>, and the momentum is real. Under new ownership, the dealership is bringing fresh energy, a renewed focus on customer experience, and a bold, forward-thinking approach to vehicle buying. This change marks the start of an exciting new era, built around transparency, trust, and putting customers first. To celebrate this transition, every vehicle purchase comes with a trip for two to Las Vegas. Whether you’re shopping for your next vehicle or simply curious about what’s changed, Derrick Dodge is moving forward with confidence, purpose, and a clear vision for the future. </article> <article> <h1>Teams in the Pacific Division are getting better, but the Oilers remain in a good spot to contend</h1> Tue, 05 May 2026 09:00:23 -0400 Less than a week later, the Edmonton Oilers’ <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/05/04/five-key-players-edmonton-oilers-needed-more-from-nhl-playoffs-anaheim-ducks/">first-round defeat</a> is still raw.  After back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, expectations were high in the 2026 postseason. Instead, the <a href="http://oilersnation.com/combinations">Oilers</a> picked up numerous injuries down the stretch and into the postseason, before bowing out after just six games. The 2025-26 Oilers’ 93 points were the fewest in a non-COVID-impacted season since 2018-19. Their loss to the Anaheim Ducks also marked the first time they’ve lost in the first round since 2021. Back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances are nothing to sneeze at, but when you have the best player of all time on your roster, the Cup is expected. It’s only going to get harder from here for the <a href="http://oilersnation.com/stats">Oilers</a>, who have McDavid locked up for just two more seasons. In McDavid’s press conference at the end of the season, he had this to say about the changing landscape of the <a href="http://oilersnation.com/standings">Pacific Division</a>: <blockquote>“This year felt like there was a big turnover. Those young teams are not young, you know, losing teams. They’re really good teams with great players. San Jose is the same way. You know, how long before Chicago figures it out? Utah is right there, too. So it was a big, big kind of change over a year, and we got to get going.”</blockquote> The Ducks, who had a seven-season playoff drought coming into 2025-26, drastically improved this season. They finished third in the Pacific Division thanks to a 43-33-6 record, and were in the hunt for first in the Pacific Division all season long. Last season, they showed glimpses of improvement, but finished with a sub-.500 record and 80 points, 16 points out of the final wild card spot. In Northern California, the San Jose Sharks’ improvement was even better. The Pacific Coast team finished with a 20-50-12 record in 2024-25, the lowest point-total in the league. With Macklin Celebrini’s emergence as a true superstar this season, the Sharks finished with a 39-35-8 record, good enough for 86 points and just four points out of the final wild card spot. They’re only going to get better as well, especially when their defence improves. Both the Chicago Blackhawks and Utah Mammoth are not of the same concern given that they’re in the Central Division. But if the postseason stays the same, a showdown with either team in the Western Conference Finals is not out of the realm of possibility. Before the start of the postseason, there were a few parallels between this postseason and the 2016-17 postseason. Ten seasons ago, the Ducks were the experienced team and the Oilers were the young team looking to get playoff experience. In the end, the Ducks’ experience won them that second-round series, but that was their most recent series victory. Another team to compare, and arguably a better comparison, are the 2016-17 Sharks. The year prior, the Sharks went to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history, losing in six to the Pittsburgh Penguins. A year later, they couldn’t handle the Oilers in the first round, losing in six. <blockquote>Oilersnation wants to hear from you, the reader, in our new weekly “Letters to the Editor” segment. Letters can be emailed to Oilersnation’s managing editor Zach Laing (<a href="mailto:zach.laing@bettercollective.com">zach.laing@bettercollective.com</a>), titled “Letters to the Editor.” Please include a letter up to 200 words, including your name, place of residence (city, town, province, or state). Your letters may be edited for length and/or clarity. Letters must be submitted by 6 PM MT Saturday night to be considered for feature on Sunday mornings.</blockquote> The good news is that the Oilers’ situation isn’t that dire at the moment. McDavid will turn 30 in January, Draisaitl will turn 31 in October, and Evan Bouchard will turn 27 in October as well. Of the Sharks’ five-best players, namely Brent Burns, Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, Joe Thornton, and Patrick Marleau, only one was still in their 20s. Both Thornton and Marleau were in their late 30s, and Burns and Pavelski were in their early 30s. Now, the 2016-17 Sharks were deeper. Both Tomáš Hertl and Timo Meier were early in their careers, while Couture was in his prime at only 27 years old. That said, they didn’t have a generational talent like McDavid or a top five player like Draisaitl on their team. Even with an older core, the Sharks remained competitive. In the 2018 postseason, they swept the Ducks in four games, but lost to the newly founded Vegas Golden Knights. They got their revenge over the Golden Knights in 2019, mainly thanks to a pretty terrible five-minute major in Game 7, then defeated the Colorado Avalanche in seven. The Sharks ran out of steam in the Conference Finals, falling to the St. Louis Blues during their Cinderella run. Thankfully, the Oilers aren’t at that stage in their window of contention. But with the departure of Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg in the 2024 off-season, they may not have their Hertl or Meier, who were important pieces of the Sharks’ 2019 postseason run. Hopefully, players like Vasily Podkolzin, Josh Samanski, and Matthew Savoie can take another step forward for the Oilers in 2026-27, while Ike Horward lives up to his potential. Still, the right moves need to be made this off-season because the clock is ticking on the Oilers’ window of contention. <hr /> Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney. <hr /> <h2>PRESENTED BY CAPITAL GMC BUICK</h2> Hockey fans recognize elite performance instantly, and that’s exactly how<a href="https://www.capitalgmcbuick.ca/denali-vehicles/"> Capital GMC Buick</a> operates. With one of the city’s deepest selections of top-quality GMC and Buick vehicles and a customer experience built to win year after year, this dealership consistently leads the pack. Five current NHL players proudly drive vehicles from Capital GMC Buick, and for good reason. The store has been rated the #1 GM dealership in Canada by DealerRater for three consecutive years, is the only GM dealer in Edmonton endorsed by J.D. Power as a Dealer of Excellence, and has raised over $30,000 for the Stollery Children’s Hospital. </article> <article> <h1>Winnipeg Jets Morning Papers: Today’s Hockey Headlines | May 5, 2026</h1> Tue, 05 May 2026 07:30:59 -0400 A daily roundup of Jets, Moose coverage — all the pro hockey news that matters in Manitoba and beyond. </article> <article> <h1>Real Life Podcast: Leafs hire John Chayka, dreaming of Jon Cooper, and the Oilers’ coaching situation</h1> Mon, 04 May 2026 22:00:43 -0400 Thursday afternoon means a fresh episode of <a href="https://oilersnation.com/category/real-life-podcast">Real Life</a> was recorded and edited, and it’s ready to help you wrap up the week. On today’s podcast, the guys discussed <a href="https://oilersnation.com/edmonton-oilers-player-stats">the Oilers</a>‘ playoff exit, the John Chayka announcement in Toronto, who Edmonton may need as a new head coach, and much more. The guys kicked off the Monday episode of Real Life with a conversation about the Toronto Maple Leafs hiring John Chayka as their new general manager, and specifically how Steven Simmons dunked on the team for this decision. As you’ll hear in the clip, Simmons did not pull any punches with his questioning, and watching the interaction was pure theatre for fans of any other franchise. Needless to say, the start of the Chayka era kicked off with a bang. Changing gears, the conversation turned to the rumour that the ON staff is starting about Jon Cooper being the coach of the Edmonton Oilers. The problem, of course, is that Cooper still has time left on his contract and has not been fired by the Lightning, but that isn’t stopping the staff from imagining what this partnership would look like. Sticking with the coaching conversation, the boys also discussed Bruce Cassidy as a very competent Plan B. Given that he also won a Stanley Cup, would it make sense for the Oilers to hire the former Vegas Golden Knight? Finally, the guys wrapped up the podcast on the Thursday episode of Real Life with a run of topics, starting with what needs to happen with the Oilers to bring more of a playoff effort during the regular season. Would a new coach help with that? How much would it help to bring in other players that can fill proper roles in the lineup? The guys also spoke about concert tickets being out of control, and how tours are being cancelled because of how tickets aren’t moving. 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.a </article> <article> <h1>NHL Notebook: Maple Leafs name Chayka GM, Habs fend off Lightning to be only remaining Canadian team in playoffs, and more</h1> Mon, 04 May 2026 18:00:24 -0400 There is a new general manager in town for the <a href="http://theleafsnation.com">Toronto Maple Leafs</a>, and the hiring has sparked controversy around the league.  Following the firing of Brad Treliving on March 30, the Leafs were on a search for the next GM, and they landed on <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/05/04/sham-con-artist-liar-reporter-steve-simmons-rips-toronto-maple-leafs-hiring-john-chayka/">John Chayka</a>. <div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2107" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="325"></div> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"> The <a href="https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MapleLeafs</a> have hired John Chayka as their new general manager. </article> <article> <h1>It’s time for the Oilers to limit Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ role</h1> Mon, 04 May 2026 17:00:18 -0400 <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/03/24/edmonton-oilers-ryan-nugent-hopkins-one-away-milestone-800-points-nhl-career/">Ryan Nugent-Hopkins</a> has been through it all for the <a href="http://oilersnation.com/combinations">Edmonton Oilers</a>.  He’s stuck with the team, whether they finished last place or fought tooth and nail in Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. As the last holdover from the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2017/03/31/rip-to-the-decade-of-darkness-mission17/">Decade of Darkness</a>, he’s been a fixture in the top six for 15 years. That’s about to change. Nugent-Hopkins’ decline is difficult to discuss in this city. As a loyal, toolsy, hard-working player, he’s reached a level of popularity in Edmonton perhaps only rivalled by Ryan Smyth. But the reality is, he’s 33 years old, and Father Time is undefeated. He possesses a diverse enough skill set to add value to the team, but at this point, there are better options to maximize minutes at the top of the lineup next to <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/05/03/edmonton-oilers-playing-connor-mcdavid-leon-draisaitl-together-apart-depth-players-need-to-fill-roles-kris-knoblauch-stan-bowman-team-future/">Connor McDavid</a>. Going into next season, the Oilers will need to adjust their expectations for Nugent-Hopkins and find the best spot for him to succeed. <div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2107" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="325"></div> <h2>Offensive decline</h2> As a former first overall pick, the Oilers have expected Nugent-Hopkins to provide offence for his entire career. In 2025-26, he hit 50 points for the ninth time. Raw point totals don’t tell the whole story, however. He still contributes and collects his points on the top power play unit, but his five-on-five totals have slipped significantly. This season, Nugent-Hopkins’ production was well below average for a top-six forward, despite playing over half of his minutes on McDavid’s wing. Among forwards who played at least half of Edmonton’s games, he ranked eighth in five-on-five points per hour. He produced less than middle-six wingers like Kasperi Kapanen, Jack Roslovic, and 22-year-old Matt Savoie. McDavid’s on-ice goal, expected goal, and shot shares all decreased in the minutes he spent with Nugent-Hopkins. The top line featuring Nugent-Hopkins, McDavid, and Hyman still had their moments, but they didn’t strike the same fear into the opposition as they have in the past. Instead, it was Savoie who grabbed hold of that spot post-Olympic break and never looked back. He produced at a 65-point pace after late February and finished with a better goal share with McDavid than Nugent-Hopkins did. Perhaps what’s even more exciting is that there’s still plenty of upside for a young forward like Savoie. The youth, speed, and growth potential are precisely what the Oilers need at the top of the lineup going forward. <h2>Special teams</h2> Nugent-Hopkins hasn’t just been a top-line fixture for the Oilers over the years — he’s also played a massive role on both special teams units. He ranked in the top two among Oilers forwards in time-on-ice per game on the penalty kill each year since 2021-22, but that finally dropped this season. Mark Stuart deployed Nugent-Hopkins in fewer minutes on average than Jason Dickinson, Adam Henrique, Mattias Janmark, and Savoie. It’s hard to blame him. Nugent-Hopkins was on the ice for 11.8 goals against per hour on the PK, while the team only gave up 6.9 per hour without him. If anything, reducing his penalty kill minutes even more might benefit the Oilers. At his age, having more rest and fewer responsibilities might be what he needs to be at his best. And the penalty kill has been far more efficient without him in recent years. As for the power-play, Nugent-Hopkins remains effective. He scored 11 power-play goals this season, just two fewer than McDavid. Unlike the penalty kill, Edmonton’s power play fared better when he was in the lineup. Nugent-Hopkins has played on the top unit for a long time, and he’s found a way to remain useful there despite his offensive decline at five-on-five. He knows how to execute their set plays, and he knows how to occupy the right space when McDavid and Draisaitl rotate around the offensive zone. That doesn’t mean his spot on the main unit is a lock in the future, however. With young offensive players like Savoie on the rise, the coaching staff will closely monitor their power play in 2026-27. If they hit a snag at any point during the season, it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see them experiment with other players — especially ones who can shoot the puck from the bumper position. <h2>The ideal role</h2> A grizzled veteran with defensive acumen like Nugent-Hopkins can plug in anywhere in the lineup, but his ideal spot moving forward is on the third line. His versatility allows him to play third-line centre or stay on the left wing if the Oilers re-sign Jason Dickinson. His offensive production fits firmly into a third-line level, and at this stage, he’s more likely to make a positive impact in a shutdown role next to Dickinson. Nugent-Hopkins will likely start next season playing on both special teams units, but that’s a situation to monitor closely. If he can’t improve under a new penalty kill system, it might be wise to continue fading him there. And while he’s continued to deliver so far on the power play, his spot is far from guaranteed going forward. There’s a changing of the guard taking place in Edmonton’s forward group. Young forwards like Savoie and Podkolzin are knocking on the door, and Nugent-Hopkins is trending down with age. He can still be a useful player for the Oilers for the remaining three years of his contract. But it won’t be on the top line. <hr /> <h2>ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365</h2> <div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="325" data-promotion-id="19111"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Bowman thinks Oilers won’t have ‘dramatically different’ roster next year</h1> Mon, 04 May 2026 16:00:07 -0400 The lingering sentiment around the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/">Edmonton Oilers</a> exit interviews was the team must improve because the goal is to win the Stanley Cup next year.  No one tried to pull the wool after a frustrating season, not Stan Bowman, not Connor McDavid, and certainly not Leon Draisaitl. But what changes will be made in terms of player personnel? General manager Stan <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/sunday-scramble-stan-bowman-good-at-the-margins-but-big-swings-and-misses">Bowman said</a> on Saturday that he doesn’t think the team would be much different. Some growth from within the organization, a few moves here or there perhaps? “I think that we want to improve. We need to improve. We’re not in a good spot here,” said Bowman. “I think we do need some new players. I don’t know if we’re going to have a dramatically different roster next year. I think sometimes just a few players can make a big difference, whether that’s through a trade or a free agent signing or a younger player getting an opportunity.” Such is life in the Connor McDavid timeline of two years. <h3>‘We want to win’</h3> His extension at the same dollar of $12.5 million for two seasons amplifies the pressure on management, as the franchise still searches for their first Stanley Cup in this era. McDavid will turn 30 in January and Leon Draisaitl will turn 31 in October. That means decisions aren’t being made about the team being good four years from now, a quick retool as it were. You can argue this season was the retool with young players like <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/vasily-podkolzin-kasperi-kapanen-stepping-up-for-edmonton-oilers-anaheim-ducks-nhl-playoffs">Vasily Podkolzin</a> and <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/five-key-players-edmonton-oilers-needed-more-from-nhl-playoffs-anaheim-ducks">Matt Savoie</a> making a greater impact, solidifying themselves as top-six wingers in the Oilers lineup to come for years. But the noise will be loud if the Oilers don’t win in 2026-27, where again McDavid will be eligible to re-sign, but the team is still pursuing a Stanley Cup. “We’re on the same page as Connor. We want to win too,” said Bowman. “So, all the moves that we make are geared towards trying to win the Cup next year. We’re not building for, like I said, four years from now. “It lines up in the same parallel path where Connor wants to win and we want to win. That’s the way we look at it.” While the moves at the Trade Deadline, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/four-unrestricted-free-agents-want-re-sign-edmonton-oilers-jason-dickinson-connor-murphy-kasperi-kapanen-connor-ingram">the additions</a> of Jason Dickinson and Connor Murphy gelled in useful roles as a third-line centre and second pair right-shot defenceman, despite not being household names. Signs that speak to Bowman’s claim that a couple of players can make the difference and the core might not be altered. Part of the myriad of issues during this last season, was the team hardly ever played together. The Oilers lineup in Game 1 of the Anaheim Ducks series was a unique lineup, never once all suiting up for a game with the return of Leon Draisaitl. It wouldn’t last a period, either. But are key unrestricted free agents Bowman and management will have to decide on. Murphy, in particular, could be a hot candidate due to the dearth of right-shot defenceman available to sign. <h3>‘We have to improve’</h3> Leon Draisaitl didn’t beat around <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/i-am-concerned-leon-draisaitl-answers-questions-following-edmonton-oilers-playoff-exit">the bush</a> when he said this year represented a “concerning” trend for the Oilers long-term. A year that started with captain’s skates before training camp, all in the hopes of being ready for a much better start, never took off in the fall, winter, or early spring. “In what world do you have the best player in the world on your team and you’re not looking to win?” said Draisaitl, who’s in a different position, signed until 2033. He’s also the team’s highest cap hit at $14 million with McDavid’s sweetheart extension. “I know we’re looking to win, but we need to be better. We have to be better. There’s no way around it. We have to improve,” he continued. “And he signed for two more years and God knows where that goes, but we have two years here right now. As of right now, we have two years and we have to get significantly better.” There’s nothing saying that McDavid couldn’t extend for another contract next summer, or once his terms expires. He’s been consistent that as long as he believes the Oilers give him a chance to pursue a Stanley Cup, he’ll stay. But the lower than expected dollar figure does send a message that he’s doing his part, taking less for more to spread around to fill roster holes. McDavid wrote in the Players Tribune that he <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/connor-mcdavid-reaffirms-desire-win-edmonton-oilers-echoes-comments-taking-step-back">wants to win</a> in Edmonton. He repeated those words to Oilers fans on Saturday. “I do see a path, but it’s going to take everybody to be better,” said McDavid, who will take a well-deserved break. “It’s weird to talk about development for veterans, but us veterans need to find a way to get better and develop. Everybody does. Because that’s the only way it’s going to change. “I want to win and I want to win here in Edmonton. That’s my focus.” Michael Menzies is an Oilersnation columnist and co-host of PreGaming and Oilersnation After Dark. He’s also been the play-by-play voice of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the AJHL since 2019. With seven years of news experience as the Editor-at-Large of Lakeland Connect in Bonnyville, Menzies collects vinyl, books, and stomach issues. Follow him on X at Menzies_4. <h2>PRESENTED BY VIVID SEATS</h2> <a href="https://vivid-seats.pxf.io/bOMJ26" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Take $20 off your first Vivid Seats</a> order of $200+ using promo code OILERSNATION (new customers only, $200 USD minimum before taxes & fees). </article> <article> <h1>‘Sham,’ ‘con artist,’ ‘liar’: Reporter rips into Maple Leafs’ hiring of John Chayka</h1> Mon, 04 May 2026 14:30:37 -0400 Leave it to the <a href="http://theleafsnation.com">Toronto Maple Leafs</a> to be nothing short of a source of entertainment.  In a move that took the hockey world by surprise, the Leafs <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/report-toronto-maple-leafs-mats-sundin-advisor-john-chayka-general-manager">announced Sunday</a> they hired John Chayka as general manager, and Mats Sundin as senior executive advisor. The Sundin news was tolerable, given his 13-years as a player in the Leafs organization, but the Chayka news <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/toronto-maple-leafs-fans-share-thoughts-hirings-mats-sundin-john-chayka">went over like a lead balloon</a>. It all came to a head when Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment CEO Keith Pelley introduced the pair at a Monday press conference. When fielding questions, things got tense when Toronto Sun reporter Steve Simmons pressed Pelley on the decision to hire Chayka. <blockquote>Simmons: For Keith, you talk about the due diligence that you did on John prior to hiring him and now hiring him. In the past, say, three-to-four days, I have been in contact with about 20 people who work in the National Hockey League, many of whom are prominent names that we would all know. And of the 20 people I spoke to, one was supportive of John’s hiring and the other 19 thought it was a “sham,” to be perfectly honest. Words were used like “con artist,” “liar,” “salesman.” How did you come to a different conclusion that I was able to come to in a very short time? Pelley: I must have talked to different people. Simmons: That’s it? Because I know the hockey world today is astounded by this announcement. Pelley. Okay. Simmons: And your response to that? Pelley: Is we’ve conducted due diligence, and it was deep due diligence. It was a thorough process and I’m quite happy with where we’ve landed.</blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"> Steve Simmons goes at Keith Pelley for hiring John Chayka. This was something. <a href="https://t.co/zSw8768sCQ">pic.twitter.com/zSw8768sCQ</a> — World Hockey Report (@worldhockeyrpt) <a href="https://twitter.com/worldhockeyrpt/status/2051353674140856786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Chayka, 36, steps into one of the biggest roles in hockey after being out of the game for the last six years. His most previous role came as the general manager and president of hockey operations for the Arizona Coyotes. It was a job that ended in controversy, however, when he was forced to resign, and was suspended from the league. The NHL found the Coyotes had been conducting “illegal pre-draft testing for more than 20 prospects from the Canadian Hockey League,” ESPN’s Emily Kaplan <a href="https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/29746833/coyotes-forfeit-two-draft-picks-combine-testing-violations">reported</a>. Arizona was forced to forfeit their 2020 second-round pick and 2021 first-round pick as a result. Chayka has been out of the league since, leaving many to wonder why the Maple Leafs went the direction they did. <hr /> Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s managing editor, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@DFOFantasy/streams">Daily Faceoff DFS Hockey Report</a>. He can be followed on X at <a href="http://www.x.com/zjlaing">@zjlaing</a>, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com. <hr /> <h2>PRESENTED BY LeaseBusters</h2> <div id=":lw" class="ii gt"> <div id=":lv" class="a3s aiL"> <div id="avWBGd-20"> <div dir="ltr"> <div>LeaseBusters is Canada’s premier lease takeover marketplace, helping drivers get out of their current vehicle leases without costly penalties or negative equity. 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For more information, check out <a href="http://www.leasebusters.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.LeaseBusters.com&source=gmail&ust=1775087155244000&usg=AOvVaw2PMw2Qb9zTS5C2tUISKT6u">www.LeaseBusters.com.</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>The Oilers may have jumped the gun with Jake Walman’s extension, but there’s still hope</h1> Mon, 04 May 2026 14:00:30 -0400 The <a href="http://oilersnation.com/stats">Edmonton Oilers</a> extended a handful of players before the start of the 2025-26 season.  Chief among them was <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/05/03/specific-roster-adjustments-connor-mcdavid-edmonton-request-summer-goaltending-coaching-change-top-six-forward/">Connor McDavid</a>, who agreed to a two-year deal worth $12.5 million, the same annual average value as his previous contract. That set the deadline for the Oilers’ window of contention. With the extra money, the Blue Jays extended Mattias Ekholm to a three-year deal two days after McDavid’s extension. They also extended <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2025/10/06/edmonton-oilers-jake-walman-contract-extension-seven-years/">Jake Walman to a seven-year deal</a> carrying a $7 million cap hit on the same day as McDavid’s extension. The question is, did Walman’s extension come too early? Here’s the skinny of Walman’s career before joining the Oilers. He was a late bloomer, drafted in 2014 and only making his National Hockey League debut in 2019-20. Walman became a regular with the Detroit Red Wings in 2022-23 thanks to being traded there before the 2022 trade deadline. In his two full seasons there, Walman set career-highs with the Original Six team. In 2023-24, he scored 12 goals and 21 points in 63 games, but missed time down the stretch. That off-season, the Red Wings attached a second-round pick to Walman in an attempt to clear cap space, sending him to the Sharks. With the 2024-25 Sharks being as bad as they were, Walman flourished with increased playing time, scoring six goals and 32 points in just 50 games. Then the Oilers came knocking before the 2025 trade deadline. The price was a 2026 first and an older prospect, Carl Berglund, who spent the 2025-26 season in Czechia. As for Walman, he finished the season with a goal and eight points in 15 games, playing second pair minutes, especially after Mattias Ekholm went down with an injury. He was also noticeable in the 2025 postseason, scoring two goals and 10 points in 22 games, which was pretty much his NHL postseason debut, except for one game with the Blues in 2021. Simply put, Walman played like a defenceman who makes $7 million annually after the trade. The same cannot be said about the 2025-26 regular season. Beginning the season on the injured list, Walman scored eight goals and 20 points in 53 games, solid productivity for a player who bounced between the second and third pairing. <a href="https://www.naturalstattrick.com/playerreport.php?fromseason=20252026&thruseason=20252026&stype=2&sit=5v5&stdoi=oi&rate=n&v=p&playerid=8478013">Walman’s underlying numbers</a> were concerning, as the Oilers had 40.9 percent of the goal share and 46.02 percent of the expected goal share with Walman on the ice during five-on-five action. On top of that, the Oilers were outshot and gave up a lot more high-danger scoring chances than they generated. I’ve been a big fan of Walman since he was with the Red Wings, but even I can admit that the Oilers jumped the gun with the extension. That said, there are a few things that make me hopeful that this signing won’t age as poorly as it seems. For starters, I don’t think it’s a hot take to say that Walman was the Oilers’ best defenceman in their six-game series against the Ducks. <a href="https://www.naturalstattrick.com/playerreport.php?fromseason=20252026&thruseason=20252026&stype=3&sit=5v5&stdoi=oi&rate=n&v=p&playerid=8478013">The Oilers’ goal share with Walman</a> on the ice during five-on-five jumped to 54.55 percent, while his expected goal share jumped to 50.9 percent. They still gave up more scoring chances, but generated one more high-danger scoring chance than they gave up while also outshooting the opposition. Walman’s four points were the second-most for any Oilers’ defenceman in the six games, picking up two primary and two secondary assists. Only <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/01/28/where-edmonton-oilers-evan-bouchard-rank-norris-trophy-race-nhl-awards/">Evan Bouchard</a> had more points, but four of his seven points came on the power play. He wasn’t perfect by any means, as <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/04/21/game-1-kasperi-kapanen-clutch-scoring-jake-walman-finding-swagger-observations-edmonton-oilers-net-more/">Walman</a> picked up a team-leading eight penalty minutes. For some odd reason, they managed to kill off the four penalties, which make up half of their eight successful kills. I don’t really know what to make of this, but it’s pretty funny. The two other factors that give hope are the fact he spent large portions of the season injured and played off-handed. Let’s start with the latter. Walman commonly played on the right side when playing with Darnell Nurse on the second pairing. He played nearly <a href="https://www.naturalstattrick.com/playerreport.php?fromseason=20252026&thruseason=20252026&stype=2&sit=all&stdoi=oi&rate=n&v=t&playerid=8478013">1,000 minutes of five-on-five action</a> in the regular season, and 416 of those minutes were spent with Nurse. It went as expected, as the Oilers had 40.82 percent of the goal share and 41.48 percent of the expected goal share with the two on the ice during five-on-five play. When Walman was with any other defence partner, just over 577 minutes of five-on-five play, the Oilers had 42.86 percent of the goal share (not great) and 49.44 percent of the expected goal share, which is about average. The Oilers gave up 107 high-danger chances and generated 71 high-danger chances with the Walman and Nurse on the ice, while the Oilers generated more high-danger chances with Walman on the ice when he was away from Nurse. It still wasn’t a great season for Walman, as his best underlying numbers came with Bouchard or Ekholm. This is a facet of his game that’ll need to improve on next season. The other sign that gives hope is that Walman missed 29 games with two different stints on the injured reserve. Walman missed the first six games of the season, then immediately scored an overtime winner in his first game back. He played 17 games, scoring three goals and 10 points, but was injured by blocking a shot when the Oilers visited the Tampa Bay Lightning. That injury happened to be a bone bruise, which forced him to miss the next 23 games. When he returned in mid-January, Walman scored five goals and 10 points in his final 36 points, but didn’t play particularly great. His injury history is worrisome, because this is not the first time he’s missed 20 or more games in a season. However, it’s unclear whether or not injuries impacted his game. The fact that Walman elevated his play in the postseason gives some hope heading into the 2026-27 season that maybe, just maybe, this contract won’t age poorly. <hr /> Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. 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Visit your local Prairie Toyota dealer during Red Tag Days for limited-time offers.</div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>One year ago today: Winnipeg Jets’ Cole Perfetti’s Manitoba Miracle</h1> Mon, 04 May 2026 13:22:46 -0400 Remembering the Manitoba Miracle one year to the day later. </article> <article> <h1>Winnipeg Jets Jonathan Toews a finalist for Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy</h1> Mon, 04 May 2026 12:42:19 -0400 The Winnipegger goes from a nominee to finalist. </article> <article> <h1>Five key players the Oilers needed more from in the playoffs against the Ducks</h1> Mon, 04 May 2026 12:30:03 -0400 It was a strange feeling this past weekend, going around town at the beginning of May and not seeing people wearing their finest Edmonton Oilers threads, or a single Oilers car flag on passing cars, at least from what I saw.  The Oilers were ousted by the Anaheim Ducks in the first round, their earliest exit since 2021. In <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-stan-bowman-underwhelming-trent-frederic-tristan-jarry-struggles-poor-play-kris-knoblauch-goaltending-playoffs">recent season-ending media availabilities</a>, it became clear that several players were battling through injuries, and as a whole, a longer summer to rest will likely do the team good. Still, there were key players the Oilers needed more from in the playoffs, and below we take a look at five of them. <h2>Darnell Nurse</h2> Darnell Nurse played the third-most minutes out of any Oiler (138:49) and had a good goal share at five-on-five at 7–3 against the Ducks, but offensively, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/expectations-five-highest-paid-players-edmonton-oilers-2025-26">as the second-highest paid blueliner</a> on the roster, his zero points through six games was not good enough. At the end of the day, the team needed more production from him. But above all, many years down the road, when I think back on Nurse’s body of work in <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-eliminated-2026-nhl-playoffs-game-6-5-2-loss-anaheim-ducks-recap-reaction-highlights">the 2026 playoffs</a>, two instances will stand out from the rest, and both of them involved the Oilers’ blueliner deflecting pucks into his own net. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"> Ryan Poehling gets credit for the OT winner but the play is under review. </article> <article> <h1>Winnipeg Jets hold seventh overall pick heading into NHL Draft Lottery</h1> Mon, 04 May 2026 11:05:39 -0400 Winnipeg currently set to draft in the 7th spot but that could change Tuesday night. </article> <article> <h1>Questions defining the Oilers offseason: Will they have a new head coach?</h1> Mon, 04 May 2026 11:00:14 -0400 The <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/05/03/three-top-priorities-edmonton-oilers-offseason-coaching-changes-trade-darnell-nurse-goaltending/">offseason</a> has come much earlier in Oil Country than it has over the past few seasons, and that means that big changes are likely on the way.  Over the next few weeks, I will be looking at the five biggest questions that will define this summer for the Oilers and, in turn, could wind up defining the Connor McDavid era. If they play their cards right this summer, then they could set themselves up to have at least two more runs with McDavid on their roster. If this summer goes poorly, then, as Leon Draisaitl so eloquently put it, “god knows” what could happen. Part one of my five defining question series starts with the man behind the bench. Should the Oilers move on from <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/05/03/edmonton-oilers-kris-knoblauch-worried-about-job-firing-paul-coffey-penalty-kill/">Kris Knoblauch</a>? For most Oilers fans, the answer is obvious. Some were clamouring for a coaching change at different points during the regular season, but at that point, all Knoblauch had done in his few seasons behind the bench was lead the team to Stanley Cup Finals. I believed that he deserved another crack at showing that he could get this team to play their best hockey come playoff time. That obviously didn’t happen and both he and his coaching staff are a pretty big reason why. This team only won three games in a row twice over the course of their 82-game regular season. That falls on the coaching staff as much as it falls on the players. They couldn’t consistently play at their highest level for even a week straight at any point in the season. It’s not just the confidence of the fan base either. There are a few other signs from this season that show that Knoblauch may have lost the confidence of some important people around him. At his exit interview on Saturday, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/05/02/i-am-concerned-leon-draisaitl-answers-questions-following-edmonton-oilers-playoff-exit/">Leon Draisaitl said</a> that the entire organization needs to be better from management, to coaching, to the players. He also said that the coaching staff needed to be better back in February following a loss to the Calgary Flames. After last season’s Stanley Cup Final loss, McDavid said that the Oilers were trying the same things over and over again and beating their heads against a wall. Then later on, when asked why the Oilers couldn’t play as structured as a team like the Tampa Bay Lightning, McDavid deflected and simply said that the question should be asked of Knoblauch. There are enough instances of the Oilers’ star players saying that the coaching staff needs to be better to think that they might be open to a change. On top of that, we had the drama surrounding <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/02/19/paul-coffey-return-edmonton-oilers-coaching-staff-means-for-organization/">Paul Coffey</a>. After leaving the Oilers bench at the end of last season, Coffey rejoined the team just over halfway through this season. There were many reports out there, some conflicting. Some said that there was a rift between Knoblauch and Coffey and that the Oilers’ head coach didn’t want him back. Some said that Knoblauch welcomed Coffey back and that the decision to leave was purely Coffey’s. Personally, I don’t buy that this was all Knoblauch’s decision. I think Coffey coming back onto the Oilers bench shows that at some level in the organization, Knoblauch and his staff lost trust. I believe <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/05/04/monday-mailbag-will-kris-knoblauch-be-coaching-edmonton-oilers-october/">Kris Knoblauch</a> has coached his final game for the Edmonton Oilers. I think this team needs a fresh voice to come in and spark them right out of the gates next season and there are some very interesting candidates that are available and some that could be available. Let’s start with the fantasy land option — no, not the hotel — I’m talking about Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning. After winning the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021, the Lightning lost in the second round in 2022 and are now on a streak of four first-round exits. For a team with legit Stanley Cup aspirations, they’re currently stuck in a rut, and that makes me wonder if either the organization would consider a coaching change or if Cooper himself would maybe welcome a change of scenery. It’s easy to assume that Cooper would have loved coaching McDavid at both the 4-Nations Face Off and the 2026 Olympics, and we know from his comments earlier this season that the Oilers captain is quite fond of Cooper. If the future Hall of Fame head coach were looking for a next challenge, Edmonton would be the perfect landing spot for him. Again, there is no guarantee that he becomes available. Bruce Cassidy is available right now. He is also a Stanley Cup-winning head coach who is known for getting the most out of his teams for 2-3 year periods. Well, that time frame lines up well with what the Oilers are looking for. Cassidy has made comments recently about being intrigued by the idea of coaching a Canadian team, so it’s fair to assume that there would be some interest there. One trait of Cassidy’s teams that should excite Oilers fans: they always perform strongly in the regular season. In his last nine years as a Head Coach, his team’s have had a points percentage above .650 in eight of them. It would be nice to see the Oilers dominate the regular season for once. Other names that could be of interest include David Carle from the University of Denver, although that’s probably more of a pipe dream than Cooper. Peter Laviolette is a veteran head coach without a job, but I would prefer Cassidy over him. Manny Malholtra is an up-and-coming name who will get interest for head coaching jobs this summer, but I think the Oilers will go with someone more experienced. Will the Oilers have a new bench boss next fall? I think it’s almost a certainty, and unless Cooper becomes available, I would be surprised if Bruce Cassidy isn’t the guy. <h2>PRESENTED BY DERRICK DODGE</h2> There’s a new chapter beginning at <a href="https://www.derrickdodge.com/inventory/new/">Derrick Dodge</a>, and the momentum is real. Under new ownership, the dealership is bringing fresh energy, a renewed focus on customer experience, and a bold, forward-thinking approach to vehicle buying. This change marks the start of an exciting new era, built around transparency, trust, and putting customers first. To celebrate this transition, every vehicle purchase comes with a trip for two to Las Vegas. Whether you’re shopping for your next vehicle or simply curious about what’s changed, Derrick Dodge is moving forward with confidence, purpose, and a clear vision for the future. </article> <article> <h1>Monday Mailbag: Will Kris Knoblauch be coaching the Oilers in October?</h1> Mon, 04 May 2026 09:00:21 -0400 Good morning, everyone, and a happy Monday to you all. As per tradition, I’ve got a brand new <a href="https://oilersnation.com/category/monday-mailbag">mailbag</a> set to go after taking your questions and sending them to the crew for their takes. This week, we’re discussing the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-injury-news-connor-mcdavid-jason-dickinson-played-lower-body-fractures">Oilers’ exit pressers</a>, Kris Knoblauch’s future, Leon Draisaitl’s concern about the team’s direction, and more. If you’ve got a question you’d like to ask, email it to me at <a class="text-accent" href="mailto:baggedmilk@oilersnation.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">baggedmilk@oilersnation.com</a> or on Twitter at <a class="text-accent" href="https://www.twitter.com/jsbmbaggedmilk" rel="noopener noreferrer">@jsbmbaggedmilk</a>, and I’ll get to you as soon as I can.  <figure id="attachment_193982" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-193982" style="width: 861px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-193982" class="wp-caption-text">Apr 24, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) heads to a penalty box during the third period against the Anaheim Ducks in game three of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure> 1) Ryan A. asks – <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/where-do-edmonton-oilers-go-from-here">How bummed should Oilers fans be</a>? Given how the year played out and how much hockey this team has played, it seems like it would have taken a miracle to win the Cup. Does an early exit lead to more rest, a potential coaching change (fingers-crossed), and a motivated group for next year? Or is it just another wasted Cupless year that brings us one season closer to McDavid leaving? Liam Horrobin: Do not let the Edmonton Oilers rule your life! Be bummed out but move on because you have no control in this situation. Agreed, a miracle would’ve been needed with the way the injuries stacked up so soon. Changes seem like they’re coming which takes us into another mini era of Oilers hockey. Michael Menzies: You’re right to be bummed, maybe not in the lose itself, but for how frustrating a season it was. I didn’t have high hopes really throughout the season, but I didn’t think they’d lose quite like that. It’s a paradox that the thing most beneficial for them to win the Stanley Cup is the earliest possible exit from the playoffs, but it’s true in this case. They can’t rev up without being given the time to do so. With that said, it’s a fine thread to needle because winning is a must and there are anchors attached to each position group. How they go about improving the team is going to be fascinating. Baggedmilk: I think fans have every right to be bummed that the team took a step back after two straight runs to the Cup final. That said, I hope it puts the pressure on the management that they need to get something done that’s actually helpful. Tick tock, Stan. <figure id="attachment_194077" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-194077" style="width: 805px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-194077" class="wp-caption-text">Leon Draisaitl Edmonton Oilers post-season presser</figcaption></figure> 2) Yves asks – When <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/i-am-concerned-leon-draisaitl-answers-questions-following-edmonton-oilers-playoff-exit">Leon Draisaitl says he’s “concerned”</a> that the Oilers have taken a step back, what do you think a quote like that says or should say to management? He also praised some of the players who have left over the last couple of years, and it seemed to me that he’s not overly pleased with the team’s direction. Liam Horrobin: When you know what it’s like at the top of the mountain, it becomes clearer what it’s like to be at the bottom. It tells me that the standard wasn’t set, and if you’re a returning player, then you need to figure it out. The question that kept coming up yesterday was: “Should McDavid and Draisaitl play less?” The answer is yes, but you also need more players to step up. That didn’t happen. It’s a shout to management to figure it out ASAP, otherwise everyone is gone. Michael Menzies: If reports are to be believed that McDavid and Draisaitl met with Bowman and management and were told to hold on while they have salary cap space, then it just reaffirms what Draisaitl has also said privately. It shouldn’t be a shock because it is concerning. They are running out of cards to play. Baggedmilk: It says to management very loudly that they’re screwing this up, and that time is running out. Leon was incredibly honest, and I respected everything he said about where the team is at. <figure id="attachment_177802" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-177802" style="width: 825px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-177802" class="wp-caption-text">Stan Bowman Edmonton Oilers GM free agency live blog</figcaption></figure> 3) Mitch asks – Stan Bowman has his work cut out for him this summer. What do you see as the biggest needs for a team that has many of its players already locked in for next year? Liam Horrobin: Biggest need is moving on from Darnell Nurse and/or Tristan Jarry. Michael Menzies: They have to figure out what the goaltending situation is first and foremost. Baggedmilk: Coach, goaltending, top six forward. <figure id="attachment_190438" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-190438" style="width: 820px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-190438" class="wp-caption-text">Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch</figcaption></figure> 4) Tim asks – Do you think <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-season-lack-cohension-average-connor-mcdavid-concerning-weird-season-recap-playoffs-anaheim-ducks-stan-bowman-kris-knoblauch-offseason-free-agents">Kris Knoblauch</a> will be behind the bench when the Oilers start the 2026-27 season in October? Why or why not? Liam Horrobin: No, but it’s his fault. He opted to go with limited NHL experience on his bench, and it cost him. From day one, the standard was to lean on McDavid and Draisaitl, and the team never recovered. He couldn’t find roles for certain players, leading to no team synergy. Edmonton needs someone who cares for all 23 players on the roster and gets the best out of them. Michael Menzies: No. I don’t know this, but am guessing that with the mid-season Paul Coffey re-hire and the overall weirdness of the season, management or ownership wants someone’s head to roll after this type of season. With that said, how many coaches are 29-97 going to go through. Maybe there’s a reason they’re goiing through so many coaches… Baggedmilk: No. I think he’ll get swapped out before the draft. <figure id="attachment_193229" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-193229" style="width: 858px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-193229" class="wp-caption-text">Apr 20, 2026; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers center Jason Dickinson (16) watches the puck go past Anaheim Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal (1) in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs during the first period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure> 5) Ed M. asks – Hindsight is 20/20, but should Stan Bowman have known that the team was <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/stan-bowman-says-oilers-couldnt-get-momentum-in-reaction-to-mcdavids-average-comment">nothing more than “average”</a> and that no deadline trades would turn them into a Cup contender? So, would sitting out this past <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2026/03/06/edmonton-oilers-trade-rumours-2026-nhl-deadline-live-blog/">trade deadline</a> have been the wise move? Or maybe you think Bowman was just trying to improve the chances of making the playoffs? Was his objective not “Cup or bust” but “playoffs or bust”? Liam Horrobin: If Bowman didn’t make a move at the deadline, then he should’ve fired himself. With the stars Edmonton has, you bank on them getting hot and everyone else figuring it out. Plus, now you have a head start on Dickinson and Murphy. They’re important pieces and should return. Michael Menzies: Bowman would’ve been crucified for standing pat at the Deadline for the same reasons he can’t stand pat now. However wise it would’ve been, he would ensure that in the near future spend mornings at A&W telling the regulars how wise it was afterwards. In the mix of the season, he needs to give his team the best chance to win every year. That’s what made this trade window so scary. You know the team is compromised and not playing up to their potential, so you’re damned if you do, and damned if you don’t. This is all very tricky indeed. Baggedmilk: I get what you’re saying, but there’s no way the Oilers should just sit on their hands with the McDavid clock ticking away. They need to try and get better every single day in every way they possibly can. <h2>PRESENTED BY STAKE</h2> <a href="https://stake.com/?c=CQvzzR7n&offer=nhl200&utm_source=dailyfaceoff&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=cf_dir_ca_display&utm_term=display&utm_content=nhl"></a> </article> <article> <h1>Winnipeg Jets Morning Papers: Today’s Hockey Headlines | May 4, 2026</h1> Mon, 04 May 2026 07:30:52 -0400 A daily roundup of Jets, Moose coverage — all the pro hockey news that matters in Manitoba and beyond. </article> <article> <h1>Eligibility Changes Hot Topic at Coaches Meetings</h1> Mon, 04 May 2026 05:00:00 -0400 College hockey coaches recently wrapped up their annual convention in Bonita Springs, Fla., a week-long gathering that also includes conference-level meetings.Normally, items on the agenda include things like rule change suggestions, and NCAA Tournament formats. But these are not normal times.Foremost on the agenda was a meeting with NCAA lawyers, who went over the age and eligibility rule changes... </article> <article> <h1>Half As Many Entrants</h1> Sun, 03 May 2026 23:29:35 -0400 <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiir1vjPvqSKWICtBni9dQ6ifCDwAD_d9dtOe1HzO8fBVAOtrVipK0Cdo-hFgW96Ci881Ck8NLeuVc_6bgrm6kuBlh7x24uouRqNfC5sgdzMOXKsg1I9ER-weiFadVJis9JhymnlmIGw29_yJDSNzoYrVoQ1OqwgMQ_tIm2e4-fcw2PReHBttmGbdnWvJ79/s988/matchup2nd.png" style="padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"></a></div>The final game of the opening round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs was concluded tonight as the Montreal Canadiens held on for a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, eliminating the Lightning as the eighth and final team gone from the first round. Of course, that means we'll have exit interviews on The Hockey Show as five more people join Ethan (Ottawa), Harv (Los Angeles), and Billy (Pittsburgh) back on the mainland after spending two weeks or less on Survivor: NHL Playoffs island! The remaining eight teams push forward! Michaela is already on her way after Carolina took a 1-0 lead over Philadelphia, so Derek's going to need the Flyers to rally after being blanked 3-0 in the opener. Minnesota and Colorado will renew hostilities tonight as Dave and Tyler look to grab a lead in that series, Anaheim and Vegas will kick off their battle tomorrow with Colin and Matt looking for and edge, and Travis and Fiona will have to wait until May 6 before the Montreal-Buffalo series gets underway. For those worried about these weird starts to series, Carolina and Philadelphia could be done by May 9 if Carolina were to sweep while Buffalo and Montreal will have only played two games. The NHL really needs to get this scheduling under control because there's no way any team should have played their first game of the second round when the first round hasn't ended. That's just ridiculous, but that's the NHL. For those wondering about the challenge prizes, here's the recap: <ul><li>First shutout recorded in the playoffs. - Michaela</li> <li>First hat trick recorded in the playoffs. - Travis</li> <li>First goaltender point recorded in the playoffs.</li> <li>First team eliminated from the playoffs. - Ethan</li> <li>First to advance from the second round to the third round.</li> <li>First team to score seven goals in one game. - Colin</li> <li>First upset of the playoffs. - Derek</li> </ul>I'm waiting on one person to choose a prize before the final prize of the first round can be handed out, but the three challenges that remain can still be won by any of the eight teams still alive. With four of the five winners still alive, could we see someone win multiple prizes? We've seen it before, so it could very well happen! This week's episode of The Hockey Show will see Jared (Dallas), Elliot (Edmonton), Josh (Utah), Tom (Pittsburgh), and Barry (Tampa Bay) give their thoughts on how their teams failed them in the playoffs as these five competitors will deliver their exit interviews. Those should be fun as a few of the heavyweights who were thought to have a chance will now be working on their golf games until September. Officially, Round Two is underway. Eight teams will be reduced to four when the dust settles, and we'll have four more exit interviews. Who will still be in contention at that point on Survivor: NHL Playoffs? Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice! </article> <article> <h1>The Intern Diaries: Coping with the Oilers loss</h1> Sun, 03 May 2026 22:00:42 -0400 The <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/04/25/the-intern-diaries-recapping-first-week-oilersnation/">Intern Diaries</a> are back for another week to fill you in on what the current vibes are at Nation HQ. Status update: Not great thanks to the <a href="http://oilersnation.com/combinations">Edmonton Oilers</a>.  Yesterday the vibes were way down at the office. Everyone is devastated after Thursday’s game, and I am still feeling it today at home. Monday was pretty brutal too, after the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/04/27/nhl-serious-officiating-problem-fans-split-controversial-overtime-goal-game-4-anaheim-ducks-edmonton-oilers-nhl-playoffs/">Game 4 loss</a> on Sunday night. There have been a lot of mock trade discussions and free agent hopes, fully indulging in the offseason discourse. Woz said some crazy things that I’m not even going to repeat, but I’ve been learning that’s pretty typical. He has some interesting takes. As for my work, this week was pretty similar to last. I worked on the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/05/01/nhl-news-evgeni-malkin-okay-leaving-pittsburgh-penguins-jack-adams-finalists-john-cooper-dan-muse-lindy-ruff-minnesota-wild-advance-second-round-playoffs/">NHL Notebook</a> every day and started on the next Top 100 Oilers story. Next week, I’ll be taking on more responsibility now with copy writing for the marketing department. Being an intern at Oilersnation means you get to dip your toe in multiple fields, which is super awesome. Now, let’s have fun for a minute. The highlight of my week was when I got to go to <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2026/04/29/edmonton-oilers-great-start-powers-game-5-win-star-players-excel-improbable-comeback-moves-ahead/">Game 5</a> on Tuesday. It was an amazing experience right from the beginning. My friend, Delaney Miles, and I went down to the glass for warmups, and when the Oilers social media admin came out, we chatted via lip reading through the glass for a minute. Then, she asked me to throw my phone over to her. After some hesitation, I did, and she and one of the team’s photographers successfully caught the phone, but not without some dramatics and cartoonishly pretending that it was going to slip from their hands. She waited for the Oilers players to make their entrance down the tunnel before pulling up my camera. When the doors were about to open, she hit record, and now I have a pretty sweet two-minute video on my phone. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"> OILERSMIN STOLE MY PHONE <a href="https://t.co/18IUM9HHeW">pic.twitter.com/18IUM9HHeW</a> — alicia ^^^ </article> </main></body></html>