Next up on our offseason reviews: the Edmonton Oilers.
Roster Movement
Additions: Mathieu Joseph, Shakir Mukhamadullin, Ryan Shea, Frederik Andersen, Devon Levi
Subtractions: Darnell Nurse, Jack Roslovic, Adam Henrique, Curtis Lazar, Connor Ingram
2025-26 Season Results vs VGK
12/21: at EDM: 4-3 Loss
3/8: vs EDM: 4-2 Loss
3/26: vs EDM: 4-3 Loss (OT)
4/4: at EDM: 5-1 Win
Leaders Against VGK (25-26 Regular Season)
Goals: Hyman, Nugent-Hopkins, McDavid, Bouchard (2)
Points: McDavid (8)
Shots: McDavid (13)
Starts: Ingram (4)
Wins: Ingram (3)
Save Percentage: Ingram (.891)
Projected Lineup (per Derek Van Diest, NHL.com)
NugentHopkins-McDavid-Hyman
Podkolzin-Draisaitl-Savoie
Howard-Dickinson-Kapanen
Joseph-Samanski-Frederic
Ekholm-Bouchard
Walman-Murphy
Shea-Mukhamadullin
Levi
Jarry
Injured: Andersen, Janmark
Threat Level
9 out of 10
The Oilers are going to be out for blood this season after falling in the First Round following back-to-back Western Conference championships. They bring back a similar roster, minus Darnell Nurse, with significant changes in goal. However, the biggest change for Edmonton comes behind the bench. No, not Bruce Cassidy as they probably would have liked; it’s Mike Babcock stepping back into a head coach role after his disgraced exit from Columbus. The former Stanley Cup champ, Babcock has had a lot of success in the NHL; however, none of it has happened recently. He has not won a playoff series since 2013 and hasn’t won a division since 2011.
All this being said, his team will be motivated to get back to the level they’ve become used to. McDavid and Draisaitl remain two of the best players in the world, and the offense has a few exciting younger players in Matthew Savoie and Isaac Howard. On the blue line, the decision to move on from Nurse opened the door to newcomers Ryan Shea and Shakir Mukhamadullin. Along with Walman, Murphy, Ekholm, and Bouchard, it could be the best defensive unit Edmonton has had since McDavid arrived.
This season for Edmonton is reminiscent of the 22-23 season for VGK after they missed the playoffs the year before. There are far more doubters about the Oilers than there have been in the past few seasons, and they come in off a long offseason for the first time in a few seasons. They haven’t won a division since the 80’s, mainly because they’ve seemed unmotivated during regular seasons in years past. That probably won’t be the case this year.
Finally, the Oilers have shown they know how to beat the Golden Knights, which makes them the only team in the division to ever prove that. Edmonton has won five of the last six regular season contests between the teams and, of course, four of the five playoff games in 2025. While San Jose and Anaheim still have a lot to prove, the Golden Knights are the hunters of the Oilers, not the other way around.
Emmanuel
They will win the division (assuming health) to the “big2” F.
I really like the Babcock signing, he was railroaded.
Pistol Pete
Last time I chatted with Jesse Granger (at the prospects camp) he indicated Hellbuyck’s biggest asset is his focus on the puck claiming he is not as athletic as other top goalies and lacks the physical flexibility to do a true butterfly. Granger still writes for The Athletic but now focuses as much or more on goalie pieces than on the VGK and is himself an amateur goalie. He likes Lindbom a lot noting his disadvantage is lack of size. Granger himself is tall and big and and has repeatedly made the point that NHL goalies now need size. Lindbom is similar in height and weight and skills to Henrik Lundqvist a parallel McCrimmon conceded to me earlier this year that management has talked about. So we’ll see about Lindbom but Granger does like him which I personally assign weight to. Lundqvist was developed for about five seasons in Sweden after the Rangers drafted him before they brough him over. Lindbom has also had a five year development cycle part in Sweden part in Henderson. He was really good in the AHL last season: SV% .916 (ranked 3rd) GAA 2.16 (ranked 4th).
Pistol Pete
NHL.com VGK prospects rankings:
https://www.nhl.com/goldenknights/news/vegas-golden-knights-top-prospects-for-2026-27-season-32-in-32