Caleb Kerney
The Edmonton Oilers just didn’t have it this season.
Following two back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances, Connor McDavid and company just didn’t have the gusto they did in previous playoff runs when their 2025-26 season came to a heartbreaking halt. Now, general manager Stan Bowman faces difficult challenges in upgrading the Oilers roster with limited cap space and expendable assets before next season.
Like it or not, changes must be made. McDavid did not sugarcoat his unhappiness, and if the franchise hopes to remain a Stanley Cup contender, Bowman and management would do well to heed his warning.
1. Take a Moment to Breathe
Reason needs to rule the day in Oil Country. Oilers management cannot make a knee-jerk reaction to their latest heartbreak. Instead, logic must be at the forefront for meaningful change.
They don’t need to throw out the baby with the bathwater because the core of the team is solid. Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Evan Bouchard, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are pivotal to the success of this club. However, the problem in Edmonton isn’t the core.
Management must look at salary, player usage, stats, analytics, and feedback from coaches to make the right decisions.
2. Who Will Be the Next Corey Perry or Evander Kane?
Confidence is a hell of a drug, but so is swagger. The confidence the Oilers have in spades is a quiet confidence. It’s the fire that burns in McDavid’s eyes that precedes a new display of speed and skill not yet observed.
Swagger, on the other hand, is the way that veterans like Corey Perry and Evander Kane carried themselves. Who brought the swagger to the Oilers this year?
For all intents and purposes, it was missing. How do they get that back? Who can they add to the roster who brings that element? Does that mean promoting Ike Howard to full-time NHL duty? Or do they need to make a trade for this kind of player?
3. Bring Back Connor Ingram
Even with his playoff disappointment, Connor Ingram was a pleasant addition.
Acquired via trade in the early goings of the year, he finished with respectable numbers. In 32 games, he had a 16-10-3 record to go along with a 2.60 Goals Against Average (GAA), a .899 Save Percentage (SV%), and two shutouts.
Additionally, among the goaltending trio the Oilers ended the season with, he was the only one with a positive Goals Expected Above Average. In other words, Ingram was the only goalie to make more saves than the average NHL goalie.
The Oilers need more of that, not less.
4. One Way or Another, Tristan Jarry Has to Go
Whether it’s via trade or buy-out, Tristan Jarry cannot start next season with the Oilers. They don’t need another inconsistent goalie, who may or may not always have the right attitude. The Oilers need someone who is consistent, without big peaks or cavernous valleys. Just consistent league-average goaltending.
According to Hockey Reference, league average GAA and SV% in 2025-26 were 2.88 and a .896, respectively. That’s what Ingram was this year. Now, they just need to find another one.
5. Add a Top-Six Forward
For Oilers fans and pundits, many of these items feel like deja vu. Sadly, this one is no exception.
The Oilers have been on the hunt for the right top-six forward for years. Unfortunately, they have settled for less than a game-changing talent. That needs to end.
At the end of the season, Matt Savoie showed great promise in an elevated role. Ike Howard also waits in the wings with the profile of a top-six forward.
Will these youngsters solidify top-six placement? Or, will the organization look for an external addition? There is an argument to be made for either choice. Regardless of direction, they must make their choice and then act promptly.
6. Give Darnell Nurse a Wake-Up Call
Many Oilers fans are calling for Darnell Nurse to be traded. The fact of the matter is that any trade involving him is very difficult to pull off right now. Following the 2026-27 regular season, his no-trade clause changes to a 10-team no-trade list.
There is no such thing as a perfect player. However, the Oilers need Nurse to be a better player than he has shown recently.
Before Nurse leaves for the offseason, he needs to be given an ultimatum. Either he plays up to the coach’s expectations, or he chows down on popcorn in the press box.
It’s a win-win situation for the Oilers. Either Nurse’s performance bounces back or he spends so much time in the press box that he demands a trade. And if Nurse is in the press box, that means another defender has stepped up in his place.
Either way, that conversation must happen.
7. Take a Long & Hard Look at Kris Knoblauch
Is Kris Knoblauch the right coach for the Oilers? He was Jeff Jackson’s choice to steer the Oilers to a championship. But, is he still the right choice?
Management and coaching need to be on the same page. At the same time, the coach can only do the best with what he has. Roster construction and deployment need to be in sync; if they aren’t, one has to go.
Let’s be honest, Knoblauch is a great coach. He has won 135 out of 233 regular season games. In the playoffs, he has led the Oilers to 31 wins in 53 games.
The question with Knoblauch isn’t whether he is a good coach. The question is whether they can win the Stanley Cup with him. If the answer is yes, then keep him. If the answer is no, cut bait and hire someone else.
The Oilers cannot risk having another season like this one. To make sure that doesn’t happen, they have to answer these questions. Until then, hockey fans in Canada can enjoy the run that the Montreal Canadiens are on.
