This can be a big season for the Edmonton Oilers, given the implications of Connor McDavid‘s contract, as he’s eligible to sign an extension on July 1st, 2027. Leon Draisaitl said the quiet thing out loud on the year-end media availability, talking about how the Oilers could have one yr left of McDavid despite him just starting a two-year contract extension.
The leadership group asked for Mike Babcock to are available in. Nonetheless, the main target is on GM Stan Bowman, who has not improved the roster since he took over in the summertime of 2024. The roster has gotten worse, and this past season, the Oilers lost to the Anaheim Geese in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Management Made the Edmonton Oilers Roster Worse Not Higher
Bowman had to maintain free agents and trade deadline acquisitions Connor Murphy and Jason Dickinson. As well as, after requesting a trade, Bowman moved Darnell Nurse to the San Jose Sharks for Shakir Mukhamadullin and Zack Sharp. Bowman then added depth to the organization by trading for Devon Levi from the Buffalo Sabres, signing Frederik Andersen, and signing Ryan Shea. He also kept Kasperi Kapanen.
Jim Biringer of NHLRumors.com and Full Press Hockey joined The Green Zone with Justin Blackwell and Scott Roblin, filling in for Jamie Nye, and was asked concerning the Edmonton Oilers and whether or not they are done adding to their roster this offseason.
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
Host: “Justin Blackwell, Scott Roblin in for Jamie Nye, speaking with Jim Biringer from Full Press Hockey. Before I allow you to go, Jim, any more irons in the fireplace for the Edmonton Oilers to tweak their roster ahead of the season?”
Jim Biringer: “Looks like their roster is just about set, though. You never know with Edmonton and the best way Stan Bowman works. I feel there’s been a variety of criticism of this roster, a variety of criticism of the hiring of Mike Babcock. I feel this looks like a Mike Babcock-type roster. If anything, you’re going to should add a depth forward or depth defenseman, considering, again, Darnell Nurse will not be there anymore, and also you usher in Ryan Shea and used a few of his dollars.
Darnell Nurse Expanding His List Helped Facilitate a Trade
If anything, if I’m Edmonton and I’m Stan Bowman, I got to proceed so as to add depth. Since you hearken to what Leon Draisaitl said at the tip of the season, he talked concerning the guys that aren’t there anymore, and people are the depth pieces that they’re missing to get to a playoff spot and potentially get back to a Stanley Cup Final.”
Is that this roster, as constructed, adequate to win a Stanley Cup? Probably not; that’s the reason there can be some more tweaking around the sides. If the Oilers could, they would love so as to add a top-six forward, but that’s the case with most teams across the NHL this offseason.
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