This is a big season for the Edmonton Oilers, given the terms of Connor McDavid’s contract, as he is eligible to sign an extension on July 1, 2027. Leon Draisaitl said something quietly at his end-of-year media availability, talking about the fact that the Oilers may have one year left on McDavid even though he just started a two-year contract.
The leadership team asked for Mike Babcock to come in. However, the focus is on GM Stan Bowman, who has not improved the program since he took over in the summer of 2024. The roster has gotten worse, and this past season, the Oilers lost to the Anaheim Ducks in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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Bowman had to keep free agents and trade deadline acquisitions Connor Murphy and Jason Dickinson. In addition, after asking for a job, Bowman moved Darnell Nurse to the San Jose Sharks for Shakir Mukhamadullin and Zack Sharp. Bowman then added depth to the organization by trading 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 about the Edmonton Oilers and whether they’ve finished adding to their roster this offseason.
Writing for NHLRumors.com
Host: “Justin Blackwell, Scott Roblin playing for Jamie Nye, talking to Jim Biringer from Full Press Hockey. Before I let you go, Jim, is there anything else the Edmonton Oilers have to fire up for their preseason roster?”
Jim Biringer: “It looks like their roster is set pretty well. Well. You never know about Edmonton and how Stan Bowman works. I think there’s been a lot of criticism of this roster, a lot of criticism of Mike Babcock’s hiring. I think this sounds like a Mike Babcock-type roster. If anything, depth or depth, you’re going to reconsider Darn depth, you’re going to reconsider defensive depth. Nurse is gone, and he’s bringing Ryan Shea and spent some of his dollars.
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If anything, if I’m Edmonton and I’m Stan Bowman, I have to keep adding depth. Because you listen to what Leon Draisaitl said at the end of the season, he talked about the guys that are gone, and those are the deep pieces that they’re missing to get to the playoffs and possibly get back to the Stanley Cup finals.”
Is this program, as constructed, good enough to win a Stanley Cup? Probably not; hence there will be more expansion at the edges. If the Oilers can, they’d like to add a top six player, but that’s the case with most teams around the NHL this offseason.
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