The Edmonton Oilers are entering a make-or-break season, and the buzz is already building. Who earns a roster spot, which veterans could be moved, and what’s the plan if goaltending falters?
From Connor McDavid’s contract to trade chatter, here’s your weekly deep dive into everything Oilers. This week’s Final Period Friday (the first in a new series) digs into the biggest stories of the week.
Mattias Janmark on the Bubble
Mattias Janmark could find his spot on the Edmonton Oilers roster in jeopardy. After a 2024-25 season where his role diminished, Allan Mitchell of The Athletic writes that Janmark may face competition from prospects like Noah Philp.
The scribe explains:
One player who may be vulnerable is Mattias Janmark. He may lose his roster spot to Noah Philp during training camp. Philp is a right-shooting centre who would have great utility on the roster. The fact Janmark is still ahead of him owes in part to Philp’s poor faceoff winning percentage last season.-
Janmark’s future in Edmonton may hinge on his performance in camp and his ability to reclaim trust from the coaching staff. He's already been linked in trade talks as the Oilers try to find some additional cap space. This could be a long season for the depth forward.
Janmark, a veteran with nearly 600 NHL games, may need to demonstrate that he can still contribute in key situations. If he doesn't, the Oilers could move him in a cap dump trade.
Trending Stories:
Oilers' Kris Knoblauch On Biggest Area To Get Better
Matt Savoie’s Role Could Shift if Oilers Chase Immediate Help
Multiple Rankings Argue Oilers’ Defense Corps One of NHL’s Best
Goaltending Fork in the Road
The Oilers enter 2025-26 with familiar faces in net, Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard, but their crease remains a point of concern. Mitchell also noted that fans should anticipate either a Stanley Cup-caliber season with the current tandem or a complete mid-season overhaul.
Related: Could Marc-Andre Fleury Be the Oilers' Mid-Season Secret Weapon?
The situation in Edmonton could resemble what the Colorado Avalanche executed in 2024-25- moving out both of their netminders and bringing in two new goaltenders.
The organization has little patience for inconsistency. If Skinner or Pickard falter, management could aggressively pursue trades or free-agent options to ensure a reliable playoff-ready goalie.
Trade Speculation: Debrincat vs Ekholm
A wild and hypothetical trade idea was posted this week, linking the Oilers and Detroit Red Wings in what was deemed a blockbuster move.
The proposed deal would see the Oilers acquire winger Alex DeBrincat.. In exchange, they would send defensemen Mattias Ekholm and Beau Akey to Detroit, along with a couple of draft picks. The trade suggestion was immediately torn apart by readers and commenters who saw the post.
The idea of DeBrincat sounds intriguing, but his cap hit and no-trade clause make a deal improbable. Not to mention, moving Ekholm would weaken Edmonton’s defensive depth, which has been praised this off-season as one of the best in the NHL.
PTO Rumors and Free-Agent Watch
It's about that time in the summer when teams start looking at unsigned free agents and wondering if any would make for good tryout (PTO) candidates. For players that have gone unsigned, if they haven't been contacted about a contract by an NHL team, a PTO is one of their few options to earn a roster spot for the upcoming season.
The Oilers have been connected to multiple professional tryouts, including forwards and goalies. Names like Klim Kostin, Ilya Samsonov, Max Pacioretty, and Alexandar Georgiev have surfaced, even though there has been no official link to these players.
McDavid Contract Update
Connor McDavid has yet to sign an extension, but that doesn't mean it's time to panic. NHL insider Frank Seravalli suggests there's little to worry about as negotiations are in early stages, with no numbers exchanged.
Who’s Really Sweating in Edmonton Over McDavid?Edmonton Oilers fans might want to take a deep breath before starting any “panic threads” about Connor McDavid’s contract.
McDavid has had a busy summer on the personal side of things, and he's likely just not gotten into the mindset where he needs to have the contract conversation yet. Once he gets to that point, a deal could happen quickly.
His extension remains a top priority for the organization.
Trade-Protection Challenges
After being a point of conversation when the off-season first began, there's been little mention of the players who chose to embrace the right to use their no-trade clauses and decline a trade out of Edmonton.
That doesn't mean these no-trade clauses won't be a factor later in the season.
Discussions with veterans like Darnell Nurse and Adam Henrique revealed that they aren't thinking about going anywhere. That either changes as their roles on the team do in 2025-26, or the Oilers get handcuffed by a lack of financial space to make trade deadline moves.
Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.