The Edmonton Oilers reach the offseason in a difficult situation. Three general managers charged with winning the Stanley Cup during the Connor McDavid era have turned anticipated glory into crushing disappointment. At the moment, the Oilers lack enough top-end talent to compete for the Stanley Cup.
Stan Bowman is the team’s general manager, and it will be his job to procure an elite talent out of the ether. However, Bowman isn’t alone in authoring this dire moment in team history. From Peter Chiarelli’s trading of two early draft picks in a historic draft for a player who never reached the point of being an NHL regular, to the organizational nadir that was the dual offer sheets by the St. Louis Blues, there’s plenty of blame to go around. Bowman, Chiarelli and Ken Holland share responsibility for where things stand today.
Left with limited cap dollars, a shallow pool of quality free-agent talent and a team prospect list that has been plundered for short-term gain for over a decade, Bowman must find three foundational players with nothing but flawed assets to offer in trade.
Foundational players
For an NHL team, the most important players occupy the starter’s net, the top two defensive pairings, the top two lines and No. 3 centre spots. That’s 12 men, with the Oilers enjoying exceptional quality at the top end in centres McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
PlayerPosition
No. 1 centre
No. 1 centre
No. 1 defenceman
Skill winger
Skill winger
Skill winger
No. 3 centre
Top-four defenceman
Top-four defenceman
The Oilers lack a starting goaltender, a right-handed defenceman for the second pairing and a winger. All other positions are covered, although Bowman might want to move out one of the players listed here should an opportunity to upgrade present itself.
Armed with this information, and knowing the team has limited cap room and very little to trade, who are the candidates who can provide this badly needed miracle in Edmonton?
The next goalie
The biggest challenge will come in identifying the team’s starting goaltender. The next head coach will have his opinions, and the Oilers may add to the staff’s goalie coaches and evaluators. The trades last season for Tristan Jarry and Connor Ingram may, in fact, have solved the issue for next year. Jarry wasn’t 100 percent, and Ingram looked good in the starting role for long periods. Both men received something shy of a full chance to show what they can bring to the team.
The list of outside options in goal is substantial. The Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens have an excess of qualified goaltenders, and the Minnesota Wild may want to cash in a veteran stopper who looks to be the backup starting next season. The trouble with goaltending isn’t finding candidates; it’s finding the correct fit.
The Sabres employed three goalies (Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis) who posted a .903 save percentage or higher in the NHL this season. The club also boasts a legit prospect in Devon Levi, who played for the AHL Rochester Americans in 2025-26. It’s unlikely the Oilers would go with an unproven option, but if the team decides to retain Jarry and is looking for a co-starter who might be an upgrade on Ingram, names like Luukkonen, the Wild’s Filip Gustavsson and others might be in play.
If the team secures Bruce Cassidy as coach, the sequence may be goalie coach added, then the pursuit of the ideal target. It’s a massive decision and could make or break the 2026-27 season.
Right-handed defencemen
Many Oilers fans believe the club found its No. 2 right-side defenceman at the deadline. Connor Murphy brought calm feet and a rugged edge to the team, pleasing all observers. A critic might suggest the team would be better off with a faster, puck-moving option, but Murphy was rock solid, and it’s impossible to credibly argue that bringing him back is poor planning.
However, one could ask why the club would stop at just signing Murphy. Edmonton lacked depth in this area (rugged play while also being good in coverage) and specifically had trouble in the playoffs on the penalty kill.
Bowman should also consider bringing back giant right-handed defender Vincent Desharnais. Puck IQ has the veteran playing well above average versus elites relative to the team while with the San Jose Sharks in 2025-26. NHL Edge has the big man’s max speed in the 70th percentile last season, an impressive number considering his age and size.
The winger
I’ve written in previous weeks about Blues right winger Jordan Kyrou. He’s a player who can drive play, transport the puck, help out in the defensive aspects of the game and is still in his prime. The miracle Bowman would need to perform here is to make the money work. Jeremy Rutherford at The Athletic mentioned Kyrou and a need for toughness recently, putting Darnell Nurse into the conversation. He would need to waive his no-movement clause, and the Blues would need to move out one of the team’s veteran left-handed defencemen. Nurse’s AAV ($9.25 million) lines up well with Kyrou’s ($8.125 million), and the Oilers could replace Nurse with Jake Walman on the second pairing.
Bottom line
Bowman needs a miracle. The biggest move will come behind the bench. Cassidy could guide the transaction summer and give Bowman specific targets to acquire. The miracle trade might look like Nurse for Kyrou. The miracle on defence is simply having more players who can play tough minutes. In net, it could be one of a dozen names. Finding the right one is often both inspired and lucky.
Oilers history has transactions that were truly miracles. Wayne Gretzky’s destination was decided while he was in flight. Chris Pronger out of the blue. McDavid via random luck. This team needs another miracle just like those memorable moments. Badly.