Over the last several years, the Edmonton Oilers have become less reliant on draft picks in talent procurement. The change in direction came out of necessity. The team trades high picks at the deadline, usually signs the acquired veteran, and relies on signing undrafted free agents to stock the AHL Bakersfield Condors. Some of those prospects find their way to NHL jobs, but very few spend much (or any) time in a skill role.

For the Oilers, lack of skill throughout the system is a problem now, and it’s only going to get worse if those first-round picks keep going out the door. Here are a couple of fixes for it.

The past

When Ken Holland was general manager, the team often signed college grads and junior players turning pro to AHL-only deals. It worked in some cases (Vincent Desharnais, James  Hamblin) but meant the organization was shopping in the fringe aisles, miles from the unique talents who landed in other NHL cities.

Since Stan Bowman arrived, the focus has been on younger free agents signed to NHL deals, many from U.S. colleges and European leagues. In last week’s top 20 prospects for summer 2026, three college men signed by Bowman (Damien Carfagna, Quinn Hutson, Owen Michaels) were ranked high. Added to two European talents (Josh Samanski and Viljami Marjala) signed since Bowman arrived, and the tenor of the prospect pool has changed materially.

The nagging issue is offensive skill. Signing bottom-six forwards and third-pairing defencemen out of college and Europe stocks the shelves with fringe prospects, but can anyone in this group move the needle as a scorer?

Winners and losers from the 2026 NHL Draft

Scott Wheeler

The nature of the AHL

For the most part, forwards who spend much of their NHL careers on scoring lines either spend little time in the minors or bypass the AHL completely. A trip through Oilers minor league history shows as much, with Miro Satan (25 games, scoring 24 AHL goals in 1994-95) and Ryan Smyth (nine AHL games, 11 points) representing typical time spent in the minors for top offensive contributors.

When Holland arrived in 2019, he turned back the development time for the organization. A team that had been drafting players inside the top five (often No. 1) became comfortable with graduating June draft picks in October. Holland slow-played everyone, even elite talent like Evan Bouchard.

Matt Savoie and Ike Howard spent one year in the AHL. If Howard graduates this fall, the Oilers will not have a potential top-six forward percolating in the AHL this season. Bowman was faced with the same issue last year, and solved it by dealing for Howard from the Tampa Bay Lightning (for two-way centre Sam O’Reilly) in early July.

Can Bowman do something similar this summer? There is no one in the system bubbling under who can take on a prime offensive role, although the team would have been thrilled if Russian power winger Maxim Berezkin had signed with the team. Is there anyone out there who could help the Condors this fall and the Oilers in the near future?

A fix

Fans are looking at names like Anthony Mantha and Vladimir Tarasenko in free agency, but Bowman may want to keep some of the cap room for September and next year’s deadline.

The club may be wise to add a younger offensive option like Howard one year ago. That player could audition in Bakersfield and represent a promising recall option.

The best place to look for skill at a value price is by shopping a team that is overrun with young talent. The Carolina Hurricanes are such a team. A player like Felix Unger Sörum would be a quality addition.

He turns 20 in September and has already played in two AHL seasons with the Chicago Wolves. Last season, he went 17-49-66 in 72 games and saw his first NHL action with the Carolina Hurricanes. Scott Wheeler at The Athletic suggests he “processes the game at a high level” and that kind of skill fits with the Oilers’ needs. He’s more of a playmaker than a shooter, but with Howard NHL-ready and a first-shot scorer, Unger Sörum could be a fit in Bakersfield and later Edmonton.

The Hurricanes appear focused on finding a way to offload current roster players Alexander Nikishin and Jesperi Kotkaniemi, but collect draft picks like an obsession. The Hurricanes are a team in constant movement, and with all incumbent right-wingers poised to return for Carolina, there may be a window of opportunity for the Oilers. He will be exempt from waivers in 2026-27.

The waiver wire

Since arriving as Oilers general manager in late summer 2024, Bowman has used the waiver wire often. Kasperi Kapanen and Alec Regula are notable roster additions, and there may be more opportunities this fall.

Bowman will be able to ice a full 23-man roster this year, meaning the final spot could be used to troll for upgrades. Bowman could also wait for a targeted player to clear waivers and then make a trade for him. Holland accomplished as much when acquiring Klim Kostin from the St. Louis Blues in October 2022.

The Oilers need to find skill options as the NHL skill forwards begin to age out. Last season, Savoie replaced Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the No. 1 line in the second half of the season, and that process will continue over the next several seasons. Bowman needs young, inexpensive players because the long contracts (and no-movement clauses) from many of those same veterans will make it more difficult to sign prime free agents.

Bowman found a big part of the template when offloading O’Reilly (a solid two-way centre, but not a skill forward who is destined to play on the top two lines) for Howard. He needs to do it again soon.