Earlier this month, I asked subscribers to provide their bold predictions for the Edmonton Oilers’ 2026-27 season.

On the eve of training camp opening, I’ve addressed as many as I could. My favourite part of this exercise is seeing the distribution of optimists and pessimists. These predictions run the gamut, ranging from breakout performances and major trophies to worst-case injury scenarios and disastrous starts.

To give the responses some semblance of organization, I’ve split the predictions into categories. Enjoy!

The latest on the Connor Hellebuyck trade saga

Murat Ates and Sean McIndoe

Note: Some predictions have been edited lightly for length, clarity and style.

The start

Edmonton is fourth in the Pacific Division and outside of a wild-card position by American Thanksgiving. — David G.

I’m not sure this is as bold as you think. The Oilers’ standing in the Pacific Division each of the last four seasons on American Thanksgiving: sixth, fifth, seventh and fifth. By that standard, fourth place in late November might be cause for celebration.

The Oilers start the season 4-9-3, leading to a very short-lived stint with Mike Babcock as head coach and the eventual promotion of Misha Donskov. — Jack K.

There’s no doubt that would be a disastrous record after 16 games for a team that is already under the microscope. Given the Oilers’ propensity for slow starts, it’s a possibility. However, the promotion of Donskov to head coach is where this gets dicey. Technically speaking, he’s a coaching consultant for the Oilers, as he’s still the vice president of hockey operations for Hockey Canada and national men’s teams coach.

The stats

Vasily Podkolzin breaks out with 30 goals and 22 assists. — Peter K.

Easily the most-liked prediction, I’m a believer Podkolzin can flirt with 30 goals. It probably means he spends a lot of time with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, as he did in the Oilers’ first open skate last week.

Trent Frederic bounces back and scores 15 goals. — Josh S.

One way to look at this is that you’re calling for a 275 percent increase in goal production year over year. It’s not actually that wild, though, especially if you remember his 17- and 18-goal seasons with the Boston Bruins.

Isaac Howard scores 17 goals. — Michael

If he sticks it out on Draisaitl’s wing, as Allan Mitchell has suggested, there’s no reason this can’t happen. His shot is NHL-ready, and he rounded out his game in Bakersfield last season.

McDavid doesn’t reach 100 points because of an injury and the Oilers finish outside of the playoffs. — Václav J.

In 2024-25, McDavid lost 15 games to injury and still managed a 100-point campaign. So this would have to be a pretty significant setback for the captain. The best comparable we have is his 64-game season in 2019-20, when he missed the mark by just three points due to injury and COVID-19. I’m not convinced the Oilers’ playoff odds are so tightly woven with McDavid’s ability to crack the century mark, but knocking more than 30 points off last year’s total would certainly hurt.

Connor Clattenburg sets a new record for penalty minutes by a Bakersfield Condor. — Original Ed M.

If we’re sticking to the 11-season history of the AHL-era Condors, Clattenburg is already the record holder with his 131 minutes last season. And if we take the 21-year-old at his word, he has no intention of setting a new high score. The physical winger said Sunday he wants to spend “a little less (time) in the penalty box, hopefully.” Then again, that style of play earned him a call-up last season.

The trades

A midseason trade is made for Owen Tippett for a package including Isaac Howard and the Oilers’ 2028 first-round pick. The bold part is that this helps lead to a Cup victory. — Todd M.

I think the Oilers would take this deal if it were on the table. But a proven 30-goal threat who’s locked up for the next six years at a very reasonable $6.2 million AAV seems too valuable for the Philadelphia Flyers to let go. With a 10-team no-trade clause that came into effect on July 1, Tippett would also have control over his destination. Then there’s the issue of assets. I don’t think Howard and the Oilers’ 2028 first-rounder move the needle compared to what other teams might offer.

The Oilers trade for Kirill Marchenko. — John G.

Mitchell has been banging this drum, and the appeal is obvious. As a 26-year-old with a $3.85 million cap hit and point-per-game potential, Marchenko would perfectly fill Edmonton’s need for another high-impact winger in its top six. But as with the Tippett proposal, the competition for Marchenko would be fierce. Edmonton may have the cap room, but its assets aren’t the envy of the league.

To get the deadline deal that puts them over the top, it’s going to require Ryan Nugent-Hopkins going the other way. The Oilers don’t have the prospects or first-round picks to trade, and won’t part ways with Zach Hyman, Draisaitl or McDavid. On the bottom-half teams, Nugent-Hopkins can still play second-line centre. — Travis S.

While Nugent-Hopkins has value that the Oilers’ prospect pool and draft cupboard can’t match, he has a full no-movement clause through the duration of his current eight-year deal. He controls his destiny and has zero obligation to leave Edmonton. It’s also extremely difficult to find players as versatile as Nugent-Hopkins. He can play first-line wing or third-line centre, and he is utilized on both special teams. Yes, he has exited his prime years, but his value on and off the ice remains quite high.

The goalies

The Oilers finish 30th in goals against, but still make the playoffs. — Brendan F.

This one is fun. For context, last year’s Oilers finished 26th in goals against, while their first-round slayer, the Anaheim Ducks, finished 29th. So this isn’t all that far-fetched. I find it hard to believe that the Oilers won’t improve in that department under Babcock, but if you’re a pessimist about both him and the goaltending carousel, it makes some sense. For what it’s worth, the 1991-92 Pittsburgh Penguins posted the third-worst goals-against mark — in a 24-team NHL — en route to a second consecutive Stanley Cup. It’s not generally advised as a winning template.

The Oilers maintain league-average or slightly above-average save percentage. — Anna B.

This might be bolder than many think. Almost in lockstep with their goals-against total, the Oilers posted the fifth-worst save percentage at .879 last campaign. In the McDavid era, Edmonton ranks 20th in save percentage. If you combine Tristan Jarry and Frederik Andersen’s full results from last season — which includes Jarry’s fabulous start in Pittsburgh — you still get an abysmal .878 save percentage. Devon Levi didn’t play in the NHL, so he doesn’t factor into that equation. Both short- and long-term history suggest this is an uphill battle.

At the trade deadline, Devon Levi is the Oilers’ definitive starter. — Julian M.

Given the statistics I just dug up on Jarry and Andersen, this doesn’t feel out of left field. Between the former’s inconsistency and the latter’s struggles to stay healthy, Levi might be the Oilers’ definitive starter out of nothing more than pure necessity. That said, it would be foolish in today’s NHL to rule out the possibility of a third-stringer winning the crease based on merit.

Samuel Jonsson will take over the No. 1 role in Bakersfield and be in the conversation to start next year in Edmonton. — Sean W.

Getting his equipment in order will be a good first step. On Sunday, the 6-foot-5 goaltender was wearing Stuart Skinner’s skates and Connor Ingram’s glove, blocker, pads and mask. The good news is that you could hardly tell during practice, and his own gear has arrived after going missing in the trans-Atlantic shuffle. Jonsson also said North America is where he wants to be after summer speculation that he wouldn’t want to stay in a crowded 10-goalie depth chart. It’s unclear where Jonsson fits after posting a 21-8-2 record and a .910 save percentage with the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets last season, but the 22-year-old does possess the highest upside in the system.

Connor Ungar gets a start with the Oilers. — Original Ed M.

The Oilers used four goalies in 2025-26, and if injuries extract their pound of flesh in 2026-27, it could be a battle between Ungar and 32-year-old Matt Tomkins for the next call-up.

The trophies

The Oilers win their third Presidents’ Trophy. — Burt S.

So much has to go right for this to become reality. Goaltending needs to be league average at minimum, Howard and Matt Savoie need to take a big step, Jake Walman needs to bounce back, the bottom six needs to be more than dead weight and the superstars need to stay the course.

Draisaitl wins his first Selke Trophy. — Burt S.

Draisaitl finished sixth in 2024-25 voting before falling to 35th in an injury-shortened 2025-26. He said before last season that he’d like to be in the conversation, so it’s clearly on his mind. Averaging very little time on the penalty kill will always be a knock on his case — although Nick Suzuki won last season without much time there — but Draisaitl’s defensive play in other situations is top-notch.

Mike Babcock wins his first Jack Adams Award. — Burt S.

Burt is fully on the hardware train. Babcock is one of the most decorated coaches of the 21st century, but he doesn’t have a Jack Adams to his name. He’s been a finalist thrice: 2007-08, 2013-14 and 2016-17. With Edmonton, there’s room for considerable standings improvement that voting members typically look for. Still, Babcock is hardly a front-runner given his time away from the league.

Evan Bouchard records over 100 points and wins the Norris Trophy. — Kenny K.

Bouchard knocked on the door of both of these milestones last season, so why not? He’s probably the defenceman most likely to reach the century mark, and there’s something about that round number that voting members can’t seem to ignore. Case in point: Erik Karlsson’s third Norris Trophy win in 2023, despite much poorer defensive results than Bouchard’s recent work.

The playoffs

The Oilers beat Vegas in the second round, Colorado in the conference final and Florida in the Stanley Cup Final. — razorusa

Again, why not? If the Oilers are going all the way, they might as well run the gauntlet and exact their revenge in another Stanley Cup Final rematch.

Despite all the offseason moves which were supposed to put the team back into Stanley Cup contention, the Oilers don’t make it past the second round. Consequently, McDavid gets traded for a haul, and the team makes the Stanley Cup Final in 2028. — Jeff B.

There are layers to this, each seemingly less likely than the last. The first is very plausible. Advancing beyond the second round is the expectation in Edmonton, but wildly difficult in practice. If the Oilers fall well short of a championship, McDavid delaying extension talks is within the realm of possibility. The third piece, particularly a Stanley Cup Final berth in 2028, feels wildly improbable. While a hypothetical McDavid trade could yield a king’s ransom of picks, prospects and maybe even quality NHLers, transforming those pieces into a true contender in just one season is an incredibly tight turnaround.