Inside look at Edmonton Oilers

NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, the Edmonton Oilers.

The Edmonton Oilers believe their championship window is still open despite taking a step back last season.

They’ve retooled for their continued quest to win the Stanley Cup, hiring Mike Babcock as coach, acquiring two new goalies and adding depth on defense after trading Darnell Nurse to the San Jose Sharks on July 1.

The Oilers are on the clock with star center and captain Connor McDavid entering the first season of a two-year contract at a below-market rate ($12.5 million average annual value). McDavid is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2027-2028 season.

“It’s exciting, first and foremost,” McDavid said of Edmonton’s offseason moves on July 27. “It’s obviously disappointing to lose someone like Darnell and the rest of the guys, it’s part of the business unfortunately. It’s hard to put into words what ‘Nursey’ has been not only to me but to the whole group and everybody in Edmonton, so I’m extremely disappointed to see that happen. But at the same time, I’m really excited about some of the additions; new coach, some good players, it’s an exciting time in Edmonton.”

The Oilers had plenty of time to reassess and regroup after losing to the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which followed back-to-back trips to the Cup Final, where Edmonton lost to the Florida Panthers each time.

McDavid gave an honest assessment of the season after Edmonton was eliminated in six games.

“We were an average team all year; an average team with high expectations, you’re going to be disappointed. We just never found it,” he said following a 5-2 loss in Game 6 on April 30.

At the conclusion of last season, McDavid and forward Leon Draisaitl said the Oilers needed to improve, prompting changes this offseason.

“I feel the same as I did a couple of days ago and agree with Leon that the organization as a whole has taken a step back,” McDavid said in his season-ending media availability May 2. “It starts with me, it starts with Leon, we all can be better, we need to be better.”

Edmonton fired coach Kris Knoblauch on May 14, shortly after it was revealed they were denied permission by the Vegas Golden Knights to speak with Bruce Cassidy, who was fired on March 30 but is still under contract with them.

The Oilers then turned their attention to Babcock, who had been out of the NHL since leaving the Columbus Blue Jackets prior to the start of the 2023-24 season after it was reported that he asked players to share personal photos on their private mobile devices. The situation was investigated by the NHL Players' Association before Babcock and the Blue Jackets on Sept. 17 agreed to begin the process for him to step down as coach.

Babcock was hired by Edmonton, along with associate D.J. Smith, on June 23, after being cleared by an NHL investigation into the allegations in Columbus. Babcock met with McDavid, Draisaitl and forward Zach Hyman to address any concerns the players might have.

“I obviously had a great experience with Mike in Toronto, and I thought that he did a great job with a lot of the young players that were there,” Hyman said on July 27. “The young guys that were there, all of us have had pretty long careers and are still playing. He set the foundation for us, and I think he’s a phenomenal coach, I think extremely high of him. I’m happy he went through the process with the NHL and the NHLPA, and all those questions were answered and from a player standpoint, we’re excited for what he brings.”

Edmonton is counting on Babcock to make players accountable and replicate the success he had with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, who he guided to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final against the New Jersey Devils in 2003, and winning the Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008.

“Today is kind of like it was in 2002 when I joined Anaheim,” Babcock said at his introductory media availability. “You’re joining the best league in the world, and you have a feeling of gratitude, you’re grateful. It’s an unbelievable place, I’m a Western Canada guy, the Oil has fans like nobody, so it’s a special, special thing.”

With a new coach in place, the Oilers turned to solidifying their roster, re-signing forward Jason Dickinson and defenseman Connor Murphy on June 27.

By trading Nurse, Edmonton was able to re-sign forward Kasperi Kapanen and sign defenseman Ryan Shea, goalie Frederik Andersen and acquire goalie Devon Levi.

The Oilers are hoping a revamped defense and goalie rotation will help them contend this season. 

“I like the way that our team is looking right now,” Oilers general manager Stan Bowman said. “I think we’ve certainly put ourselves in a much better spot with salary cap flexibility.”