Much of what Stan Bowman wants to do with the current Oilers roster relies on other teams and willingness to make changes in August and September. There are things that could get done. He needs a trade partner and there are no clear upgrades on the horizon.
If I were to guess at the roster today, it would be Stuart Skinner with Calvin Pickard as backup in goal; Mattias Ekholm-Evan Bouchard, Darnell Nurse-Jake Walman and Brett Kulak-Troy Stecher/Ty Emberson on defense. Oh, you could see Atro Leppanen or Alec Regula on the opening night roster if there’s an injury, but the defense looks set. I like the top four, as presented, very much. Health is always a concern, but a healthy top four as listed would be a strong unit.
I have Andrew Mangiapane-Connor McDavid-Zach Hyman plus Vasily Podkolzin-Leon Draisiatl-Matt Savoie as the second line. My third line is Ike Howard-Nuge-Trent Frederic and you could see a lot of shuffling of second- and third-line wingers.
Fourth line would be Adam Henrique at center, Mattias Janmark at left wing and Kasperi Kapanen on right wing. Curtis Lazar the extra and I think David Tomasek either takes Matt Savoie’s job or is in the AHL/back home.
For those who want an upgrade on Skinner, suspect there will be a delay between today and the next Edmonton starter. The cap, the lack of availability on a clear upgrade, and the Oilers lack of quality assets to use in trade all contribute to the current situation. The concerns about goaltending have merit, the solutions to those concerns are going to take some work. Suspect some of the expensive veterans will be asked to waive next summer, perhaps one or two will agree.
Noon to 2pm today on Sports 1440, it’s the Lowdown. Kevin McCurdy will join me at 1, we’ll have lots of Elks, Jays and NBA talk (Declanations). Join me, Declan Krueger and Josh Fenwick, won’t you?
What else can the Edmonton Oilers get done this offseason?
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6496619/2025/07/16/edmonton-oilers-news-offseason-2025/
Just read a piece on Aubry, new goalie coach. The writer suggests his biggest impact with NHL goalies to date has been with Euro goalies. Bodes well for the three Euro goalie prospects in the Oilers system. I’d drop the link here but I’m unsure of protocol. Lmk if that’s welcome and I’ll add.
I really hope Howard and Savoie get a long leash. The team needs some youthful energy and competition to push the vets during the regular season.
I love the lines.
I am very skeptical that Knobber will actually play RNH at 3C based on historical deployment.
The coaches also seemed to favour Kulak at RHD over Walman. Curious to see if that changes in the regular season.
Stauff with an interesting note on the schedule – no eatern time zone games in the 2nd half.
First two months are beastly:
https://media.nhl.com/site/vasset/public/attachments/2025/07/19119/2025-26%20NHL%20Regular%20Season%20Schedule%20(By%20Club).pdf
Team bonding!
team is going to have to show up on time next season.
Skinner and Pickard are perfectly cromulent regular season goalies, so the deadline may be the ideal time to go goalie hunting, although the cost will obviously be higher if there’s a bidding war. If they can accrue enough cap space and/or play LTIR games for this year, the full cost of the acquired contract becomes next year’s problem.
The downside is not giving the new goalie much time to acclimate before the playoffs, so it better be worth it.
Worked with Roli ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
There were lots of comments yesterday regarding GSAA. And it seems there may have been some confusion.
GSAA is not GSAx, and has nothing to do with expected goals. Here is the definition from NST:
”GSAA – Goals Saved Above Average, the difference between the goalie’s Goals Against and a Goals Against with the same Shots Against and the average SV% (within the selected filters). Average SV%*Shots Against – Goals Against”
— Hockey Reference uses GSAA : it is a like for like comparison. “The goals prevented given sv% and shots faced vs league average sv% on same # of shots”
— By this measure each year Skinner has been the amongst the worst last 3 years. It does not get influence by games played.
— Skinner is 15th out of 19 goalies who played more than 10 playoff games last 3 years in sv%
— prefer 5×5 ? He is 16 out of 19 last 3 years.
— he’s not a good goalie by any measure in the playoffs. He is without debate amongst the worst. Are you saying he is a good or even average playoff goalie?
— What are you looking up to support this?
— He’s been yanked 7 out of 50 playoff starts
— he’s accumulated the most really bad starts in 2 of 3 and was 2nd worse
— maybe the new coach helps. I’m pretty certain Bowman is not going to run it back again. Because Skinner is not a good playoff goalie.
By asking expensive veterans to waive next summer, do you mean Nurse again? Other players with full no move clauses are Drai, McDavid, (presumed) RNH, and Frederic. The first two won’t be asked, and I’d be pretty surprised if Nuge or Frederic were asked either.
Hyman, Mangiapane, and Janmark have modified no trade clauses so wouldn’t need to waive as long as the Oilers traded them to a team on their list.
That leaves Nurse, who reportedly refused to waive this year. As much heat as Nurse takes, I’m not quite there yet as far as wanting to move on from him. His regular season last year was quite good even if it fell apart again in the playoffs. I still believe he can be a solid second pair defenceman especially with a solid partner for the first time in his career in Walman. I know Nurse is also viewed by his contract as well as his play, but every year that the cap goes up, the deal gets a little better. I’m interested to see how he does this year, and if he puts together a solid season and playoff, I think I’d keep him.
I’d move on from Nurse only if they can cobble from it some cap efficiency to make the roster stronger overall. Don’t need a stud D back – if any – and the difference between the two salaries, if D in D out, maybe buys you a winger or a goalie.
In other words, I think it’s worth doing if worth doing.
Obviously our goaltending could have been better in the finals, but if we had less defensive breakdowns I don’t think we would have noticed. Marchant and others walked Ekholm and Walman a few times and our dzone coverage awareness lacked leading to high danger opportunities. For sure you would have liked a save on a few more of those, but if you minimize the crappy dzone play, the goaltending will “magically” improve in my view.
Hear hear! More sanity. Two days in a row! And after yesterday’s Finals summing up by LT (with chorus) on air, maybe it’s time to look forward to the unknowns that the summer and the season to come will bring.
Thank you.
Does Janmark make this team on merit?
That overpay (AAV and term) while not huge is annoying, at least to me.
I’m not certain any of Lazar, Philp, Kapanen can’t do what he does, for cheaper (although Kap is overpaid by $300K himself).
In no world do I have Janmark playing over Savoie unless there is regression in Savoie’s game from last season in the AHL.
this.
A key here is Podz – if he can really settle in as Drai’s LW, this allows Nuge down to the 3rd line which provides really strength through the lineup.
Lets not for how strong Podz’s playoffs was. I like to compare his run this past year to Holloway the year before because we all loved what Holloway did and is preceeded a real pop:
Holloway had 7 points in 25 games (Podz had 9 points in 22 games)
Holloway played 130 minutes with Drai (Podz played 83 minutes with Drai)
Holloway was physical (Podz was MORE physical – Hits/60)
Podz was a more effective 2-way player
Podz helped on the PK, Holloway did not impact special teams.
No, I’m not saying that Podz will pop offensively like Holloway did but simply noting the strength of his playoff run as compared to Holloway pre-pop and I’m not ready to discount some more offensive development in Podz’s game….
I somewhat love those top 2 lines but, at the same time feel that Knob sees Howard as an “offensive player” and Savoie as a “2-way player” and could see Howard starting in the top 6 and Savoie at 3RW.
As much as I truly believe Savoie is a perfect fit for Drai and the long term 2RW to Drai on this team, I am not against him on a 3rd line with a strong center (Nuge it the above set-up) – he has that skill-set.
I just hope that Knob isn’t discounting Savoie’s offensive pedigree and the fact that he’s already had real offensive success at the pro level.
I wonder what the plan is for Frederic when first obtained I instantly thought shades of Patty Maroon. I really liked Frederic game in Boston but he looked a step late all playoff. He then signs the huge extension based on this player regaining his form. It’ll be very important to kick start Federic and get him on a 20 goal pace. Where is the best fit for this player and team?
There is no doubt he underperformed expectations in the playoffs and was “a step behind” but, of course, he was playing through a high ankle sprain the entire time.
I presume it was shot up/frozen, etc. and not easy to play through.
Its unfortunate that the injury just never healed more than it did last season – they knew that was a possibility, there was a range of timelines and they took the risk.
Quite a bit of talk, including from management, that they want him to play more center this season. That may signal that Nuge stays on the wing but, even so, with both Nuge and Henrique, its likely one is playing center on any given night – I don’t see Frederic on the fourth line.
Will be interesting but I’m hoping for near 20/25 seasons with some depth PK and his clear solid 2-way game and, of course, some truculence.
For me Howard starting out with two defensively aware forwards such as Nuge & Frédéric can only help the youngster with his transition to the NHL. I’m sure he’s excited with the notion of playing with Connor & Leon but that’s something that he will need to be prepped for. Savoie is better prepared already having some pro experience.
I don’t diagree but I still glean what I glean from Knob’s first verbal which is that he thinks of Howard as a dynamic offensive player that needs to play on the PP and of Savoie as a 2-way player than can help on the PK.
Until I see (or hear) otherwise…..
Agree with this – I see that opening 7 on defence as locked in (subject to injury) and the pairings pretty much locked in as well.
Nurse/Walman is clear to my eye – based on eye test and high level on-ice results during last year’s regular season. I know the coaching staff has “more information” than I do but I remain shocked that Coffey did not go there during the SCF.
The other option, in particular of Ekholm doesn’t resemble the Ekholm we all love, is:
Kulak/Bouchard
Nurse/Walman
Ekholm/Emberson (Stech)
Kulak/Bouchard were 7-1 goals in the playoffs in 151 minutes. Some luck there, of course, but they were also over 60% expected goals.
I don’t think that can/should be ignored.
Come on Alex R. – be healthy, hockey train this summer – you and Jarventie can play in this league if healthy.
Bowman has always valued above average goaltending no way he chances another year of our window with below average goaltending. Goaltender changes need to happen before training camp as very rarely goaltenders get acquired at the deadline excluding Rollie and play well.
I also value above average goaltending!
Maybe we need a save%/$ formula for goalies to keep the entire picture in view.
Pretty easy to “value above average goaltending” when you’ve got Corey Crawford to play 50 games with a .915-.930 every year……
Its not like Bowman was always going out and finding a new tender to give him that goaltending – he simply had it.
I believe, as many suggest, that the rats used filth to win. Do the good guys have enough?
in my mourning I’ve come to accept injury and crappy PK as the primary culprits in the SCF this year. I honestly believe swapping Bob and Stuey would have still ended with the Cats on top. Yes injuries are always a factor in the playoffs & Florida had some as well, Edm just had more injuries of bigger degree.
Same. That Cats had it this year. Oil were short a quart.
Tho man they looked deadly going into the SCF. After the LAK scare dominated some good teams, somehow dictating play and playing to their strengths. Then the Cats showed even better at doing those things.
Wish they could dump Janmark.
I think Philp needs to be on this team as the 4th line C man and penalty kill . Being a Rh C man is great and he was very good on the draw and could become a lot more useful on the pk if given the chance. He actually made a lot of plays offensively with some nice setups and went to the net. He just needs to play.
Do wonder if he gets claimed if put on waivers. I think he would and that would be a shame
For Philp to be made 4C, the Oilers need to offload Henrique while Philp must out perform Janmark among others in the preseason. If Philp wants 4C he has to show up and take it.
If Henrique is still here come September, that’s the 4C.
The Habs are hurting at 2,3, and 4C…perfect place for Henrique..maybe a decent pick coming back plus we shave $2M off the cap…..yes I know he has a no trade clause….but those are negotiable these days.
Henrique already turned down waiving his NTC
It’s probably a good thing to have Henrique’s veteran depth on the roster. This is the final year of his contract plus with the introduction of two young forwards into the lineup it could help. I suppose there’s a choice to be made between Rico and the Janitor because both aren’t necessarily needed IMO.
I’m still a bit dissapointed they didn’t outbid for silov. For sure intradivision premium would be paid but that was a pretty low price to take a flyer on a goalie juat fresh roumding out development curve.
Yes I think he would have been a great choice to push Skinner. Wonder what Vancouver wanted from us