Key departures
Connor Brown, F: Brown had 30 points (13 goals, 17 assists) while moving throughout the lineup and playing all 82 regular-season games, and had nine points (five goals, four assists) in 20 playoff games. The 31-year-old signed a four-year contract with the Devils on July 1. ... Corey Perry, F: A veteran forward who played up and down the lineup last season, Perry signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Kings on July 1. The 40-year-old had 30 points (19 goals, 11 assists) in 82 regular-season games last season, and 14 points (10 goals, four assists) in 22 playoff games. ... Evander Kane, F: The 33-year-old was traded to the Vancouver Canucks on June 25 for a fourth-round pick (No. 117) in the 2025 NHL Draft, which was used to select forward prospect David Lewandowski. Kane had 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 21 playoff games after missing the regular season recovering from surgeries for several hip and core muscle injuries, and a knee injury. ... Viktor Arvidsson, F: The 32-year-old was traded to the Boston Bruins on July 1 for a fifth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. Arvidsson had 27 points (15 goals, 12 assists) in 67 regular-season games and seven points (two goals, five assists) in 15 playoff games. ... Jeff Skinner, F: The 33-year-old signed a one-year contract with the San Jose Sharks on July 11 after spending one season in Edmonton. He had 29 points (16 goals, 13 assists) in 72 regular-season games and two points (one goal, one assist) in five playoff games. It was the first time in his 15 NHL seasons that he played in the postseason. ... John Klingberg, D: The 32-year-old signed a one-year contract with the Sharks on July 1. He had four points (one goal, three assists) in 11 regular-season games after signing with the Oilers on Jan. 17 following recovery from hip surgery in December 2023. He also had four points (one goal, three assists) in 19 playoff games.
On the cusp
Matt Savoie, F: The 21-year-old was second with Bakersfield of the American Hockey League with 54 points (19 goals, 35 assists) in 66 games, and also had an assist in four NHL games. Savoie is expected to make the jump full-time to the NHL this season and earn a spot in the top-nine forward group out of training camp. The Oilers acquired Savoie in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres for forward Ryan McLeod on July 5, 2024. ... Quinn Hutson, F: The 23-year-old signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Oilers on April 14, two days after helping Boston University reach the NCAA championship game. He played in the Oilers' final two games of the regular season but did not have a point. He led Boston University with 50 points (23 goals, 27 assists) in 38 games last season. ... Roby Jarventie, F: The 22-year-old had two assists in two games with Bakersfield last season but his skill set and size (6-foot-2, 184 pounds) could allow him to push for a bottom-six forward spot with the Oilers this season.
What they still need
The Oilers must find a consistent full-time wing to play next to reigning NHL goal-scoring leader Leon Draisaitl on the second line. Also, while goalie Stuart Skinner continues to take steps in his development, questions arose as to his overall effectiveness; he was pulled from three games during this year's run to the Cup Final, tied for the most in the League.
They said it
"There's a lot of things we want to address over the summer, going into the next regular season, and special teams will be one of them. The penalty kill, obviously, was not nearly at the level it was the previous year, and a lot of it had to do with some unfortunate events, luck being part of that. So that's one area we're looking at adjusting. There's other things we want to look at system-wise. Whether it's what we do in our neutral-zone or defensive-zone coverage, I think there are always things you can get a little bit better at. Obviously we were very happy with the success that we've had, so we're not going to be changing a lot, but I think there’s things we can improve upon a little bit." -- Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch
EDGE stat to watch
The Oilers ranked second in 22-plus mile per hour speed bursts (174) and 20-plus mph bursts (2,250) behind the Colorado Avalanche (212; 2,493) last season and led the 2025 playoffs in both of those categories (70; 668). Center Connor McDavid was tied with Nathan MacKinnon of the Avalanche for the most 22-plus mph speed bursts (83) during the regular season and led the postseason in top skating speed (23.92 mph), 22-plus mph bursts (37) and 20-plus mph bursts (186). The Oilers had three players among the top five in the NHL in 20-plus mph bursts during the playoffs in McDavid, Leon Draisaitl (74; third) and Vasily Podkolzin (60; fifth). -- Chris Meaney
Fantasy spin
Forward Isaac Howard has joined NHL.com's top 100 keeper and dynasty league rankings after being acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 21-year-old, who was selected by the Lightning in the first round (No. 31) in the 2022 NHL Draft, led Michigan State University and ranked fifth in the NCAA with 52 points (26 goals, 26 assists) in 37 games last season and helped the United States win the gold medal at the 2025 IIHF World Championship. Howard has a chance to fit into the top six as early as this season after offseason departures of Evander Kane, Viktor Arvidsson and Corey Perry and has fantasy potential as a deep sleeper if he earns time with Connor McDavid and/or Leon Draisaitl. -- Pete Jensen
Projected lineup
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- Connor McDavid -- Zach Hyman
Andrew Mangiapane -- Leon Draisaitl -- Vasily Podkolzin
Isaac Howard -- Trent Frederic -- Adam Henrique
Matt Savoie -- Mattias Janmark -- Kasperi Kapanen
Mattias Ekholm -- Evan Bouchard
Darnell Nurse -- Brett Kulak
Jake Walman -- Ty Emberson
Stuart Skinner
Calvin Pickard
