After back-to-back appearances in the Stanley Cup Final, one might assume fan confidence in the Edmonton Oilers’ front office would be sky-high. Yet in a recent analysis from The Athletic, Edmonton ranks only 21st out of 32 NHL teams in fan confidence regarding management decisions—barely an improvement from 25th last season.
The question becomes: Is it fair to judge the Oilers’ front office so harshly, even with two generational stars in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl?
The article labeled Edmonton fans a "tough crowd", which might be fair.
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As one supporter bluntly put it: “Letting Broberg, but especially Holloway, walk for, let’s be honest, nothing in return was a huge blunder… To lose back-to-back was devastating, especially when this past year wasn’t close.”
That was a kicker for Oilers fans, many of whom saw trouble coming when the Oilers jumped the gun and signed Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson in free agency. Both players were meant to be top-six solutions. Neither wound up being the right fit. Both are now gone.
St. Louis saw the writing on the wall, but for some reason, the Oilers management team overlooked both players. Broberg seemed ready to leave, but Holloway wanted to stay. And, not only did management paint themselves into a corner, but not matching on Holloway wound up being a monumental mistake. Holloway posted 63 points in 77 games for the Blues last season.
The Oilers Did Make Some Smart Decisions
The Oilers did make some shrewd moves. Following their blueprint when they added Mattias Ekholm at a past deadline, Edmonton went out and traded for Jake Walman, adding depth on defense. Much like Ekholm, Walman was a trade-deadline addition that seemingly came up out of nowhere.
During the season, the Oilers also added John Klingberg as a free agent and picked up Kasperi Kapanen on waivers. Both played a role in the playoffs, and both were low-cost value adds.
Caught in the middle were rumors that the Oilers were heavily in on Mikko Rantanen at the trade deadline. NHL Trade Talk reported on May 8, 2025, "TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reported that the Oilers made a major push to land Rantanen, with mutual interest from the forward, and an extension was rumored to be in the works."
Can Management Be Trusted To Pass Big Tests?
Fan sentiment reflects some confusion, but lingering frustration with this current management team.
One supporter said, “I just can’t trust the Oilers because they are so Jekyll and Hyde. Two steps forward, then four steps back.” The organization has demonstrated flashes of smart planning, but high-profile mistakes have overshadowed those wins. Missing out on young talent and failing to fill key positions consistently make this a tough group to rely on.
Oilers Still Rank in NHL’s Bottom Third In Concerning Category
The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers">Edmonton Oilers</a> ranked 21st out of 32 NHL teams in The Athletic’s fan confidence survey, only a slight improvement from 25th a year ago.
In a way, it's almost as though the Oilers are succeeding in spite of their management's decisions.
On the other hand, some argue the low ranking of the Oilers’ front office is unfair.
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The Oilers have consistently competed at a high level and contended for a championship—something few NHL teams can claim. Moves like acquiring Walman, Klingberg, Kapanen, and re-signing Corey Perry and Connor Brown were all smart decisions. Then again, only two of those players remain on the roster today.
This summer, the Oilers have given an eight-year deal to Trent Frederic, and they've signed Evan Bouchard to a full-value, four-year extension at $10.5 million per season. He could be a massive re-signing for Edmonton, but Bowman paid to keep him and didn't lock him into a long-term deal.
Potentially most concerning is that they've not addressed their goaltending. The Oilers have looked at goalies, but seem prepared to run it back with the combination of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard? If an upgrade is needed, can Bowman be trusted to pull the trigger on a trade and find the right fit?
The question then is less about whether the grading is fair and more about whether Edmonton can learn from its missteps and finally surround its generational stars with a championship-caliber team.
With the right moves this offseason, the Oilers could turn one of the NHL’s most criticized front offices into one of its most respected.
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