By anyone’s metrics, the Edmonton Oilers are one of the most talented teams in the NHL.

The Oilers have a cavalcade of high-end skill and a bright present and future – and in the last two seasons, only one team has done more in the Stanley Cup playoffs. In many regards, Edmonton is the envy of many teams, and that’s not likely to change anytime soon.

However, as the 2025-26 season begins, the Oilers might just be the team with the most pressure on it in the entire NHL. And it’s easy to see why.

For one thing, Edmonton has a grey cloud looming over everything else it does right now: the contract status of superstar center and captain Connor McDavid, who is slated to be a UFA at season’s end.

As the consensus best player on the planet, McDavid is in his prime, and he’s going to be in the spotlight each day that goes by where he hasn’t signed a contract extension, growing the pressure on Oilers management every day he hasn’t signed a new deal.

Even if he signs an extension by the time you finish reading this article, McDavid is still going to face a heap of pressure – only this type pertains to his on-ice performance and getting the Oilers into the winner’s circle in the Cup final.

But let’s put aside The McDavid Chronicles for the moment, as there’s still plenty of pressure to go around in Edmonton.

Another Oilers star forward, left winger Zach Hyman, is expected to begin the season on the sidelines. Hyman’s wrist injury that ended his season last year has yet to fully heal, and Hyman is presumed to be out of action until November. That’s a significant piece of the puzzle that’s out for at least one month. And one bad month could be the difference between the Oilers securing or losing home-ice advantage in the playoffs.

But the questions about Edmonton’s 2025-26 season don’t end there.

There are a slew of other “what if’s” about the Oilers that could sway the bottom line for them. What if starting goalie Stuart Skinner stumbles out of the gate? What if backup netminder Calvin Pickard can’t adequately handle the bulk of the load? What if newcomer forward Andrew Mangiapane doesn’t deliver as expected? And what if rookie forwards Isaac Howard and Matthew Savoie struggle as they try to establish themselves as difference-makers? 

Disappointment in any one of these aforementioned areas could prove to be a major problem for Edmonton’s depth. The Oilers need the grand majority of their burning questions to work out in their favor for them to win a Pacific Division that will almost certainly be more competitive this season. The margin for error is as thin as it gets, and Edmonton has to perform up to expectations or face the possibility of major roster renovations next summer.

When you have legitimate stars in McDavid, center Leon Draisaitl and defenseman Evan Bouchard, you have the foundation of a dynamic franchise that’s better than most. But that doesn’t mean you’ll be free of the intense pressure most teams face. To the contrary, the case can be made that having top-five-players-in-the-world stars in McDavid and Draisaitl brings more pressure with it than many organizations can handle, especially when one of them needs a new contract and wants to win multiple times.

Thus, the Oilers might just be the team facing the most pressure to find success this season. And that pressure is going to last at least until the Cup final this year, if not longer. Because if Edmonton can't get to the Cup final and win it all, it's possible the team blew an opportunity it may not get again for a long time.

The Oilers desperately need a better season, even if the only way it can improve is by winning the Cup. Their results this year will, for better or worse, forge the road ahead for them in seasons to come.

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