Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse's future with the team has come into question, but that's one of many challenges GM Stan Bowman must face as they try to win a Stanley Cup.
In the Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl Era, the Edmonton Oilers have faced a constant stream of question marks about the future.
This summer is no different, with the firing of coach Kris Knoblauch and a slew of other high-profile areas to address. These areas are significant enough that GM Stan Bowman must hit a bunch of home runs with his decisions this summer to ensure the Oilers can be Stanley Cup front-runners next season.
This past week, we've seen reports regarding the future of Darnell Nurse. The veteran defenseman hasn't lived up to expectations for his current $9.25-million cap hit, but at a time when experienced blueliners are hard to come by, Oilers GM Stan Bowman should be able to work with Nurse and his full no-move clause to find him a new home before next season.
The contract for the 31-year-old is a problem for most teams, but if the Oilers are truly intent on a change to their defense corps, they may need to retain some of Nurse's salary.
The alternative may require Edmonton to attach a high draft pick to a team willing to trade for Nurse, and the Oilers have only one of those in the next three drafts. The first-rounder they have is in 2028, and though Edmonton is a win-now team, sacrificing the rest of their future may not be their best move.
But Nurse's future isn't the only area for the Oilers to address.
There's the coaching vacancy to address, and Bowman may be waiting out the Vegas Golden Knights in an attempt to hire Stanley Cup-winning coach Bruce Cassidy.
Unfortunately for Edmonton, the Golden Knights may decide never to allow Cassidy to interview with the Oilers, so Bowman needs a good Plan B to be their bench boss. Whether that Plan B gives the Oilers a more effective coach than Knoblauch is anyone's guess.
There are also ongoing questions about Edmonton's goaltending.
Are the Oilers truly married to Tristan Jarry and pending UFA Connor Ingram, or is a change on the horizon for Edmonton's netminders?
Bowman could be bold and crafty in trying to trade Jarry, but the goalie's on the team because the GM tried to be bold and crafty when trading Stuart Skinner, and unfortunately for them, it hasn't paid off yet.
Unless Bowman figures out another trade or decides to buy out the final two seasons of Jarry's onerous contract, the Oilers could be once again stuck with one of the worst goalie tandems in the league next year. Hopefully for Jarry, he can prove us wrong and have a season of redemption.
Finally, the Oilers must shore up their depth on the wings and in their bottom six forwards. Once you get past Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, there aren't many top six wingers to take the pressure off Draisaitl and McDavid. The constant turnover in their bottom two forward lines also doesn't lend itself to the lineup familiarity you see out of Cup-winning teams.
Clearly, there are many areas Bowman has to hit home runs in if Edmonton is going to win a Cup in its current era. Bowman can't afford not to hit a homer with his choice to coach the team. Bowman can't bring back the same group of players, but he must make a move with Nurse that frees up cap space and use it to bolster the roster in other areas.
All in all, there are many potential pitfalls for Bowman to navigate his way past this summer.
The Oilers have come achingly close to winning a championship, but the 2025-26 season was an obvious step backward. And Edmonton fans – and its players – don't want any part of another backward-step season in 2026-27.
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