EDMONTON – A new day, a new season.
Although it’s the offseason for the Edmonton Oilers, it’s (technically) already a new season. This is excellent news for fans and the players alike.
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For Stan Bowman, it’s an opportunity to bring new faces in from the hop. Last season, he had the unfortunate task of coming into the organization mid-way through the offseason. This year, he has the chance to shape the team exactly how he wants.
We’ve seen that already with the departures of Evander Kane and Viktor Arvidsson.
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Aside from one or two more personnel moves, the roster the Oilers currently have is likely the one fans will see suit up for Game 1 of the 2025-26 regular season.
Here’s a snapshot of how those lines could look.
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Potential 2025-26 Oilers Forward Lines
RNH - McDavid - Hyman
If Zach Hyman is good to go after missing the Cup Final against the Florida Panthers, he is an obvious choice to put on the top line alongside Connor McDavid. Having Ryan Nugent-Hopkins complete the trio is a very reasonable expectation.
Mangiapane - Draisaitl - Savoie
Leon Draisaitl and Matt Savoie had instant chemistry when they were put together for a few games last season. He’s the kind of talented player whose skills mesh with the German center perfectly. Throw in newcomer Andrew Mangiapane, a hard-working pest, and you have the makings of a great two-way line that can shut down the opposition and generate a lot of offense.
Henrique - Frederic - Howard
The trio of Trent Frederic, Adam Henrique, and Isaac Howard could be a sneaky good third line for the Oilers. There is a fantastic combination of physicality, speed, and skill that could make it difficult for the other 31 teams to match up against.
Kapanen - Tomasek - Podkolzin
Kasperi Kapanen, David Tomasek, and Vasily Podkolzin round out the list of forward line projections. These three bring a lot of valuable talents to the table. Kapanen and Podkolzin bring intense forechecking and speed. Tomasek’s great hockey IQ and ability to hang onto pucks can make this line a valuable contributor for the team.
Curtis Lazar and Mattias Janmark would be the extra forwards in this scenario.
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Oilers Potential 2025-26 Defense Pairings
Ekholm - Bouchard
It's tough not to put the Oilers' top duo of Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm back together. Bouchard possesses elite offensive instincts and is developing into a more consistent defensive player. Ekholm deserves an opportunity to start the year here.
Nurse - Walman
Deadline addition Jake Walman should be Darnell Nurse's regular defense partner come October. This pairing has the potential to be a nasty one to play against. Both defenders have great offensive talents and an edge.
Kulak - Emberson
Brett Kulak and Ty Emberson were a great third-pairing for the Oilers last year. Depending on how Ekholm starts the year, he and Kulak could switch pairings, as Ekholm was paired with Emberson on the penalty kill last season.
Troy Stecher is the odd man out, acting as the team's seventh defender. On any other team, he's a 5-6 D.
The key to the Oilers success this season will be constructing the lineup in the best way possible, both financially and with the on-ice product. As we’ve learned from Kris Knoblauch’s tenure thus far, he’s not afraid to sit a better player in favor of one who fits a role more precisely.
We will see what training camp holds.
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