The Oilers’ Most Compelling Individual Storylines This Postseason

If you’re a fan of the Edmonton Oilers, it goes without saying you’ll be cheering for a deep run in the 2026 playoffs. That said, this is still a team made up of individuals—each with their own story.

Every player enters the postseason with the same goal, but the definition of success can vary. For Connor McDavid, it’s about finally capturing the Stanley Cup and adding the one missing piece to an already historic résumé. For someone like Trent Frederic, it’s about proving he can be a difference-maker in the first year of a long-term deal.

Fans often find themselves rooting for both the team and the individual journeys within it. Watching a player overcome challenges or deliver in a big moment can be just as rewarding.

So, whose story stands out the most? That’s the real question.

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Connor Ingram is getting an opportunity to retell his story.  He bravely opened up about his struggles with mental health, specifically managing OCD and depression. It led him to enter the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in 2021, and when he returned to the NHL, the Utah Mammoth essentially dumped him. 

The Oilers took a chance on a goaltender they believed had something to offer, and he's been outstanding since being recalled to the NHL. Now, he'll start as the Oilers playoff goaltender and potentially earn himself a nice extension as a pending UFA. 

Success for Ingram means he has to be good, but not great. More importantly, he needs to show he can handle the workload and remain positive throughout the run. There's a lot riding on these playoffs for him. 

A player who is tired of getting close but not winning it all, Connor McDavid gave the Oilers two additional seasons to help him in Edmonton or there's a chance this run will be his last. There is no guarantee he stays all three seasons if things go sideways, and you can tell he's determined to carry this team to the promised land. 

With a 138-point season, he's locked in. There is no chance he doesn't leave everything on the table and individual success has nothing to do with his personal statistics. Winning is all that matters. If the Oilers are booted early, this will be a summer of speculation. 

Good health and on-ice impact are the two things Leon Draisaitl wants as he tries to help the team win the Stanley Cup that has eluded this group the last few seasons. Draisaitl, unlike McDavid, is locked in. The pressure to win now is not as great. That doesn't mean he wants it any less. 

Draisaitl has played hurt through the playoffs before. We know he's going to go out there if he can physically stand the pain. It's the long-term concern that he and the Oilers' medical staff are focused on. This playoff run will be one where he'll want to get as deep as possible, but get through it unscathed. 

Fans are starting to come around on Trent Frederic, but it took a while. A terrible start to the season, there was collective regret that the Oilers chose to give him an eight-year deal this summer. However, he's found a new level in his game, that has only been highlighted by the arrival of Colton Dach. 

If Frederic can use this season's playoff run to prove the Oilers didn't make a mistake when they gave him a long-term deal, that's a huge win for the forward. 

Is this the playoff run where Darnell Nurse finally silences his critics? Yes, he's overpaid. No, he's not a total trainwreck. With the arrival of Connor Murphy, Nurse has rebounded and become much more of the player the Oilers need if they're to get the most out of his minutes and hefty contract. 

A successful run for Nurse is one that shows he can play reliable, effective minutes and that his pairing with Murphy is one the Oilers should heavily invest in. Murphy is a pending UFA, and if this duo is magic, the Oilers will happily throw a multi-year extension his way. Re-signing Murphy not only means the Oilers like his game, but they like what he does for Nurse. 

Jack Roslovic came to the Oilers on day one of the regular season and after trying to land a bigger contract during the summer. There were no takers, in part because of his reputation as a playoff flop in Carolina. 

He's on a team-friendly deal in Edmonton and looking to rewrite the narrative about how productive he can be when the games matter and physicality ramps up. If Roslovic can prove he's a regular who can be reliable in the biggest moments, he's got a good chance of earning an extension. Or, if it's not with Edmonton, catching the eye of another team that sees him as a better bet. 

If Ingram goes on a run, fans might not see a whole lot of Tristan Jarry. That said, he will play because Ingram is unlikely to be perfect. Success for Jarry is quality minutes in the opportunities he does get. He cannot be a liability for the Oilers. 

Edmonton took a chance on Jarry by trading for him and his three seasons under contract. He needs to show them that it wasn't a mistake. 

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