Edmonton Oilers: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

What Could Go Wrong for the Oilers This Season?

When the Edmonton Oilers hired Mike Babcock, there were two very different reactions. Some people looked at it and saw experience. They saw a coach who has won, managed pressure, and coached some of the biggest names in hockey.

Features

The Morning Bark

The Quiz of the Day

Sunday Scramble: Welcome to the late, late night Oilers games

Is anyone else curious or confused about what the new “Alberta Time” means for Edmonton Oilers start times? The Alberta government is no longer changing the clocks twice a year and is going to run on permanent Daylight Saving Time.

Jason Dickinson News / Oilersnation / July 19

What does a shutdown third line around Jason Dickinson look like?

Recent Stanley Cup champions have shown how much value an elite third line can provide. The 2026 Carolina Hurricanes’ cup run was driven in large part by captain Jordan Staal’s exceptional performance on the third line, which earned him the Conn Smythe.

Evan Bouchard News / The Hockey Writers / July 19

Evan Bouchard Should Be Off the Oilers’ Penalty Kill This Season

Edmonton Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard had a fantastic 2025-26 season, recording 21 goals and 95 points, averaging 24:41 of ice time. This was his career high in goals, assists, points, and ice time.

Macklin Celebrini News / Yardbarker Quizzes

The ''EA NHL,'' covers since 2000' quiz

How many of the players to grace the cover of each EA NHL video game going back to 'NHL 2000?"

The 'First-overall NHL Draft picks' quiz

The 'Conn Smythe Trophy winners' quiz

The 'Most NHL goals all-time' quiz

Connor McDavid News / NHLFanCentral / July 19

Connor McDavid Could Be Set for the Largest Contract the NHL Has Ever Seen: '$200 Million'

Connor McDavid’s next contract is already the talk of the NHL. Since he isn’t a free agent for two more years, the Oilers captain signed a short extension last October, which runs till the 2027-28 season.

NHL News / Yardbarker

The most underrated player for every NHL franchise

The best player in Washington Capitals history? Alex Ovechkin. The best Red Wing? Gordie Howe or Steve Yzerman…or maybe Nicklas Lidstrom. Some NHL franchises have a clear best player, while others have the proverbial Mount Rushmore of potential choices.

Edmonton Oilers News / The Hockey Writers / July 19

Top 3 Oilers’ Departed Free Agents That Will Hurt the Most

The Edmonton Oilers have been busy this offseason, making several signings since free agency opened on July 1. These moves have generated excitement among Edmonton fans, who are eager to see the likes of goaltender Frederik Andersen and defenceman Ryan Shea in action with the Oilers.

Edmonton Oilers News / The Hockey Writers / July 19

3 Reasons the Oilers Got Better This Offseason

The Edmonton Oilers were hoping to have another deep playoff run last season and finally get their first Stanley Cup since 1990, after back-to-back disappointing losses in the Final to the Florida Panthers.

Edmonton Oilers News / Professor Press Box / July 18

Ekholm and Bouchard Might Be the Oilers' Championship Difference

One of the easiest mistakes hockey fans make is assuming that championships are won by superstars. They're not. Superstars get the headlines, but elite teams almost always have another ingredient that receives far less attention.

Edmonton Oilers News / The Oil Rig / July 18

Tracking where every former Edmonton Oiler ended up this summer

The 2025–26 Edmonton Oilers’ season didn’t really go the way anyone in Oil Country hoped. After back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances in 2024 and 2025, the team was bounced in the first round by the Anaheim Ducks.

Connor McDavid News / Trade Talk Sports / July 18

Spittin’ Chiclets Predicts Connor McDavid’s Next Contract Will Be Unprecedentedly Big

Leo Carlsson signing an $18 million-per-year offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers that was subsequently matched by the Anaheim Ducks has changed the contract landscape around the NHL.

Zach Werenski News / Oilersnation / July 19

Bolts trade talks for Zach Werenski included ex-Oilers prospect Sam O’Reilly

When the Tampa Bay Lightning were in talks with the Columbus Blue Jackets about superstar defenceman Zach Werenski earlier this month, a former Edmonton Oilers prospect was involved.

Darnell Nurse News / NHL Trade Talk / July 17

Why the Darnell Nurse Trade Suddenly Makes Perfect Sense

Why does the Darnell Nurse trade to the San Jose Sharks make perfect sense in today’s wild NHL defence market? Given the Toronto Maple Leafs’ signing of Darren Raddysh and his big $68M contract, I got thinking.

Connor McDavid News / Professor Press Box / July 17

Is There Any Reason for McDavid to Stay in Edmonton?

Every summer, hockey fans get pulled into the same kind of conversation. Almost regardless of the team, a superstar’s future becomes a topic of debate, rumours start moving around, and suddenly every possible destination gets discussed.

Matthew Savoie News / Oilersnation / July 17

Recent contracts give Oilers interesting comparables for a Savoie extension

The NHL is fully in summer mode, and while the news cycle has slowed down considerably, it hasn’t fully stopped. Over the last few days, we’ve seen a few interesting signings.

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The 'FIFA World Cup champions' quiz

The 'Rushing TD leaders by NFL team' quiz

The 'MLB All-Star Game MVPs' quiz

The 'MLB Home Run Derby winners' quiz

Edmonton Oilers News / NHL Trade Talk / July 17

What Happens If… a Domino Effect of Problems Hits the Oilers

Every NHL season carries a few storylines that look manageable in isolation but become something else entirely if they start stacking on top of each other.

Edmonton Oilers News / Oilersnation / July 17

NHL schedule ignores Battle of Alberta in Saddledome’s final season

A quick run-through of the Edmonton Oilers schedule and you’ll notice the usual at first glance. The heavy divisional start to the season, a long November road trip through the Eastern Conference, and some long homestands in January and February. Yup, looks similar…wait a minute. When do we see the Flames?

Edmonton Oilers News / The Hockey Writers / July 17

Breaking Down the Oilers’ 2026-27 Schedule

For the first time in franchise history, the Edmonton Oilers begin their regular-season schedule in September, hosting the Vancouver Canucks on Sept. 29.

Edmonton Oilers News / The Hockey Writers / July 17

6 Must-See Oilers Games of the 2026-27 Season

On Thursday (July 16), the NHL released its 2026-27 schedule. The season begins on Sept. 29, 2026, and runs until April 10, 2027. Each NHL team will play 84 games, an increase from the 82-game schedule that the league had been using since 1995-96.

Edmonton Oilers News / Oilersnation / July 17

Which Oilers forwards will play on the penalty kill in 2026-27?

With the Edmonton Oilers’ roster for next season largely set, questions remain about how certain roles will be filled. Adam Henrique won’t be back next season, and he played the second-most minutes on the penalty kill among forwards (107:40) in 2025-26, leaving a big void on the PK unit.

Colton Dach News / Professor Press Box / July 17

The Oilers’ Signed Colton Dach: How Contenders Are Built?

One of the interesting things about building an NHL team is that not every important addition arrives with a highlight reel or a big contract. Sometimes the most valuable moves are the quiet ones.

NHL News / Yardbarker / July 17

Three NHL franchises facing the most pressure to win the Stanley Cup in 2027

Every NHL contender starts training camp talking about one goal: Win the Stanley Cup.

Flyers sign defenseman Jamie Drysdale to four-year contract

Blues lock up Connor McMichael with a six-year deal

Anthony Mantha leaves Penguins to sign with division rival

Can Capitals chase another Stanley Cup while Alex Ovechkin chases history?

Steve Yzerman stepping down marks needed leadership change for Red Wings

Edmonton Oilers News / NHL Trade Talk / July 16

Analyst 'Deeply Skeptical' of Oilers Biggest Offseason Change

Not everyone is ready to call Mike Babcock’s addition to the Edmonton Oilers a win. Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic ranked the Oilers 25th out of 32 teams in a recent column of clubs who improved the most, giving Edmonton a -8 net rating.

Edmonton Oilers News / The Oil Rig / July 16

Breaking down the Edmonton Oilers current forward depth situation

There has rightly been a lot of focus on the Edmonton Oilers carrying three goalies and eight defencemen. The implication is that the number of forwards on the roster would in turn be reduced.

Stan Bowman News / NHLFanCentral / July 15

Bowman chooses patience over forward help: will it cost the Oilers their Cup window?

The question now is whether that patience will prove costly as McDavid’s prime years tick away. Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman is choosing to wait and not rush into adding help with the forwards.

Edmonton Oilers News / The Oil Rig / July 15

2026 Edmonton Oilers draftee profile: Rudolfs Berzkalns

With the 2026 NHL draft complete, the Edmonton Oilers have now added another five prospects to their prospect pipeline. We here at the Oil Rig will be publishing in-depth player profiles for each of Oil Country’s newest additions, while also giving a brief projection of where they fit into the organization’s future.