3 Reasons the Oilers Could Turn Things Around Quickly

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3 Reasons the Oilers Could Turn Things Around Quickly

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | By Old Prof | Last updated Sep 12, 2026 11:37 AM ET

After back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Final, last season was a real gut check for Edmonton. They took a step back, finished second in the Pacific and exited in the first round to Anaheim. But there’s a real case this team turns things around fast. Here’s why it could happen.

Reason 1: The Top of the Oilers Lineup Is Still Amazing

Connor McDavid’s still the best player alive, and Leon Draisaitl’s still a top-three center in the league. But the real story is health and depth around them. Zach Hyman’s coming off a bounce-back year with 52 points in just 58 games and enters this season actually healthy, and Vasili Podkolzin has quietly become a nice two-way fit alongside Draisaitl. The bottom six is admittedly thin outside of Jason Dickinson, but if a guy like Isaac Howard can push his way onto the roster after a strong AHL year, this forward group has real upside beyond just the two superstars everybody already knows about.

Reason 2: The Oilers’ Blue Line Got an Upgrade Nobody’s Talking About

On paper, Edmonton’s defence has always looked good and underperformed anyway. But there’s a legit case that changes this year. Evan Bouchard is emerging as a true elite two-way defenceman after a 95-point season, and Mattias Ekholm still brings steady, reliable two-way play even as he ages. The sneaky-good move was getting Darnell Nurse’s contract off the books without retaining salary. Then the Oilers added Ryan Shea as a cheaper puck-moving option while acquiring Shakir Mukhamadullin in the Nurse deal. That’s a real upgrade for less money, and if a new coach can finally get more structure out of this group, the defence could stop being the team’s biggest question mark.

Reason 3: The Oilers Are Built for a Heavy Forecheck

Here’s the thing that gets lost in all the Babcock skepticism. Edmonton’s roster is genuinely one of the fastest in the league, and that speed lines up really well with an aggressive, heavy forechecking system. If that identity takes hold, expect this team to dominate puck possession and keep generating high-danger chances at an even higher rate than before.

But Will the Oilers End Up Looking Like the Old Maple Leafs?

The big remaining question mark is goaltending and whether Babcock’s system ends up looking more like his old Toronto teams. Those teams looked great in expected goals for, but historically bad in expected goals against. If Edmonton falls into that same trap defensively, none of the forward firepower or blue-line upgrades will matter much in the playoffs.

But if the coaching change actually tightens up the defensive structure the way it’s supposed to, this roster has more than enough talent, speed, and improved depth to get right back to being one of the scariest teams in the league.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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