An age breakdown of the Edmonton Oilers and comparison to the rest of the NHL

With the regular season set to kick off in the next couple of months, let’s take a look at the average age of the Edmonton Oilers as they are getting ready to start training camps.

The state of the team is the largest factor for average age, with contenders typically having more experienced players, while rebuilders have younger and playoff hopefuls are somewhere in between. That being said the Oilers have an average age of 29.13 based off of preliminary rosters.

The average for Oilers goalies

Goalies Average age: 29.5

Who makes up the Oilers goaltenders: Stuart Skinner (26), Calvin Pickard (33)

Generally this position will be older, as most goalies are late bloomers, and it remains rare to see an early 20s goaltender get an abundance of ice-time. There were only two goaltenders under 24 with regular playing time last season: Spencer Knight (FLA-23), Dustin Wolf (CGY-23).

So the average age of 29.5 is around average for goalies in the NHL. It’s a positive that the expected starter, Stuart Skinner, is the younger of the two at 26 compared to Pickard who is 33.

The Oilers also have a wealth of younger goalies in their AHL, and ECHL farm system, so in the event of an injury Samuel Jonsson (21), Nathaniel Day (20), or Connor Ungar (23) could all be called up.

The average age of Oilers defence

The Oilers defence: average age of 29.43

Who makes up the projected Oilers defence:

Evan Bouchard (25), Mattias Ekholm (35), Ty Emberson (25), Brett Kulak (31) Nurse (30), Troy Stecher (31), and Jake Walman (29)

Look, having a young defensive prospect on the Oilers backend would be nice, but the for cup teams, this veteran experience is quite normal. Defencemen like Kulak and Nurse can be stable shut down defenders, which is exactly what teams need in playoff runs. Ekholm at 35 skewers the age a bit.

This is not a cause for concern among Oilers fans.

The Oilers forwards average age

The Oilers forwards: 28.93

Who makes up the Oilers forwards:

Leon Draisatl (29), Trent Frederic (27), Adam Hendrique (35), Isaac Howard (21), Zach Hyman (33), Mattias Janmark (32), Max Jones (27), Kasperi Kapanen (29), Curtis Lazar (30), Andrew Mangiapane (29), Connor McDavid (28), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (32), Vasily Podkolzin (24), and David Tomasek (29)

The key players up front being McDavid and Draisaitl are all entering their prime years around 28–30ish, and for the Oilers cup window this is what matters. The bottom six forwards could be sent down in favour of younger talents like Lane Hutson (23), Roby Jarventie (22), Joshua Samanski (23).

This average age is not even including the likes of Matthew Savoie yet. So expect the Oilers to possibly make some adjustments, and forwards wise the top six looks solid for the next handful of years at least.

Comparing the Oilers age to the rest of the NHL

Averages around the league (youngest to oldest):

1. Montreal Canadiens: 25.35
2. Chicago Blackhawks: 25.73
3. Buffalo Sabres: 25.75
4. Columbus Blue Jackets: 26.96
5. Vancouver Canucks: 26.96
6. Boston Bruins: 27.08
7. Philidelphia Flyers: 27.08
8. Ottawa Senators: 27.35
9. Utah Mammoth: 27.62
10. Calgary Flames: 27.68
11. Anaheim Ducks: 27.86
12. Dallas Stars: 27.86
13. St. Louis Blues: 27.92
14. New York Rangers: 28.04
15. Carolina Hurricanes: 28.13
16. San Jose Sharks: 28.17
17. New Jersey Devils: 28.20
18. Washington Capitals: 28.29
19. Tampa Bay Lightning: 28.50
20. Detroit Red Wings: 28.50
21. New York Islanders: 28.73
22. Seattle Kraken: 28.76
23. Toronto Maple Leafs: 29.04
24. Florida Panthers: 29.04
25. Colorado Avalanche: 29.10
26. Edmonton Oilers: 29.13
27. Nashville Predators: 29.25
28. Vegas Golden Knights: 29.28
29. Minnesota Wild: 29.29
30. Los Angeles Kings: 29.29
31. Winnipeg Jets: 29.92
32. Pittsburgh Penguins: 29.96

Yes the Oilers stand as the seventh oldest team in the league entering into the 2025–26 season. With a glance, teams around them on the list, with the likes of contenders Winnipeg, Vegas, Colorado, and Florida in that range this is to be expected.

Expect final rosters for the Oilers to be closer to 28.7 after Savoie, and depth forwards like Hutson and Jarventie possibly make the team.

The average age of the past five cup winners echoes that of the Oilers current state, which is a positive.

1. 2025 Florida Panthers: 28.63
2. 2024 Florida Panthers: 28.10
3. 2023 Vegas Golden Knights: 28.3
4. 2022 Colorado Avalanche: 27.6
5. 2021 Tampa Bay Lightning: 27.7

With all that being said, all we can do is wait and see what happens with the Oilers roster, and what happens in the 2026 NHL playoffs.

What are your thoughts about the Oilers being one of the older teams in the league?

*All data and projected player from Elite Prospects 07/27/2025