Edmonton Oilers Facing Stanley Cup Or Bust Season

The 2026-27 NHL season begins Tuesday night, and several teams hope to hoist the Stanley Cup in June.

However, no team is facing as much pressure as the Edmonton Oilers, who are entering a Stanley Cup or bust season. The Oilers have superstar forward Connor McDavid back for two more years, as he took a team-friendly deal to try to help the team win.

McDavid is arguably the greatest player to never win a Cup, so his sole focus is winning. After last year’s first-round exit, Edmonton needed to make major changes, and they did just that this offseason.

The Oilers hired controversial head coach Mike Babcock who has been out of the NHL since he resigned as the head coach of Columbus Blue Jackets before coaching a game for the team in 2023. Babcock allegedly ordered players to show him their cell phone photos as part of a character-building exercise, which many players weren’t comfortable with.

After an investigation was launched, Babcock stepped down, but after a couple of years, McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman pushed for him to be hired by Edmonton. The players felt like the Oilers needed a true leader to coach them and push them, which Babcock would do.

Babcock is a proven winner, but that was over a decade ago, so there is plenty of risk in the hire. That hiring also adds to the pressure for the Oilers, showing they are focused on winning and not caring about who they have on the roster or coaching staff.

Ultimately, if the Oilers fall short again, McDavid could be traded in the offseason as he would have one year left on his deal, and gave Edmonton one more chance to build a Cup contender.

At age 29, and soon to be 30, the time is now for McDavid to win, and if it doesn’t happen this year, his time in Edmonton will be over, which will be a disappointing end to his Oilers tenure, as he’s arguably the most skilled player in NHL history and couldn’t win the Cup.

Edmonton Oilers Confident Ahead of NHL Season