Looking back at Stan Bowman’s additions to the Oilers

According to Natural Stat Trick, the 25-year-old had more starts in the defensive zone but still posted a 50.43 scoring chances for percentage and a 54.26 high-danger chances for percentage at 5v5. He also led all Oilers in penalty kill minutes (150:01), ranked third on the team in hits (123), fourth in blocked shots (97), and fourth in takeaways (32) in the regular season.

Despite playing a limited role in nine postseason games, all things considered, Emberson had a strong first season with the Oilers in 2024–25. He was a key asset on the penalty kill and, at times throughout the season, brought a ‘cycle-busting’ physical edge that had been missing on the back end.

Overall, it was a good move by Bowman to acquire Emberson, who is under contract for another two seasons after signing a two-year extension last April, and the blueliner appears poised to take a bigger step in 2025–26.

Traded for Vasily Podkolzin

Last August, Bowman pulled off a trade for Vasily Podkolzin, sending a fourth-round pick to the Canucks, and the Russian winger had a strong debut campaign in Oil Country during the 2024–25 season.

Podkolzin played primarily on the Oilers’ second line and, despite not producing like a true top-six player with only 24 points in 82 regular-season games, he played most of his 5v5 minutes alongside Leon Draisaitl (497:19). He also led the Oilers by a wide margin in hits (210), nearly 50 more than second-place Darnell Nurse, who had 161. As well, the 6-foot-1 and 190-pounder showed he packs a solid punch when he knocked Jeremy Lauzon to the ice with a strong right hand on Halloween night.

That said, despite a modest point total last regular season, the ice tilted in the Oilers’ favour when he was on it. Among forwards who played at least 200 minutes last season in the NHL, he ranked:

• 8th in shots for percentage (58.40% SF%)
• 14th in expected goals for percentage (58.68% xGF%)
• 15th in high-danger chances for percentage (59.64% HDCF%)

On top of that, the rugged winger was very effective in the playoffs, recording ten points in 22 games, and was one of the best Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final, tallying four points (2G, 2 A) in the final six games.

Podkolzin recently turned 24, and there’s still room for improvement — something the young Russian strives for, showing last season that he’s willing to put in the work before and after practice.

Bowman’s trade for Podkolzin, giving up only a fourth-round pick, was an absolute steal. We saw last season that he can effectively get the puck to Draisaitl, but if he improves his shot by next year and finishes off passes from his centerman more consistently, the trade for him will be even more lopsided in Edmonton’s favour.

Claimed Kasperi Kapanen Off Waivers

When the St. Louis Blues placed Kasperi Kapanen on waivers, Bowman quickly jumped at the opportunity to claim the 28-year-old on Nov. 19, injecting much-needed speed into the lineup. The Oilers’ GM said at the time, “When you think of Kapanen, you think of speed,” which proved accurate. Last regular season, according to NHL Edge, Kapanen reached a top speed of 23.09 MPH, ranking in the 87th percentile in the NHL, and he hit an even higher top speed of 23.26 MPH in the playoffs, placing him in the 97th percentile league-wide.

The Finnish forward also flashed his versatility throughout the 2024–25 campaign, seeing time on the top two lines but mostly playing in the bottom six. He also filled in at center when injuries occurred and played the sixth-most minutes among forwards on the PK (45:15). He finished the regular season with 13 points (5G, 8A) in 57 games, but his biggest impact came in the postseason. After sitting out the entire first round, he scored the game-winning overtime goal in a 1–0 Oilers victory in Game 5, a tally that sent the Vegas Golden Knights packing, and finished with six points in 12 postseason games.

Bowman picking up Kapanen off the waiver wire was a major win — he didn’t give up any assets and added a player who scored a series-winning goal. Moreover, the speedy winger recently signed a one-year deal worth $1.3 million annually, and with a younger Oilers squad projected for the 2025–26 season, the 28-year-old NHL veteran, with 527 regular-season games under his belt, might see an increased role.

Signed John Klingberg as a Free Agent

When Bowman signed D-man John Klingberg to a one-year contract in January, after he had missed almost a year of hockey, my thoughts were summed up in just one word: ” Why?”

The 32-year-old had played only 81 regular-season games combined over the previous three seasons and was nowhere near the offensive stud on the blueline that he had been during his time with the Dallas Stars. However, Bowman made a small gamble by signing the Swedish blueliner who was recovering from hip surgery, and it paid off, though not immediately.

While the D-man posted four points in 11 regular-season games, his play had its ups and downs as he worked to shake off the rust, and he also missed the final 10 games of the regular season due to an ankle injury. Given the combination of inconsistent play and missed time, expectations weren’t exactly high for Klingberg heading into the postseason.

However, he was inserted into the lineup in Game 2 of the first round against the Los Angeles Kings, and his puck-moving from the back end was a difference-maker for the Oilers in the postseason.

He formed an effective pairing with defence partner Jake Walman for most of the playoffs, and threaded several 100-foot stretch passes that led to goals. Overall, he picked up four points in 19 postseason games, being most effective in the first three rounds, where he posted a +6 plus/minus. Unfortunately, it seemed like he ran out of steam in the Stanley Cup Final, playing in only four of the final six games.

Klingberg recently signed a one-year deal with the San Jose Sharks worth $4 million annually, which was far too rich for the Oilers. However, Bowman did well picking him up from the bargain bin last season, as Klingberg was a solid piece for most of the Oilers’ playoff run, with the GM noting he wasn’t surprised by how well he performed.

Traded for Jake Walman

Heading into the trade deadline, the Oilers had an obvious need to bolster their blue line, and Bowman made a deal with San Jose that caught many off guard, trading for Jake Walman in exchange for forward Cal Berglund and a conditional first-round pick in 2026.

His impact was felt almost immediately. In his first game donning the orange and blue against the Dallas Stars, Walman nailed Mikko Rantanen with an open-ice hit and, in the same game, sprung Zach Hyman with a flip pass that led to a breakaway goal, showing an early taste of his mix of toughness and skill.

Walman finished the regular season with six points in 15 games down the stretch and emerged as one of the Oilers’ best blueliners in the postseason, as Baggedmilk noted during the playoffs, “He’s quietly turning into one of the Oilers’ best defencemen right before our eyes.” He recorded ten points (2G, 8A) in 22 playoff games and led the entire NHL in blocks with 66. Additionally, Walman made several key plays throughout the postseason, with his biggest goal coming in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, where he ripped a one-time blast past Sergei Bobrovsky.

By far, acquiring Walman for a first-round pick and a C-level prospect was Bowman’s best move for the 2024–25 season, and on top of that, they have the D-man under contract for another season, and I’d like to see the team lock him up long term.

About the Trent Frederic Trade…

Another big trade that Bowman made during the 2024-25 campaign was acquiring Trent Frederic and Max Jones, while sending out Max Wanner, Scott Lachance, a 2025 second-round pick, and a 2026 fourth-round pick.

Jones played in 19 regular-season games, mainly in a fourth-line role, but the big piece was Frederic, who played in all 22 playoff games, posted four points (1G, 3A), and threw 85 hits, ranking sixth in the NHL. He also had some memorable moments, including his second-round tilt with Nicolas Hague and breaking his stick over the back of Panthers’ Sam Bennett, which led to a full-blown melee on ice.

That said, we didn’t see the best of Frederic in the playoffs due to a lingering ankle injury, so while the trade didn’t pay off in a big way last season, it has the potential to be significant in the coming years as he enters his prime with the Oilers — especially since they were able to negotiate a new eight-year, $30 million contract before he hit the open market.

As Bowman continues to shape a younger Oilers roster, highlighted by the recent addition of Isaac Howard and the potential for both him and Matt Savoie to crack the lineup next season, there’s clear value in having a bigger body like Frederic, a power forward who’ll stick up for his teammates, and score 15–20 goals a season.

With that in mind, how would you assess the moves Bowman made to strengthen the roster last season?