Oilers 2026-27 Player Previews: Jason Dickinson

The 2026-27 season is almost here, so let’s continue our Edmonton Oilers player preview series. The last player we looked at was veteran defenceman Mattias Ekholm, and now we turn our attention to another veteran.

The Oilers were in desperate need of a third-line centre, so they acquired Jason Dickinson ahead of the 2026 Trade Deadline. Dickinson came in and fit like a glove. He was a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), but he inked a five-year contract with a $4 million cap hit to stay in Edmonton. The 31-year-old filled a glaring hole. He’s not an offensive juggernaut, but he doesn’t need to be. He has a role, and plays it well.

He registered seven goals and 17 points in 64 games between the Oilers and the Chicago Blackhawks last season, including one goal and four points in 17 games after the trade. However, he came up clutch in the playoffs, registering two goals and three points in four games, basically playing on one leg. Despite his injury, he battled through and was still impactful. He was a warrior, and that mentality is much-needed. Now, he’s entering his first full season with the Oilers, so let’s preview his 2026-27 campaign.

Dickinson Is a Great Penalty Killer

Dickinson is a defensively-minded centre who can match up against the other team’s top lines and excels on the penalty kill. At the time of the trade, the Blackhawks led the NHL in penalty-killing percentage at 85.6 percent, and he was a massive part of that. The penalty kill was one of Edmonton’s biggest weaknesses, so this addition bolstered that unit.

In 31:37 of shorthanded ice time with Edmonton, Dickinson was only on the ice for three goals against and had two takeaways. He helped the Oilers move up from 25th to 20th in penalty kill percentage. However, from March 6 until April 17, they had the 10th-best penalty kill at 81.6 percent. The veteran centre drastically improved the penalty kill, and the results proved that. He has gained the organization’s trust.

Best Case Scenario

The best case scenario is that the Oilers can maintain a top-10 penalty kill with Dickinson leading the charge. Not only will he benefit the penalty kill, but he’ll also help the Oilers defend better at 5-on-5. Team defence has been an issue for years, and he’s a solution to that problem. The hope is that he can be the full-time third-line centre all season and take on the tougher matchups, which will ease the load on the top players.