Oilers News & Rumours: McDavid, Walman, Regula, Howard & More

Fans were bracing for McDavid to become the highest-paid player in NHL history, especially after the monster extension signed by Kirill Kaprizov with the Minnesota Wild, but McDavid left a ton of money on the table, in hopes that the Oilers would use it to improve the team around him, to prove he has one focus in mind: winning.

Walman Signs 7-Year Extension

Just minutes after the Oilers announced their extension for McDavid, they followed it up with an announcement that they had signed defender Jake Walman to a long-term, seven-year extension.

Walman will be earning a $7 million average annual value (AAV) when the extension kicks in. The Oilers getting those two big pieces of business out of the way allows them to focus on other players who are eligible for an extension, like Mattias Ekholm, but for now, the team can focus on making a playoff push.

Alec Regula & Isaac Howard Crack Opening Night Roster

With Walman dealing with an injury heading toward the season opener, the Oilers had to decide on who was going to take over some big minutes to start the campaign, and they have settled on Alec Regula, who hasn’t played in the NHL since November of 2022, but had an impressive preseason and has fully recovered from his major injury that forced him to miss the entire 2024-25 season.

Another player who isn’t as much of a surprise to still be around, but has officially cracked the opening night roster, is forward Isaac Howard. After being sent down to the American Hockey League (AHL) as a paper transaction so the team could be cap compliant, it was revealed he would be recalled and would make his NHL debut in the Oilers’ season opener.

Howard, who is 21 years old, was acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Sam O’Reilly in the offseason and had an impressive training camp.

Oilers Practice With Expected Lines

The Oilers practiced on Tuesday (Oct. 7) morning, and for the first time this season, we have some expected lines.

With Howard coming in and making his debut, the belief is that he will step into the spot that Curtis Lazar is currently in and play alongside Adam Henrique and David Tomasek.

Things can obviously change, but it seems as though both Howard and Tomasek will make their NHL debuts, Regula will return to the NHL, Stuart Skinner will get the start, Matthew Savoie will get a nod in the top six, and Noah Philp will get a look on the third line.

As the 2025-26 season moves along, be sure to continue following The Hockey Writers as your source for news, updates, and more from around the NHL and the hockey world.