Most of the time, former Edmonton Oilers hold a special place in our hearts. After all, once an Oiler, always an Oiler, right? In the midst of a fairly chaotic offseason that saw turnover all across the league, Edmonton has been no exception.

Gone, for starters, are Viktor Arvidsson, Jeff Skinner, Evander Kane, Connor Brown, Corey Perry, and John Klingberg. For a runner-up to the Stanley Cup, thats a fairly significant portion of the roster.

Luckily there are replacements in place, in the forms of exciting rookies like Matthew Savoie and Isaac Howard, with a wild card veteran presence like Andrew Mangiapane.

To help us keep track of where some of those former Oilers will be suiting up in 2025–26, as well as others who left the organization prior to this offseason, here is a list of where past Oilers are set to be playing. For some of those who have yet to sign, here’s a list of unsigned former members of the Edmonton Oilers organization.

Anaheim Ducks

Ryan Strome

Just the one former Oiler on the Ducks roster. Strome’s time in Edmonton was short and uneventful. He was originally acquired in exchange for Jordan Eberle following the 2016–17 season. Strome then played one and a half seasons with the Oilers, recording 36 points in 100 games before being traded to the New York Rangers. Strome has been in Anaheim for three seasons now, recording 41 points in all of them.

Boston Bruins

Viktor Arvidsson, Matej Blumel, Max Wanner

The aforementioned Arivdsson was traded to the Bruins after an unsuccessful first (and only) season with the Oilers. Blumel was one of those prospects that got away, even though it was an intentional move to not retain his rights by the Oilers in 2022. Blumel signed in Dallas shortly after and has since been one of the best offensive players in the AHL, though he has yet to stick around in the NHL. He signed with the Bruins earlier this offseason.

Wanner joined the Bruins at last season’s trade deadline in the Trent Frederic deal. The latter two are likely to play in the AHL, but Blumel has seen some NHL time in recent years and the Bruins may want to see what he can do with an extended NHL shot.

Buffalo Sabres

Michael Kesselring, Ryan McLeod

Kesselring is the peak of “one that got away’” for the Oilers. Included as a throw in for a trade deadline deal to bring in Nick Bjugstad, Kesselring turned into a solid prospect right away and has since been developing into one of the better defenders in the league. Earlier this offseason, Kesselring was traded to the Sabres in the JJ Peterka deal.

McLeod was a fan favourite for Oil Country who was unfortunately dealt in the 2024 offseason to the Sabres for Savoie. He had a breakout year in 2024–25 with 20 goals and 53 points, earning himself a hefty four-year $5M AAV contract this offseason to stay in Buffalo.

Carolina Hurricanes

Skyler Brind’amour, Taylor Hall

Last season, Hall was able to add yet another team to his resume when he was traded to the Hurricanes. This is his seventh team in the NHL, and sixth in nine seasons since leaving Edmonton. Carolina liked what they saw from the winger, as his 18 points in 31 regular season games and six more in 15 playoff games got him a three year contract to stay a Hurricane.

Brind’amour, a former late round draft pick of the Oilers, never played with the organization before signing in Carolina, where his dad Rod coaches.

Chicago Blackhawks

Laurent Brossoit

A former highly touted goalie prospect that hadn’t ever made it past back-up status has now found himself with the Chicago Blackhawks. After signing in Chicago before the 2024–25 season, Brossoit missed the entirety of last season after undergoing knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus. He will be looking to bounce back and stay in the Blackhawks lineup, splitting time with Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom in net.

Colorado Avalanche

Ronnie Attard

Attard was acquired in the middle of last season for Ben Gleason. He spent the remainder of the 2024–25 season with the Bakersfield Condors and was not re-signed by the Oilers and moved to the Avalanche organization earlier this offseason, likely to continue his time in the AHL behind a strong Avalanche defence.

Dallas Stars

Alexander Petrovic

An Oiler for a very brief period of time in the 2018–19 season, Petrovic played nine games as an Oiler before leaving the following offseason as a free agent. Since then, he has mostly been in the AHL with the Calgary Flames, Boston Bruins, and now Dallas Stars’ organizations.

Detroit Red Wings

William Lagesson, Cam Talbot

A couple of former Oilers have found their way to Detroit. William Lagesson, originally an Oilers draft pick in 2014, was with the organization until 2021–22 when he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in the Brett Kulak trade. Lagesson has spent time with the Habs, the Carolina Hurricanes organization, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Anaheim Ducks, and finally the Red Wings, where he also spent the 2024–25 season. With a bit of a logjam on defence in Detroit, Lagesson will probably play in the AHL.

Talbot has bounced around since leaving the Oilers, playing with seven teams in seven seasons since 2018–19. Entering this season with the Red Wings, this is only the second time in that span he has started two consecutive seasons with the same organization. This season, he will look to compete for playing time with John Gibson.

Florida Panthers

Dmitry Kulikov, Jeff Petry

A couple of former Oilers defenders are here on the Panthers’ roster. Kulikov was a short-term Oiler, only a member of the organization for 13 combined regular season and playoff games in the COVID-19-shortened 2020–21 season. After jumping around between a few teams, Kulikov rejoined the Panthers prior to the 2023–24 season, where he remains to this day.

Petry, on the other hand, got his start with Edmonton as a second-round draft pick of the team in 2006. Petry has spent most of his career with the Montreal Canadiens, with short stints in Pittsburgh and Detroit, before signing with the Panthers as a free agent earlier this offseason.

Los Angeles Kings

Cody Ceci, Warren Foegele, Corey Perry

In their attempt to beat the Oilers, the Kings have assembled a squad full of players who know the Oilers best. That being former Oilers. Starting at the top with new former Oilers GM Ken Holland, who immediately brought in Corey Perry and Cody Ceci as free agents, they already had Warren Foegele on the team, who signed there the prior offseason.

Minnesota Wild

Ben Gleason, Tyler Pitlick

A couple former members of the Edmonton Oilers organization have become depth pieces for the Minnesota Wild. Pitlick, originally a second-round pick of the Oilers in 2010, was with the organization through 2016–17. Since then, he has played in nine organizations, the last of which is the Wild after he signed with Minnesota earlier this offseason. Gleason was briefly a Condor, spending one season and a small part of a second with Bakersfield before being sent to Philadelphia in the Ronnie Attard trade. Both are set to be in the AHL for 2025–26.

Nashville Predators

Kevin Gravel, Jordan Oesterle, Reid Schaefer

Kevin Gravel might be a forgotten Oiler by this point, but there was a time in 2018–19 where he was a part of the team’s defensive depth, playing in 36 games that season. After a few seasons jumping around between a few organizations, even a second stop in Bakersfield, Gravel has settled with the Predators organization and continues to play there for this upcoming season.

Oesterle is in a similar boat with his time as an Oiler. A developing defender who looked to be a solid part of the depth, but was not retained and has since jumped around to six different organizations since 2017–18 before landing in Nashville last season, where he is set to play again this season.

Reid Schaefer, the 32nd overall pick of the Oilers in 2022, was shortly after traded to the Predators in the Mattias Ekholm trade. A promising start to the 2024–25 season was cut short due to an injury, limiting him to just 19 games in the AHL.

All three will likely spend most of, if not the entire season, in the AHL.

New Jersey Devils

Connor Brown, Shane Lachance

A fan favourite these past two seasons, Connor Brown had a rough first season in Edmonton before finally establishing himself in the 2024 playoffs. In the 2024–25 season, Brown was one of few Oilers who did not regress, and he kept up his strong play all season. The Oilers were unable to afford to keep Brown moving forward, leaving him to sign with the Devils earlier this offseason.

Lachance was a decent prospect who had been developing well in the NCAA until he was traded to the Devils as part of a cap retention aspect of the Frederic deal at last season’s trade deadline. Shortly after, he made his professional debut with the Utica Comets of the AHL, where he will likely play the upcoming season.

New York Islanders

Ethan Bear

Ethan Bear was one of a few success stories from the Oilers drafts over the past couple of decades, making the team just a couple of seasons after being a fifth round pick in 2015. After four seasons with the Oilers and Condors, Bear was traded to Carolina for Foegele. Since then, Bear has played with the Hurricanes, Vancouver Canucks, and Washington Capitals organizations before signing with the Islanders this past offseason. He will be looking to get back into an NHL lineup, but it may take some time in the AHL before that happens.

New York Rangers

Sam Carrick

With just a brief tenure as an Oiler, Sam Carrick spent the final part of the 2023–24 season in Edmonton after being acquired in the Adam Henrique trade at that season’s deadline. Carrick did not re-sign with the Oilers and chose to go to the Rangers instead, where he remains to this day.

Ottawa Senators

Xavier Bourgault, David Perron

Bourgault was the player selected in the infamous draft day trade that saw the Oilers trade down and miss a chance to draft highly touted goaltender Jesper Wallstedt. He did not progress much in his development with the Condors and was traded to the Senators in exchange for Roby Jarventie in the 2024 offseason.

Perron was an Oiler for just a season and a half, but he was one of the fun players to watch on some dreary teams in 2013–14 and 2014–15, when he was traded to the Penguins. Since then, Perron has had an eventful decade, with two stints in St. Louis and time with Anaheim, Vegas, Detroit, and now Ottawa. We are all anticipating the time when he makes a fourth stint in a Blues uniform before he retires.

Philadelphia Flyers

Lane Pederson

Pederson was brought in to help with the depth in the AHL three offseasons ago, and he accomplished that well. Although his second season was limited to just 18 games, he still had 64 points in 84 games over two seasons with the Condors. Re-entering free agency this offseason, Pederson signed for one year with the Flyers, likely to provide depth for their AHL team as well.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Caleb Jones, Phil Kemp

Jones and Kemp were both prospects growing through the Oilers’ system at around the same time. Both were later round draft picks, Jones a fourth-rounder in 2015 and Kemp a seventh-rounder in 2017. Despite some similarities, they never ended up playing together as Jones was in the NHL by the time Kemp made his North American professional debut with the Condors in the 2020–21 season. Jones was traded to Chicago in the 2021 offseason in the Duncan Keith trade, and has since spent time with the Blackhawks, Avalanche, and Kings organizations before signing in Pittsburgh. While Kemp had been playing with Bakersfield this whole time, making an NHL debut in 2023–24, before being left unsigned this offseason and joining Jones in Pittsburgh.

With question marks around the depth and strategy of the Penguins’ roster, both of these players could find themselves on the NHL roster this season.

San Jose Sharks

Vincent Desharnais, John Klingberg, Jeff Skinner

A small collection of former Oilers have found their way to San Jose. Desharnais was a feel good story of the Oilers’ roster a couple of years ago when he battled his way into the NHL lineup and stayed, becoming a major part of the defensive depth and penalty kill in the 2023–24 season. He signed in Vancouver after that season, but was traded to San Jose that same year after being played out of the lineup.

Skinner and Klingberg were oneseason Oilers. Skinner signed last offseason, had a disappointing campaign, and was let go into free agency. While Klingberg signed midseason after recovering from injury, quickly got re-injured and missed significant time, and returned to have a solid playoff run. Both signed for one year with the Sharks.

Seattle Kraken

Jordan Eberle, Adam Larsson

After being traded from the Oilers to the Islanders in 2017, Eberle spent four seasons with the Islanders, with a very up-and-down level of performance, before being left unprotected in the 2022 expansion draft and being selected by the Seattle Kraken, where he has remained since and is now the team’s captain.

Larsson, the return in the infamous Taylor Hall trade, became a stabilizing force on the Oilers’ blueline for years before, just like Eberle, the Kraken selected him in their expansion draft.

St. Louis Blues

Nick Bjugstad, Philip Broberg, Dylan Holloway, Nathan Walker

The Blues have been a popular destination for former Oilers in recent years. Bjugstad, briefly an Oiler after the 2023 trade deadline, had a successful time with the team as a depth scoring forward but chose to move on in the offseason. While Walker might be someone we forgot was an Oiler. In an extremely tumultuous month for him, Walker was waived by the Capitals, claimed by Edmonton, played two games, and was waived again only to be reclaimed by the Capitals three weeks later.

And of course, there is the offer sheet debacle from last offseason that saw two of the Oilers’ best and brightest young players, Broberg and Holloway, sign with the Blues. Sure enough, both players had incredible seasons with their new teams, the types of which would have been great to see on last year’s Oilers roster. Holloway had 26 goals and 63 points while Broberg had 29 points and averaged over 20 minutes of ice time per game.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Ryan Fanti, Sam O’Reilly

Ryan Fanti, an undrafted college free agent, signed with the Oilers in 2022 and began play with the Fort Wayne Comets in the ECHL. After failing to make much of an impact beyond the ECHL in his two years, the Oilers did not re-sign him and he went to Tampa Bay, where he recently re-upped for another season to play in the AHL.

O’Reilly, the player Edmonton traded into the first round to select last minute at the 2024 NHL draft, had a strong developmental season with the OHL’s London Knights. But, he was recently leveraged in the Isaac Howard trade that brought the scoring winger to Edmonton in exchange for O’Reilly.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Matt Benning, Anthony Stolarz

Matt Benning was an underrated part of the Oilers’ defensive depth as the team’s fortunes started turning in the 2016–17 season, when he made his debut. Benning was left available for free agency in 2020 and signed in Nashville. Since then, he spent a few seasons in San Jose before being traded to Toronto last season, where he spent the remainder of the year with the Toronto Marlies, where he will likely play the 2025–26 season.

If only the Oilers gave Stolarz more of a chance. Acquired in the Cam Talbot trade, Stolarz was only given six games with the Oilers before he was left unsigned and joined the Anaheim Ducks. He was a part of the 2024 Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers, and became the starting goalie on the Toronto Maple Leafs this past season. He was leading the team to playoff success in the 2025 playoffs until Sam Bennett happened. Accidentally, of course.

Utah Mammoth

Cameron Hebig, John Marino, Kailer Yamamoto

Hebig was signed to an entry-level deal as an undrafted player in 2017. After spending two seasons with the Oilers organization, playing in the AHL with a stint in the ECHL, he was left unsigned. He joined the Tuscon Roadrunners in 2020–21 after a brief stint with the Florida Everblades of the ECHL, and has remained with the organization since. Hebig earned another NHL contract, his first since the entry-level deal expired, for the 2024–25 season and recently signed a two-year extension with the Mammoth to continue growing in the AHL.

Marino was a promising prospect who would not have signed in Edmonton, so he was traded before his rights expired to the Penguins in exchange for the draft pick used on Shane Lachance. Marino spent a few seasons in Pittsburgh before being traded to the Devils, and another couple of seasons in New Jersey before being traded to the Mammoth.

Yamamoto was a fun-to-watch spark plug player who was traded to the Detroit Red Wings after the 2023 season as a cap dump, where he was quickly bought out and signed with the Kraken. After going unsigned the next offseason, Yamamoto joined the Mammoth on a PTO for the 2024–25 season, and re-signed for the upcoming year as well. He will likely continue playing in the AHL, but be high up on the call-up list.

Vancouver Canucks

Evander Kane

One of the more controversial figures in recent Oilers history is Evander Kane. After much fanfare was delivered upon his signing back in the 2021–22 season, Kane quickly found a place in the Oilers’ lineup with 35 goals in 58 regular season and playoff games that year. Since then, consistency and injuries were an issue, the latter of which caused him to miss all of the 2024–25 regular season before being traded to Vancouver shortly after the end of the Stanley Cup Final.

Vegas Golden Knights

Raphael Lavoie

Who can forget the waiver wire saga that Raphael Lavoie went through at the beginning of the 2024–25 season? Lavoie did not make the Oilers’ roster out of camp, and was waived. The Vegas Golden Knights claimed him, and put him back on waivers themselves. Edmonton, not wanting to lose one of their better young players, re-claimed him back. But then placed him on waivers immediately after. Sure enough, Vegas claimed him a second time and placed him right back on waivers, where he finally cleared. Lavoie spent most of last season in the AHL, but did play nine NHL games in which he had zero points. Expect Lavoie to continue his time in the AHL.

Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire

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