There will be all kinds of misery in Edmonton Oilers hockey circles if the team fails to make the 2026 playoffs, but the stakes were raised with the Andrew Mangiapane/Jason Dickinson trade.
Before this most recent trade, if the Oilers had failed to make the playoffs GM Stan Bowman could have decided to hold on to the team’s 2026 first round draft pick. This same first round pick was traded last spring to San Jose for Jake Walman, but Bowman had protected the Oilers in case they failed to make the 2026 playoffs. If Edmonton’s draft position landed in the Top 12 picks of the 2026 draft, they would be able to use that high pick and instead send their 2027 first round draft pick to San Jose.
Now that security blanket is gone because Edmonton no longer has its 2027 first round pick, having traded it to Chicago along with Mangiapane for Dickinson and depth winger Colton Dach.
The Oilers had to move this top 2027 pick in the deal because Mangiapane has played poorly this year, and Chicago needed a major incentive to part with a strong checking centre like Dickinson and also take on Mangiapane’s $3.6 million salary next season.
If Edmonton now fails to make the playoffs and is one of the 16 teams in the lottery, it would move up ten places in the draft if it were to win the lottery. That high pick would now go to San Jose. And the angst, despair and outcry in Edmonton would be deafening.
Edmonton’s playoff chances
As it now stands, Edmonton is third in the Pacific Division with 68 points in 62 games, and a .548 points percentage.
But right behind the Oilers in the Pacific are Seattle, 67 points in 61 games, and a .549 points percentage and San Jose, 64 points in 59 games, with a .542 points percentage.
If one of those teams catches the Oilers, Edmonton would then be in a wild card race that includes San Jose, Seattle and also Utah, 68 points in 61 games, and a .557 points percentage.
To make things even more dicey, Edmonton’s next four games are against powerhouse teams Carolina, Vegas, Colorado and Dallas.
Down the road in their final 20 games, the Oilers also face San Jose, Florida, Tampa, Vegas again, Anaheim, Seattle, Vegas one more time, Utah, San Jose again, and Colorado again. In other words, the schedule is packed with tough games against divisional rivals and strong outside teams.
Of course, there’s a good chance that a strong team like the Oilers will get it together now and make the playoffs. Their chances only improved with Mangiapane leaving and two strong Chicago defenders, checking centre Dickinson and shut-down d-man Connor Murphy coming in.
Edmonton needed to convince its own players to play better defence, but that’s been slow in coming out, so it’s done the next best thing in bringing in a couple staunch defenders who can help both at even strength and on the penalty kill. Chicago has had one of the best PK units in the league this year, with Dickinson and Murphy playing key roles.
Roster march 5
At the Cult of Hockey
‘It may surprise you’: Hockey world reacts to Mangiapane and a 1st rounder for Chicago forwards
Trade talk gets loud for first time around Darnell Nurse
Â