Oilers Expected to Focus on Offseason Trades After Early Playoff Exit

The Edmonton Oilers are expected to enter a critical offseason focused more on trades than contract negotiations following another disappointing playoff exit.

Speaking on the Jason Gregor Show, host Jason Gregor explained why Edmonton’s front office could prioritize reshaping the roster through the trade market instead of dealing with expensive free-agent extensions.

“Edmonton doesn’t have any worries about big-ticket deals,” Gregor said. “… It’s more so about term. But I think the summer of Edmonton is all gonna be about trades.”

The Oilers finished the 2025-26 regular season with a 41-30-11 record and 93 points, good enough for second place in the Pacific Division. However, expectations around the team were far higher after consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances in the 2024 and 2025 playoffs.

$<a class="link " href="https://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/teams/anaheim/" data-i13n="sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link" data-ylk="slk:Anaheim Ducks;sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link;itc:0" data-yga="{"yLinkElement":"context_link","yModuleName":"content-canvas","yLinkText":"Anaheim Ducks","ySubModuleName":"anchor_text","yHasCommerce":false}">Anaheim Ducks</a> center <a class="link " href="https://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/players/4969/" data-i13n="sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link" data-ylk="slk:Mikael Granlund;sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link;itc:0" data-yga="{"yLinkElement":"context_link","yModuleName":"content-canvas","yLinkText":"Mikael Granlund","ySubModuleName":"anchor_text","yHasCommerce":false}">Mikael Granlund</a> (64) fights for the puck against Edmonton Oilers defenseman <a class="link " href="https://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/players/7908/" data-i13n="sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link" data-ylk="slk:Evan Bouchard;sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link;itc:0" data-yga="{"yLinkElement":"context_link","yModuleName":"content-canvas","yLinkText":"Evan Bouchard","ySubModuleName":"anchor_text","yHasCommerce":false}">Evan Bouchard</a> (2) during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images$

Instead, Edmonton suffered a first-round playoff loss to the Anaheim Ducks in six games, exposing familiar concerns around defensive consistency and goaltending depth.

Gregor noted that pending unrestricted free agents such as Jason Dickinson, Connor Murphy, and Kasperi Kapanen will require new contracts, but none are expected to command massive raises. Veterans like Jack Roslovic, Adam Henrique, Max Jones, and Curtis Lazar also remain uncertain for next season.

“They don’t really have anybody who’s in a big raise situation,” Gregor said.

That flexibility could allow general manager Stan Bowman to aggressively explore trade options to improve the roster around stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Edmonton’s offense remained among the NHL’s best this season, finishing sixth in goals scored with 282. McDavid (138 points in regular season) averaged 1.68 points per game, while Draisaitl (97 points) continued producing at an elite level with a 1.49 points-per-game pace.

The bigger issue came defensively. The Oilers allowed 265 goals, ranking 25th in the NHL, while inconsistent goaltending hurt the team throughout the year.

The organization already made one major change after firing head coach Kris Knoblauch on May 14. Now, with pressure mounting during McDavid’s championship window, Edmonton appears ready to make significant roster moves before the 2026-27 NHL season begins.

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on May 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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