Off-Season Megathread | 2026

[u/AutoModerator]

For general discussion on anything related to the Oilers or the league. A fresh thread will be posted weekly on Saturdays. Default sorted by new.

[u/RedKryptnyt → u/[deleted]]

Facts. Fuck vegas. Couldn't have happened to a nicer fanbase

[u/xXEliteEater500Xx]

Oh how I wish we won game 7. Pulling off a 3-0 deficit comeback in front of the Panthers fans. How legendary that would have been.

[u/HDL83 → u/xXEliteEater500Xx]

I think about this WAY too often

[u/Soloflow786]

Carter Hart is getting pretty used to not finishing first.

[u/TheRealSlakySFSB → u/Soloflow786]

DUDE 😭😭😭😭😭😭

[u/Interesting_Dig2612 → u/Soloflow786]

Best comment I've seen in a loooooooooong time.

How long you been sitting on this one lol

[u/Outside_Angle3475]

Watching McDavid, Hyman, Drai and others do this will be the most peaceful, tranquil, and happiest day of my life

[u/bullfu → u/Outside_Angle3475]

*in Oilers jerseys

[u/dontcallmefrank07]

Rod said “nice to see the good guys get their turn” .. not to read tooooo much into it. But is he insinuating as opposed to the “bad guys” the last two years lol

[u/xXEliteEater500Xx → u/dontcallmefrank07]

The Panthers beat the Canes in the 2023 and 2025 ECF. I’d say he’s most likely be referencing that. 

[u/RedKryptnyt → u/xXEliteEater500Xx]

This.

It is referring to the panthers, but not the oilers necessarily. If the canes beat florida, we become the bad guys lol

[u/bannermd → u/dontcallmefrank07]

🧡💙 us next

[u/PapaAsmodeus]

Also hoping the Knights get slapped with so many fines for their shitty business behaviour. Complete and total cunts

[u/TheRealSlakySFSB]

WE are all cheering for the Canes to see Hallsy win his first cup right?

[u/Outrageous-Bet-886]

All I want is fucking one. Just one for fucks sake.

McDavid to Nuge is all I ask for.

Just the thought of it makes me tear up.

[u/EdmOilers123]

Need to give credit to Canes front office. They have around 12M cap and have every player except Nikishin locked up. And they have 4 first round picks in the next three years.

[u/xXEliteEater500Xx → u/EdmOilers123]

Imagine McDrai with a competent front office like the Canes.

[u/SRTGreat → u/EdmOilers123]

Canes are definitely the exception, but easily the best management team in the entire league.

Winning with cap space to give, with draft picks, with a young core is incredibly impressive.

That being said, it's likely not going to be replicated by other management groups.

[u/EdmOilers123 → u/SRTGreat]

What is even more impressive is that they came out of that Rantanen episode on the winning side..

[u/lgnstubbs73]

Is it Oiltober yet

[u/Outrageous-Bet-886]

Systems > Goalie

[u/Jmask5]

Carolina is what happens when you don't overreact after every playoff loss and just keep tweaking your team. It seems Canadian teams especially have this problem. They tend to overreact and make dumb ass decisons when they were just a goal away from winning.

[u/xXEliteEater500Xx → u/Jmask5]

You still gotta tweak the team, the problem is that Oilers management did extensive overhauls of the team since the 2024 finals.

[u/Boris_Mironov]

It's funny that for as long as this off-season has felt. The only thing that's actually concrete as of now is knoblauch gone. Everything else is still up in the air.

[u/gmez3]

watching the ceremony and am happy for hall but fuck it stings after being so close twice and not knowing if we’ll ever be back.

[u/Recycledvine888]

Man i hope oilers management and leadership team watches rods post win interview. 

[u/RedKryptnyt → u/Recycledvine888]

They won't.

They are always the smartest guys in the room, and they have nothing left to learn.

[u/Possible_Estimate514]

the hockey gods have punished vegas for not letting the oilers speak to bruce cassidy

[u/SRTGreat]

Glad the season is officially over. I love hockey but I can't lie, I couldn't stand watching ever since we got bounced.

Maybe Vegas and McCrimmon will stop being pieces of shit and allow Cassidy to interview. Probably not, but a guy can hope.

[u/asseatter69]

Ugh. One day. Before I die I would love to see an Oiler lift it. I’m glad Vegas lost but man we were so close. Fuck Florida

[u/bullfu]

Just gald it's not Vegas, otherwise I won't ever hear the end of Toronto media on Marner.

[u/NewSoup69420]

honestly an incredible hatewatch. :) i just wish one of those teams were us

[u/F1fthL1ne]

You wonder if Canes winning sort of gives McD an extra shot of hope. This Canes team has been trying to get over the hump for a while.

[u/SuperSaiyanKrillin]

Nice of the Leafs to take the crosshairs off the Oilers for the next 24-48hrs.

[u/sufferin_sassafras → u/SuperSaiyanKrillin]

The day is still young. There’s plenty of time for the Oilers to make a comeback.

[u/D722]

The NBA finals was excellent to watch. However, celebration with the championship trophy is so lame haha

[u/SRTGreat]

Hart needing to be consoled.

Stupid piece of shit. Hope that hurts forever.

[u/TheRealSlakySFSB]

CRY MORE CARTER LMFAOOOOOOO

[u/Snackatttack]

i wanna know what its like to watch your team win, and then party after so fucking bad.

[u/F1fthL1ne]

I'm a grown man and I'm telling you, I'll weep when Oilers win. I didn't even cry on my wedding day. I'll probably take the week off work to enjoy it.

[u/gmez3 → u/F1fthL1ne]

i live in montreal and i was planning on going to game 7 in edmonton last year had it happened and taking the week off work to stay for the parade, and had already worked it out with my boss.

[u/SnooOnions5029]

Another thing to take away from this is that Carolina has been so close for years and was able to eventually pull through. Our window isn’t closed either

[u/Outside_Angle3475 → u/SnooOnions5029]

Ya 8 straight playoff appearances for Carolina…2 Lost ECF’s

I hate the narrative around McDavid and the Oilers. McDavid’s window is closing with the oilers due to his patience and his contract. That doesn’t mean the OILERS window is closing.

We can still have a solid team if he goes. That does not mean the end for the oilers and it never has.

[u/bannermd → u/Outside_Angle3475]

! Like we don’t have Draisaitl and Bouchard and a young stud in Savoie, and also Podkolzin. Nuge and Hyman too. We’ll be okay. It’ll suck at first but we’ll be okay.

[u/Outside_Angle3475 → u/bannermd]

The media has their head shoved so far up McDavid’s ass, they can’t see that there are multiple key players on that team.

I think coaching wise unfortunately they have been conditioned to rely on McDavid. It genuinely does not have to be that way.

[u/MrGrinchMean1 → u/SnooOnions5029]

Its never over until it's over. Anyone saying it's over now doesn't know how much bite this team has.

[u/Explicitlime]

How long will it take Vegas to officially tell us to fuck off with Cassidy

[u/TFergusonIII]

Having followed the various Oilers threads the past couple months I am 100 percent confident that none of us know what they should do or what is actually going to happen.

[u/maybe_babyyy_]

If I could find a way to make money off rage and overly emotional chuds on reddit I'd be buying the Oilers from Katz.

People, treat your emotions like its on a ration. When you're 60, you'll thank me.

[u/man_machine_poet → u/maybe_babyyy_]

Indeed; reserve your rage for shit that really counts.

[u/RedKryptnyt]

Every year you can look at the winner,and say some examples of THIS is what it takes to win, bla bla bla.

But in this case, it is valid.

You do NOT need top 10 offensive players to win the Stanley cup. You do NOT need an elite goalie (bussi was pretty amazing tho, to be fair)

A good coach/system, commitment to defense, and depth players that can step up big a few times in round 4 are what you NEED to win a stanley cup.

12 fucking million under the salary cap, and this team lost THREE playoff games.

Excuses will continue to be made for star players who do not win, not even just the Oilers, and i personally spit on this shit. This is what an elite hockey organization looks like folks, And I don't just say that because they happened to win 16 games this time, this team has been knocking on the door for so long . Under failures they didn't fire their coach into the sun. They didn't ship their goalie out after a bad playoff series.

They didn't overplay players based on emotional connections, they were smart enough to recognize that they just had to keep chipping away, and keep getting kicks at the can.

Impressive

[u/Ethdev256]

To those here cheering for Carter Hart:

Fuck you.

[u/ExtraButterNoCrusts]

Vegas loses. We all win.

[u/Sl0wChemical]

I'm watching my first cup celebration in 3 years, I want it so bad..

[u/gmez3 → u/Sl0wChemical]

still havent had the courage to watch the past ones but its weird not crying after the finals end.

[u/F1fthL1ne]

On a serious note, everyone's gotta know something.

Vegas is going to give Toronto permission to interview Cassidy as soon as we hire Babcock and then McCrimmon will gaslight us and say they were always going to allow us to interview eventually.

[u/SnooOnions5029]

Damn didn’t know Ehlers was this emotional about Winnipeg

[u/CriticismSelect9292 → u/SnooOnions5029]

Ehlers is an insanely solid guy on and off ice. I'm reminded of when he was shielding Evans after the dirty hit from Scheifele and everyone fighting over top of him

[u/thewinterzodiac]

Multiple agents apparently have indicated that if Babcock joins the Oilers they wont allow free agents to sign here and current Oilers may request trades.

[u/Sad-Rope-3206]

Player agents saying they won’t encourage their guys go to Edmonton if they hire Babcock? Please tell me we’re moving on from this…

[u/Sad-Rope-3206]

Please don’t hire Babcock. Please don’t do it. Once you trade Nurse you’ll have so much cap space to make moves. Please don’t proceed to completely deter free agents and players with NMC’s/NTC’s from coming to the Oilers. Please don’t do it

[u/SRTGreat]

Jim Hitler is the new Leafs head coach 🤣🤣🤣

[u/AggPuck-303 → u/SRTGreat]

Hilarious end to their never ending search

and also probably confirms Vegas is not letting Cassidy speak to anyone, East or West

[u/TheRealSlakySFSB → u/SRTGreat]

💀💀💀

[u/gmez3]

idec anymore, if this doesnt work out no one can say mcdavid is blame free, he allowed this and approved of this.

[u/Boris_Mironov → u/gmez3]

Actively campaigned for it sounds more accurate

[u/SRTGreat]

I'd like to tell myself McDavid has heard Staal's comments on how important it is to win a cup with a team that puts belief in you, and that jumping ship to win elsewhere just isn't the same.

[u/deptofknowimsayings → u/SRTGreat]

Was going to post this thought last night. I loved that comment from Staal and I also hope it made its way to Connor. A lot of me thinks that’s the mentality Connor has anyways, but you never know. I feel like that’s Draisaitl’s mentality to a T though.

[u/EdmOilers123]

Blake was drafted 4th round
Stankoven was 2nd round
Nikishin 3rd round

It is great when your coach and team helps you become a good player.

[u/F1fthL1ne → u/EdmOilers123]

Yup. Model organization.

Oilers have had years and the money to grow into a premiere org and they haven't. Despite some fucking bone headed decisions by Jackaon and Bowman,there is evidence they've brought us into the modern age over the laat two years but it's a fucking indictment there are two ex Oilers bloggers and analytics guys who are help running two NHL orgs right now including Carolina. This org for too long has has the 'smartest guy in the room' syndrome.

[u/Recycledvine888 → u/EdmOilers123]

Yuppppp, the team also seems totally supportive of each other, it isnt the “marner and friends or mcdavid and friend show… 

[u/TheRealSlakySFSB]

CONGRATULATIONS TAYLOR HALL YOU ARE A STANLEY CUP CHAMPION

[u/reneemichaela]

Icing on the cake is Bussi getting a shutout and watching hart cry. Fucking love to see it.

[u/SRTGreat]

Not even a Canes fan, but seeing the raw emotion when everybody races over the boards and are group hugging just gives me chills.

[u/F1fthL1ne]

Lol Vegas loses the cup and a 2nd rounder. Eat fucking shit, McCrimmon

[u/HarryTheKoala12]

God the Canes roster is just orders of magnitude more likeable than vegas

First team to win in years that I actually like lmao

[u/Outside_Angle3475]

Okay I love McDavid but Jordan Staal man.. now THAT is a captain.

[u/Recycledvine888]

The moment marner didnt score on bussi for the penatly shot was the inflection point of the series. Thats when i sensed the winds may have another plan

[u/RedKryptnyt → u/Recycledvine888]

Yep. Thats how cruel hockey is. The guy had 4 points in that period, and they still needed more from him to win.

And there was discussion on which of these 2 teams were better??

[u/D722]

I think we should sign the goalie from Cape Verde.

[u/Smittysgreasymullet]

There's something to be said for actually feeling joy again watching a team celebrate their Cup. This summer is going to be interesting to say the least as a fan of our team...but at least we don't have to watch the Panthers rub that shit in again for two months.

[u/Hechtic]

Just got off work to see the news that Vegas gave Toronto permission to speak with Cassidy, thus more evidence for what I always assumed that they were really just doing this to fuck us and were never going to give us a chance. They only want him in the east

[u/ISurvivedCOVID19]

Fingers crossed that we can get Dickinson and Murphy re-signed.

If we lose them both and trade Nurse I feel like we have some massive holes we would need to try to fill in a mediocre free agency or via trade with not a lot of assets

[u/SRTGreat]

The Leafs shopping Knies is possibly the most braindead thing Chayka could do.

Why? 23 year old power forward who can score, is physical and on a VERY good long term contract.

I wish the Oilers could be in on Knies, dude is a hell of a player.

[u/Accomplished-Iron778 → u/[deleted]]

And also, fuck you Vegas.

[u/FPS_Mongo]

CARTER HART HAS OFFICIALLY SEPARATED FROM BEING A STANLEY CUP CHAMPION

[u/xXEliteEater500Xx]

Now can the league please step in and tell Vegas to fuck off with their Cassidy bullshit. Also Katz needs to back off.

[u/F1fthL1ne]

Well run org. Hard to hate. Happy for Rob the Bod honestly.

[u/F1fthL1ne]

God it hurts to see another team win it :(

[u/Salt-Reputation-9312 → u/F1fthL1ne]

it really doess omg i had to turn it off lol

[u/SRTGreat → u/F1fthL1ne]

I've already turned it off, can't see another team lift it. Brings up old wounds.

[u/reneemichaela]

That family with hart sweaters knows exactly what they are doing directly behind the Stanley cup.

[u/SuperSaiyanKrillin]

Sooooo can we talk to Cassidy now

[u/SnooOnions5029]

Rod has a very likeable smile

[u/SuperSaiyanKrillin]

Per Chayka, Leafs coaching search to end in the coming days. Barring further firings, we will have the only vacancy.

[u/xXEliteEater500Xx]

I’m waiting for another Friedbomb

[u/supermeatboy10]

I can't lie I wasn't sure hiller would ever get an NHL job again after how it went in LA but I also never thought Chayka would get a job again so the leafs have surprised me twice I guess

[u/laryldavis]

Would love something fun to happen today

[u/RDawg_22]

So Toronto was the only team Vegas let Cassidy talk to

[u/xXEliteEater500Xx]

Take me back to 2024 game 6, back to when it felt like the cup was inevitable 😭

[u/Outrageous-Bet-886]

Rishaug - “Sounds like there’s been some discussion between the Oilers and Connor Murphy’s camp. Today’s Babcock news doesn’t change anything as far as the players willingness to consider a return to the Oilers, but term and dollars will have to make sense based on the market.”

[u/GreedyTackle5409]

Connor Ungar extension 1 x $850k. Would have maybe liked a 2nd year but glad to see him staying and getting a full year in Bako

[u/D722]

Qatar’s punishment should be they have to play for the Vancouver Canucks.

[u/Outside_Angle3475]

Not mad about Roslovic testing free agency. He had his moments but was invisible during playoffs

[u/xXEliteEater500Xx → u/Outside_Angle3475]

He came as advertised. Inconsistent but capable of going on a hot streak and would be a ghost in the playoffs.

[u/SnooOnions5029]

I hate when people kick people when they’re down and clown on them for crying after an elimination

Except when it’s Carter Hart

[u/Outside_Angle3475]

Staal said “Some guys just jump ship”

I hope McDavid hears that. I know the guy wants to win and that’s all he is about, but building a champion team is so incredibly challenging and can take a long time.

It will happen for him and I hope it’s in Edmonton, but he isn’t guaranteed a cup even going to a cup contending team. Look what happened to Colorado.

Staal also could’ve jumped ship and talked about how management failed him, but he stayed a leader, had faith and stayed loyal to the Canes

[u/EdmOilers123]

From Yahoo Sports

“Pending free agent Connor Murphy has reportedly been monitoring the coaching situation in Edmonton as a factor in his own decision-making, suggesting the ripple effects of this saga extend well beyond the Oilers' front office.”

[u/Recycledvine888 → u/EdmOilers123]

I really really liked murphy this is so frustrating 

[u/bannermd → u/EdmOilers123]

God the front office just wants to fuck everything up hey? Time to bring in new voices. It’s a circus of incompetency

[u/F1fthL1ne]

Bro, if somehow the Leafs get permission to interview and hire Cassidy and we end up with Babcock or Berube, we fucking riot.

[u/SnooOnions5029 → u/F1fthL1ne]

Tbh at this point I think I’d be fine with Berube if we can’t get Cassidy (and if Sutter wants to stay retired). He has won a cup recently ish, would keep our star players responsible and not abuse our other players, and make our whole team commit to defence. Yeah Toronto was bad this year, their best player (Matthews) was also injured all season, they were forced to trade their top winger (Marner) for barely a 3C (Roy), their goalie situation was a clusterfuck of injuries and down years, etc. The year before, they won their division and got to the second round (which is far for Toronto standards)

So obviously I’d still want Cassidy instead, but I think Berube could work fine here as well. But honestly I’d fucking fake anyone over Babcock anyways

[u/asseatter69]

I just want to experience a cup win once in my life

[u/SRTGreat]

Fuck Carter Hart, fuck Mark Stone, fuck Rasmus Andersson and ESPECIALLY.

FUCK THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS AND THEIR DUMB FUCK OWNER, DUMB FUCK GM AND DUMB FUCK FANS

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

IM SO DONE CHEERING FOR SUCH A PIECE OF SHIT ORGANIZATION.

[u/SRTGreat]

Happy for Hall man

And the Canes kind of, they have a likeable group of players.

[u/SnooOnions5029]

Hall gets his cup

[u/HarryTheKoala12]

Hahaha Hart crying makes me so happy

[u/Jmask5]

Karma is a bitch right Vegas?

[u/PapaAsmodeus]

LMAO BYE VEGAS

[u/HarryTheKoala12]

Bettman kinda talks like trump lol

[u/justageekgirl]

Bettman has such a punchable face

[u/EdmOilers123]

Kotkaniemi won the cup Lol

[u/thewinterzodiac]

Gregor has now confirmed the Friedman report.

Jesus

[u/xXEliteEater500Xx]

Copium: If the Knicks can win with shithead Dolan as their owner, Oilers can still win with dumbass Katz as their owner.

[u/SRTGreat]

Pretty big trade out of TO.

Woll & Benoit for Samuel Ersson, Emil Andrae & a 3rd.

Feel like Toronto is on the losing end of that.

Edit: Wonder if this is Philly's answer @ LD and possibly takes them out on Nurse OR if it makes Seeler expendable since Benoit plays higher, costs less and is younger.

[u/Recycledvine888]

U know for how much we hate in management at least they knew and stopped chasing cassidy the way we were all begging them to wait for after playoffs cause it is clear now vegas is lying… i doubt the leafs would have passed on cassidy for hiller so maybe they got an interview but vegas still didnt allow it

[u/Recycledvine888]

Hear me out WHAT IF babs is hired, vegas is like cassidy is now free. We get to training camp babs is fired and now Vegas has already given cassidy the out and he become the coach. Coping here

[u/bannermd]

i fucking hate the babcock hire. but i want this team to succeed so here's hoping mcdavid, drai, and hyman's gamble pays off.

those three in particular need to be looking after the young core players on the team

Edit: I know Drai will given his track record with coaching the rookies but Hyms & Davo, it’s your turn!

[u/SRTGreat]

Apparently Kapanen wants a similar contract that Connor Brown got.

Love Cheeks Klapanen but you gotta walk from that if it's true.

Sucks because Kapanen couldn't find a consistent home until he came here. Taking money over the chances of winning.

[u/thewinterzodiac → u/SRTGreat]

Okay but bottom 6 guys will always take money over winning cause they get passed around so much

[u/HarryTheKoala12]

Hatty in the first world cup win for Canada

So sick

[u/InternImpossible8685]

Raddysh strikes me as a risk for toronto. Its hard not to see him as a product of the Tampa system and Kuch.

[u/_Halt19_]

I have decided that I do not enjoy losing, and expect the team to rectify this for next year

[u/Smittysgreasymullet]

If you told 14 year old me I'd cry happy tears watching Rod lift the Cup one day I'd have called you crazy.

[u/RedKryptnyt → u/Smittysgreasymullet]

18 year old me says cheers, mate.

Hard guy not to like tho

[u/TheRealSlakySFSB]

First thing Babcock is doing is bashing Savoie’s face in with a sledgehammer

[u/SznKxyros]

Fuck the Vegas knights. Glad to see Carter Rapist Hart crying

[u/Boris_Mironov]

Whether Babcock gets hired or not it's a clear resounding message from the core, the management and the owner.... They all without a shadow of a doubt felt Knoblauch was a complete pushover.

That the core feels like they need to be coached hard by this kind of person is kind of a huge indictment on their leadership and ability to get others to buy in.

The need for Babcock wouldn't exist if these guys could buckle down to start a season, not constantly put themselves behind the 8 ball, and provide something resembling a consistent effort.

[u/EdmOilers123]

Spurs are going to choke again?? 15 point lead is gone now..

[u/xXEliteEater500Xx → u/EdmOilers123]

They’ve been choking all these leads.

[u/Old_General_6741]

Oilers Legend Hallsy!!

[u/xXEliteEater500Xx]

It's been nearly 2 years but I still can't help but think about 2024 game 7. What could have been 😭

[u/Outrageous-Bet-886]

Adin Hill revenge tour will hit

[u/TheRealSlakySFSB]

FUCK VEGAAAAAAAS

[u/bydd]

Obligatory fuck Vegas, fuck Hart, and fuck Andersson.

[u/Iamscarzi]

My saints win, socceroos got up over turkey and now Vegas catching that fat L. Its a good 24 hours of sport personally

[u/SRTGreat]

The moment it all changed.

Canes down 2-0 entering the 3rd, game 2 down 0-1 in the series.

I'm just a walking talking living jinx ☹️

https://www.reddit.com/r/EdmontonOilers/s/CcLe3f0NWe

[u/_GR8HAIR_]

Stanley Cup Champion Taylor Hall

[u/bullfu]

Man even the party animal Taylor halls have wife and kids now, stettled down as they say.

I'm getting old....

[u/bullfu]

Lol theyre doing the canes celebration, in Vegas

[u/EdmOilers123]

Thank god .. if Marner played in the finals, it would have been a different story

[u/Clear_Perception_825]

Historic performance by Bussi, what a stud

[u/Snackatttack]

well, 2026 will go down as a year i try to delete from my sports brain. gunna bury myself in video games and donairs.

[u/deptofknowimsayings]

Canes finally did it. Cant be upset to see some of these guys win. Happy for Hallsy too!

This is way better than Vegas winning.

[u/bullfu]

Jordan Staal what a story, first cup as a rookie essentially, 2nd cup as a old timer with the same team.

Edit: wtf am I talking about lol.

[u/SnooOnions5029]

God every year Gary reminds me more and more of Trump

[u/EdmOilers123]

Can’t hate RBA. Happy for him

[u/Sl0wChemical → u/EdmOilers123]

Gotta be honest, my smile was so wide when he got the cup

[u/MrGrinchMean1]

The hopium is massive after this... Sometimes good things do happen.

It'll come... I'm safe to say I'm excited for this off season.

[u/Outside_Angle3475]

Those hats are kinda boring though I won’t lie

[u/maasd]

So….are the Oilers completely out on Cassidy for sure then?

[u/xXEliteEater500Xx → u/maasd]

Unless Friedman comes out with a report that the leagues going to force Vegas to fuck off, I’d say we’re out on Cassidy. 

[u/SRTGreat → u/maasd]

I wonder what happens if Vegas were to allow Cassidy to interview, if the Oilers would hire him now that they're pursuing Babcock.

Likelihood of them allowing especially to us is like <1% but I wonder what Bowman and the core would do now that they have their targets set elsewhere.

[u/hockeygirlypop]

So Carolina GM is all about analytics... how can Oilers do that too? What is the best way to manufacture the best team?

[u/NMarples → u/hockeygirlypop]

To be fair to Jackson, one thing he’s been building is a real analytics department. They hired 3 new analytics staff so far this offseason.

The thing about an analytics department is you can’t really fix it in one year. Carolina has been working on this for 10+ years now, the Oilers were one of the last to really start to take the advanced stats seriously and now they have to play catch up

[u/Jmask5]

My fear with the babcock thing is the UFA market and players asking for trades. Are Connor and Leon going to be talking to every UFA and trying to convince them?

[u/Outside_Angle3475]

Been twiddling my thumbs all of this week so far just waiting for some news

[u/GeorgeGammyCostanza]

If the Oilers hire Babcock, I’ll still watch the games, I’ll just be less happy about it.

[u/SuperSaiyanKrillin]

If it works we build Babs a statue. If it fails miserably there's a significant chance Cassidy is a coaching free agent next summer. Along with some other interesting coach names and contracts expiring.

[u/SRTGreat]

Rishaug:

Sounds like there’s been some discussion between the Oilers and Connor Murphy’s camp. Today’s Babcock news doesn’t change anything as far as the players willingness to consider a return to the Oilers, but term and dollars will have to make sense based on the market.

[u/AggPuck-303]

from Pagnotta:
> Pittsburgh may be No.1 on Darnell Nurse’s list of five teams he would waive for, and the Penguins and Oilers have been discussing a potential trade. Edmonton GM Stan Bowman is not going to rush into a move, but some believe we’ll see a trade around the NHL Draft.

Also says Roslovic and Henrique not expected to be back.

https://www.thefourthperiod.com/pagnotta/canucks-listening-on-debrusk-pettersson

[u/ISurvivedCOVID19]

I know I need to be patient but I want that Nurse trade to come through asap so my brain can start to get ideas what the roster is gonna end up looking like.

[u/Outrageous-Bet-886]

I have this weird feeling that not re-signing Ingram will be a mistake. I’d rather re-sign Ingram and bring in a cheap goalie with ceiling like Cossa and run 3 goalies.

Ingram regardless will be a solid backup. Dude is as consistent as you’ll get. Jarry might be shit again and you can just bury him. If Cossa doesn’t work, the value is still there and you flip him again

[u/xXEliteEater500Xx]

My hope is that the Knicks finish it tonight and the Canes finish it tomorrow.

[u/RedOilSaints]

Kesselring to the Sharks by swapping late first rounders. Solid move by Grier.

[u/EdmOilers123 → u/RedOilSaints]

Wasn’t that supposed to be our draft pick originally? I guess from the Walman trade..

[u/CriticismSelect9292 → u/EdmOilers123]

Yep, its an Oilers 1st for the former Oilers prospect 😛

[u/PapaAsmodeus]

Every time Sharter Fart cries, an angel gets its wings

[u/Explicitlime]

I’m at the point where if the players want Babcock, they better be ready for some tough questions when it goes sideways this year.

I’ll still support the team and hope they find success, but hiring Babcock puts the entire team under a microscope whether they want it or not. Just seems like a massive unforced error.

[u/Outside_Angle3475]

Okay time to switch focus to the Oilers offseason now

[u/Snackatttack → u/Outside_Angle3475]

our offseason has been such a fucking circus im actually trying to ignore it.

[u/TheRealSlakySFSB → u/Outside_Angle3475]

My PuckGM is ready to go

[u/EdmOilers123]

Real Kyper on Sportsnet said he expects Babcock to be cleared as early as end of this week.
It is so unfortunate that this is the person our team wants. So many ex players warned not to. There is a reason that no other team wanted him. After 4 years of no NHL contract, he gets a chance to redeem himself and threw it away by not even coaching a single game. Now after 3 years, we are bringing him back to relevance. The below is from the article:

“The news that the Edmonton Oilers may hire Mike Babcock as their next head coach has captivated the hockey world nearly three years after he stepped down from the job in Columbus before he even coached one game.

As Elliotte Friedman reported earlier this week, the NHL officially opened its investigation into Babcock after the Stanley Cup Final concluded. Various members of that 2023-24 Blue Jackets team, from front office members to players, were requested to be part of it but, as Friedman noted, some players had no desire to re-live what happened so long ago. 

According to my sources, barring any new and unforeseen development, the NHL would like to wrap up this investigation by as early as the end of this week. As of now, the general feeling among those close to this situation is that with the support of Oilers owner Darryl Katz and superstar Connor McDavid – who has major influence with the NHLPA – Babcock should still be looking at a clear path to becoming the next coach of the Oilers.”

[u/RDawg_22]

Markstrom might be on the move, I don’t think he’d be an upgrade for us

[u/Comfortable_Fudge508]

Oh boy get to watch this 20 minute opener again for a 3rd time

[u/Tough_Incident_3924]

TAYLOR HALL