We’re right in the middle of the summer dead zone, the news is rolling in at a snail’s pace, and Oilers Twitter/X is quiet enough that all we’re getting is nonsense noise and long periods of silence. With that in mind, I thought I’d toss some gas on the fire with five BOLD predictions for the 2026-27 season. And while I will absolutely pretend I never said any of this stuff if things go sideways, you will never hear the end of it if I’m right about any of it. Let’s get into it.

Watching Connor McDavid score 50 goals (64 in 2022-23) once was wonderful. Doing it again? That would be a magical adventure that would really do us a world of good after all the noise we’ve heard over the last six months. Last year, our beloved captain finished only two goals away from reaching the 50-goal mark for the second time in his career, and that came after an incredibly slow goal-scoring start to the season. In case you forgot, McDavid only had three goals through the first 14 games of the year. I just can’t see that happening again. I can’t see him going nearly 20% of the season again with only a field goal on his stat sheet.

This year? McDavid is healthy after being banged up in the playoffs. He’s motivated. The contract extension is in place. The coach he wanted is the coach he got. If that’s not a recipe for some McMagic, I don’t know what is. And after missing out on Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay awards despite claiming his sixth Art Ross Trophy,  I’m calling it here and now: Connor McDavid will come out firing from game one and pot 50+ again for his second Rocket Richard Trophy. There’s nothing more dangerous than a motivated Connor McDavid, and I’m expecting this coming season to be one of No. 97’s best. Book it now, people.

Alright, listen… Things didn’t necessarily go the way a lot of us hoped for Isaac Howard last year. A lot of people, mostly me, had this idea that he was going to come into the NHL and find a way to shoot the lights out, but that was a liiiiiiiittle ways off from what we actually got. I’ll admit, I got lost in the hype, okay? Needless to say, two goals and five points in 29 games left plenty to be desired, but that’s not stopping me from feeling bullish about the Ice Man Landing Take 2. This year, I’ve running it back. After the way things went last season, I’m not sure how many people are locking him in for 20+ goals this year, but that’s what makes this fun.

We haven’t had a one-shot prospect to be excited about in a while, and I’m hoping that last year’s rookie struggles were exactly what he needed to move the chains. Let’s get BOLD! Whether he’s starting as a third-liner, moonlighting in the top-six as needed, or a power-play shooter on the second unit, the former Hobey Baker Award winner has the tools to make some noise. Howard’s shot is lethal, and with a little luck and a dose of confidence, I’m predicting that he’s going to make good on his potential. Twenty goals for a sophomore on a contending team? That’ll play. That’ll play reeeeeeal nice.

I know the popular take around here is to say that Tristan Jarry is washed and that it’s never going to get better with him between the pipes, but that’s what makes my prediction that he bounces back especially bold. Given the way things started for him in Edmonton, I can understand why a lot of Oilers fans think Stan Bowman got fleeced and that this will never work out. I get it, but I don’t agree. You see, your boy is a fan trends and history, and when I look at Jarry’s career numbers, I see a guy who routinely outperforms the .858 save percentage he gave us through 19 regular season appearances. I honestly think he’s going to be better than that this year.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to say that Tristan Jarry is going to work himself into the Vezina conversation or anything like that, but I really do believe we’re going to see the guy get back closer to his historical numbers. The .858 he put up last year was the lowest he’s ever had at this level, and I’d also suggest it’s fair to wonder how much of that was the result of the defensive tire fire that was happening in front of him. As much as I love me my Edmonton Oilers, I don’t think any of us loved the way they played in their own end last season, and I’d bet a pile of Gregor’s money that improving the coverage situation will lead to better results for Jarry. So, what’s the prediction? I say he gets back to his career average of a .907 save percentage and that a lot us will owe him an apology.* Dare to dream?

*I may or may not have said the same thing about Jack Campbell, so….

Listen, I’m not going to pretend scoring four goals and seven points in your first season of an eight-year contract is going to make you many friends, but I’m just not ready to write Trent Frederic off just yet. After reading Menzies’ post this morning about how Frederic felt he lost himself, I’m thinking a big part of last year’s struggles came from the pressure of that deal. I can absolutely see how it would mess guy up when you sign a contract that literally NOBODY but his agent and family probably supported. As much as we like to treat the Oilers like robots sometimes, there’s a human side of the Frederic equation that keeps me hopeful that last year was nothing more than a miserable entree in this eight course meal we have in the guy.

The other angle is that some of the contracts signed this summer with the rising salary cap were bananas. As much as I loved our boy Vinny Desharnais, seeing him sign for $4.2 million in Washington makes it realistic to think that Freddy’s deal is still salvageable. I know we’re talking about two different players in two different positions, but my point is that $3.85 million isn’t nearly as much money as it was a year or two ago, and that percentage of cap is going to plummet even further once the salary cap keeps shooting the moon. Back to Trent Frederic, I think a realistic marker for him would be to land in the 10-12 goals mark now that he’s fully healthy and should feel much more comfortable in his surroundings. We’ve seen him score more than this before, and I’m predicting that he will get closer to where he was at in his peak in Boston more so than whatever it was that we got from him in 2025-26. I believe, Trent. Don’t make me look dumb now.

Are all of my bold predictions going to hit? Maybe not. But that’s the fun of throwing out takes like this, you know? The Oilers are heading into the 2026-27 season with plenty of talent, some guys primed for a bounce back, a core that knows exactly how close they came to winning it all, and a fan base that’s geared up to make this city explode when it’s finally time for the parade. The hunger is real. The stakes are high. The pressure is significant. And the window is still wide open regardless of what any of the dummies out east are saying.

If even a couple of my predictions come true then this team is going to be a nightmare to deal with, and I’m very excited to get into September and start the journey all over again. There’s no more “next year.” It’s this year. It has to be. After getting bumped in the first round after back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Final, it’s time for this team to take the next step and finally bring Lord Stanley back to the City of Champions. Dare to dream? I’m dreaming. See you at the parade.

The Nation Golf Tournament driven by GMC is back Friday, August 28, 2026! Which means it’s once again socially acceptable to skip work on a Friday for “networking.” Join us on Friday, August 28, 2026, at Mill Woods Golf Course for an 18-hole Texas scramble shotgun start, questionable swing decisions, and enough chirping to last the entire offseason. Grab your squad and sign up now at nationexperiences.ca before it sells out!