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Assessing the Oilers’ 2025 off-season midway through the season
Edmonton Oilers Trent Frederic
Photo credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Jan 8, 2026, 18:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 8, 2026, 17:36 EST
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Last summer was an interesting one for the Edmonton Oilers.
Everyone remembers the beginning of the 2024 off-season, when the Oilers were able to re-sign Adam Henrique, Mattias Janmark, Corey Perry, and Connor Brown, while also adding Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson. It was praised in the moment, but it became detrimental to long-term success as both Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway departed after being given offer sheets. Skinner, Arvidsson, Janmark, and Henrique didn’t play to their expected standards either.
There was some good that offseason, namely getting Leon Draisaitl locked up to an eight-year deal. The Oilers went on to make the Stanley Cup Finals for a second consecutive season, but once again lost to the Florida Panthers.
There was some optimism heading into the 2025 offseason, even if the sting of losing in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals remained. It was Stan Bowman’s first full summer as the team’s general manager, and it was a solid one, on paper, with some questionable moves.
Once again, there was a lot of turnover heading into the new season. Some of the good moves include trading Viktor Arvidsson and Evander Kane for picks without needing to retain. They also traded Sam O’Reilly for Isaac Howard, while signing Curtis Lazar. You can’t forget about Jack Roslovic, their best signing, though that came early into the season.
There were a few key re-signings, with Connor McDavid’s two-year deal worth $12.5 million annually being the most notable. The Oilers were also able to lock up Evan Bouchard, Kasperi Kapanen, Jake Walman, and Mattias Ekholm.
With all that being said, it’s hard to say it was a bad offseason, but there were certainly some bad aspects to it. Chief among them is signing Trent Frederic to an eight-year deal, as the forward is coming off a high ankle sprain. Hopefully, his poor 2025-26 season is still because of that injury. Andrew Mangiapane looked to be a quality signing, but he just hasn’t worked out as an Oiler. It also looks like he’ll be traded in the near future.
The Oilers also didn’t address their goaltending issues in the off-season, deciding to run it back with Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. In December, it forced them to move Skinner, Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second round pick for Tristan Jarry. This is something that should’ve been addressed in the season, especially since Jarry was available on waivers last season.
Frederic’s signing is pretty brutal for the long-term, not because of the cap hit, but because it takes up a roster spot for deserving players. Which brings us to another positive from Bowman’s 2025 off-season: the Oilers adding potential young contributors toward the end of the 2024-25 season
Howard, who was already mentioned, is one, and so is Matthew Savoie, whom they acquired in the 2024 off-season. Their other young player who should be getting action (ideally alongside Leon Draisaitl), is Quinn Hutson.
The older brother of reigning Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson, Quinn was signed in April of last season after finishing his junior year at Boston College. He played in the Oilers’ final two games of the season and was rather unnoticeable. Well, he’s popped off in the American Hockey League this season, scoring 22 goals and 36 points in 28 games, with a goal in four NHL games.
He leads the leagues in goals and is near the top for points-per-game of players who’ve played 20 or more games. In fact, Hutson’s 36 points sits third in the league, and he’s played two fewer games than the leader and five fewer games than the player directly ahead of him.
Of any player in the league, Howard’s 1.44 point-per-game pace in the AHL ranks as the second best, and the best of any player with double-digit games played. This is a noticeable trend, as it shows the Bakersfield Condors are scoring this season.
Their 120 goals are the second most in the league, only four behind the 29-1-2 Grand Rapids Griffins. Other off-season additions have contributed as well. Josh Samanski is not only going to play in the Olympics for Team Germany, but he also looks like a legitimate third-line centre option for the future as he’s scored six goals and 26 points in 33 games this season.
Another player the Oilers brought in from overseas, Viljami Marjala, has seven goals and 28 points in 33 games. Defenceman Atro Leppänen had a strong pre-season after spending the first six seasons of his professional career in Finland. Through 28 games this season, the left-shot defenceman has three goals and 28 points, which isn’t too surprising as he led SM-Liiga scoring with 21 goals and 63 points in 60 games last season.
Roby Järventie was acquired during the 2024 off-season, but it looked as if his tenure in North America came to an end last offseason, until the Oilers suddenly re-signed him. That turned out to be a good idea, as the Finn has 11 goals and 23 points in 29 games this season.
The Oilers’ AHL team is legitimately good for the first time in a while, and a lot of these prospects signed in the offseason will get their chance in the NHL at some point in the next season or two. Bowman just has to find a way to make the space for them.
As tough as the Mangiapane and Frederic signings were, there are certainly positives to take away from Bowman’s first full off-season.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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