In all situations in 2025-26, the Oilers scored the sixth-most goals thanks to middle-of-the-pack five-on-five scoring and the top-rated power play. However, they leaked goals all season, allowing the sixth-most five-on-five goals and having a penalty kill that ranked in the middle of the league.

Their penalty kill was the biggest reason for their first-round exit at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks, and is one of a handful of concerns this off-season.

In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best players available for each of their needs.

Goaltender

The Oilers need a goaltender, and it’s been a need for over a decade now. Their crease in 2025-26 was a carousel of netminders, with Stuart Skinner, Tristan Jarry, Connor Ingram, and Calvin Pickard all playing 15 or more games. Unfortunately, the team’s .890 save percentage at five-on-five was tied for the league’s worst alongside the Vegas Golden Knights.

It’s been a huge area of need since Cam Talbot’s terrific 2016-17 season a decade ago. Jarry was never the answer, and acquiring a new option will force the Oilers to move his contract. That said, who are the options?

If the Oilers decide to go through free agency, two-time Stanley Cup winner Sergei Bobrovsky is set to become a free agent in less than two months. This season, the veteran finished with an .877 save percentage and 3.07 goals against average, well down from his .906 save percentage and 2.44 goals against average last season. That said, the Oilers have firsthand experience of his capabilities in the postseason.

Any improvement between the pipes will likely come through trades. One player the Oilers have been linked to is former Edmonton Oil King Sebastian Cossa. He was the first netminder selected in the 2021 draft, with the Detroit Red Wings selecting him 15th overall. Cossa has just one NHL game to his name, but had a .915 save percentage and 2.33 goals against average in 39 American Hockey League games. He served as the Grand Rapids Griffins’ backup netminder in their ongoing playoff run.

The second goalie selected in the 2021 draft was Jesper Wallstedt. You know the story by now, but his emergence for the Minnesota Wild has forced Filip Gustavsson to the bench for their ongoing playoff run, making some ponder if he could become available this summer. The 27-year-old had a .904 save percentage and 2.67 goals against average in 50 games, down from his .914 save percentage in 58 games last season. He’s a more experienced netminder than Cossa, but he’s about to earn $6.8 million annually starting in July.

Right-shot defenceman

The Oilers have five defencemen who played in the playoffs locked up next season. Connor Murphy is the lone defenceman who is an unrestricted free agent, and it seems as if the Oilers have interest in bringing him back. He and Nurse were on for seven goals for and just three against during five-on-five action in the playoffs. Murphy also made up one quarter of the best penalty unit pre-deadline. A reunion should be of interest for both parties.

If the Oilers don’t re-sign Murphy, there’ll be a handful of other right-shot defencemen that could slot in on the second pairing. Connor McDavid’s former junior teammate, Darren Raddysh, broke out with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2025-26, scoring 22 goals and 70 points in 73 games. He’s not too shabby defensively either.

Former Calgary Flame Rasmus Andersson is also set to be an unrestricted free agent. He scored a career-high 17 goals this past season, adding an additional 30 assists. Acquired in January, Andersson has had a quiet postseason, picking up an assist in his nine games with the Vegas Golden Knights.

On the other bench in that series is Anaheim Ducks’ defenceman John Carlson. He’s been one of the more underrated defencemen of the 2010s, and despite turning 36 years old in January, the right-shot defenceman finished 2025-26 with 14 goals and 60 points. He also has six assists in nine games.

Bottom-six penalty killers

The Oilers’ penalty kill was exposed in their first-round matchup with the Ducks, allowing eight goals on 16 tries. That was following a historic penalty kill during the 2024 playoff run and a horrendous penalty kill in 2025.

Before the trade deadline, the Oilers focused on the penalty kill, acquiring both Murphy and Jason Dickinson from the Chicago Blackhawks. Both players were on the best penalty-killing unit in the league before the deadline.

Post-trade, Dickinson scored and had three assists in 17 games, but was injured late in the season. He dressed for four post-season games, scoring twice in a Game 1 victory. Dickinson is set to become an unrestricted free agent, and the Oilers should consider bringing back the two-way, third-line centre.

The other Oiler forward they should consider bringing back is Kasperi Kapanen. Playing just 41 games in 2025-26, Kapanen scored eight goals and 17 points. Thankfully, he played all six playoff games and scored a team-high four goals with two additional assists. Kapanen doesn’t quite fit into the “penalty killers” aspect, playing just 40 minutes on the PK, but I’d be remiss not to mention him somewhere in the article.

If the Oilers can’t re-sign Kapanen, Ilya Mikheyev would be a good replacement. The 31-year-old was a part of the penalty kill unit alongside Dickinson and Murphy and scored 18 goals and a career-high 36 points in 77 games. He’s reached the 20-goal marker twice, and the 30-point marker four times, despite playing 55 or more games just three times. Like Dickinson, Mikheyev is an unrestricted free agent.

It’s been a long time since the Oilers had a right-shot centre for their third line, but Charlie Coyle may be that option. Over 82 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets, the 34-year-old scored 20 goals and 58 points, the third time he’s reached the 20-goal mark and his second-highest point total of his career. Coyle also penalty kills, won more faceoffs than he lost in 2025-26, and has over 100 games of NHL experience. He should be the Oilers’ top target, even if he’s in his mid-30s.

Top-six forward

A big concern for the Oilers this season was the decline of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman missing time due to injury. Hyman will be 34 this season, Nugent-Hopkins just turned 33. Now, they’re still effective players, but the Oilers were a worse team when those two flanked McDavid, a far cry from the previous two seasons.

Finding a younger top six forward isn’t as big of a need as the other three things mentioned in this article, but it’s something that will need to be addressed sooner rather than later. Matthew Savoie’s second half and Vasily Podkolzin’s strong play was encouraging, and who could forget Ike Howard waiting in the wings. Still, there may be a few top six options available this off-season.

The Oilers are projected to have a little under $16.5 million in cap space, and that’s without shedding Darnell Nurse and/or Tristan Jarry’s salary. Some of that money will have to go towards the bottom-six, there are quite a few soon-to-be unrestricted free agents. However, could the Oilers spend big on a player like Alex Tuch?

This season, the Buffalo Sabres’ forward scored 33 goals and 66 points, the third time he’s reached 30-plus goals and 65+ points. The right winger is also having a solid playoff with the Sabres, scoring four goals and seven points in eight games. He’ll be 31 years old in May, but the Oilers would need to give him over $10 million a season.

Other less likely options for a top-six forward are Jason Robertson, Jordan Kyrou, and Robert Thomas. If the Oilers wish to acquire one of these players, they’d have to trade for them. Robertson will be a restricted free agent in July, and scored 45 goals and 96 points in 82 games. He added five goals and eight points in the Dallas Stars’ six playoff games. An offer sheet is off the table because the Oilers don’t have their 2027 first-round pick.

Kyrou, 28, saw his goal scoring drop off a cliff last season, going from 36 goals and 70 points in 2024-25 to just 18 goals and 46 points in 2025-26. Kyrou just finished his third season on his eight-year deal and earns $8.125 million.

Thomas, Kyrou’s teammate, led the St. Louis Blues with 25 goals and 64 points in 64 games. He’s a centre, unlike Robertson, Kyrou, and Tuch. Thomas has a contract identical to Kyrou’s, earning $8.125 million over the next five seasons. That said, the 26-year-old would cost exponentially more in terms of assets.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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