Colton Dach has quickly become an Edmonton Oilers fan favourite.

I think the St. Albert forward will surprise people this year and become an everyday player. The 23-year-old arrived in Edmonton as part of the trade that brought Jason Dickinson and Connor Murphy from Chicago, and only suited up for eight regular-season games and five in the playoffs. But Oilers fans know what they like, and people were singing his praises immediately for the hard work he put in. Many of the most popular players over the years weren’t high-point producers. Think about Connor Brown, Matt Hendricks, Jason Smith, Craig MacTavish, and other unheralded Oilers.

Dach is a sizeable forward at six foot four, 218 pounds. He hits everything that moves and will initiate scrums. Other than Evander Kane and Corey Perry, very few Oilers have done this consistently. The hometown kid spent most of last year with the Blackhawks and led them with 189 hits, 14th in the league. His season total of 219 hits meant he averaged 18.8 hits per 60 minutes. The WHL alumnus will also drop the mitts and had 52 penalty minutes with his two clubs in 2025-26. Sean Panganiban wrote about him teaming up with Trent Frederic and being labelled the “Bash Bros.”

He skates very well for someone his size. Dach’s maximum skating speed is in the 68th percentile in the league, according to NHL Edge data. This shows the young forward fits perfectly into Edmonton’s style of game. In addition, if you look at his AHL record and WHL background, there’s skill there. In 81 AHL games with the Rockford IceHogs, he scored a respectable 23 goals and had 30 assists. So far in the NHL, Dach has only played the equivalent of one season, and I think he has more to show than his 20 points in 86 games with the Blackhawks and Oilers.

In his brief cup of coffee with the Oilers, I’ve seen a player who brings it every shift. So far, Dach has mostly played wing on the fourth line with Edmonton. However, I could see him fitting on several lines. Not only can he play physically and has the potential to put up points, but he’s also defensively responsible. He could end up making that trade look like a steal. His interviews reveal a young man excited to play for his hometown team. He appears to be a humble player, ready to put on his work boots.

The Oilers need more speed and have to be harder to play against. I bet that Colton Dach will emerge as an important player for Edmonton this year.