Though the Edmonton Oilers lost 1-0 on Saturday to the Los Angeles Kings, the Philadelphia Flyers’ victory over the Winnipeg Jets means that the Oilers have officially clinched a spot in the 2026 NHL playoffs.

There are just two games remaining in the regular-season, and less than a week until the post-season begins. Without further ado, here are the four biggest question marks for the Oilers as the playoffs approach.

*All stats via Natural Stat Trick unless stated otherwise

How will Edmonton’s depth forwards fare?

Edmonton’s bottom six has been a persistent concern throughout 2025-26. In fact, there was a point this season in January that the team’s goal differential at 5-on-5 without Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl was below 30 percent; for context, that’s a full 10 percent lower than Edmonton’s worst season under Peter Chiarelli (!!).

Now, for it’s worth, they have seen some improvement since the Olympic break, as they sit at a 45 percent goal share without their two stars in that span. To their credit, much of it has been in Leon Draisaitl’s absence, and depth forwards like Max Jones and Josh Samanski have played some solid hockey. In theory, the return of Draisaitl should push players down the lineup and hopefully bring that number closer to 50 percent.

Nevertheless, the larger sample from the first half of the season cannot be ignored, and the quality of the team’s depth can be the difference between a Stanley Cup and a playoff exit.

Ultimately, I believe these playoffs will be a huge test for Kris Knoblauch. The fact of the matter is that numerous supporting forwards have seen a decline in performance under him, such as Jeff Skinner, Viktor Arvidsson, Trent Frederic and Andrew Mangiapane. More broadly, the Oilers’ depth scoring and overall offence has seen a significant dip since his arrival in the regular-season.

Obviously, one cannot simply overlook the fact that the Oilers have reached consecutive cup finals with Knoblauch behind the bench, but playoff performance remains the primary justification for his tenure, and both a mediocre regular-season and an early playoff exit would likely put him on the hot seat, especially with a coach like Bruce Cassidy available.

How will the Darnell Nurse and Connor Murphy pairing fare?

There’s a compelling argument to be made that if the Oilers’ second-pair had simply broken net-even in goal differential over the past two playoffs, Connor McDavid would have two Stanley Cup rings. Unfortunately, the second-pairing’s results were not only not net-even, but far below it.

Here is a closer look into Edmonton’s defensive pair results over the past two playoffs:

Edmonton’s top-pair has been beyond remarkable, with both their actual and expected goal share ranking above 60 percent. Truly impressive in such a difficult playoff environment. In contrast, the Nurse pairing has managed to have both their actual and expected goal share hover around 40 percent. It has been perhaps their most glaring weakness in the past two playoffs, arguably even more dd than the goaltending.

Now since the deadline, the Oilers have primarily paired trade deadline acquisition Connor Murphy with Nurse. Can this pairing fare well in the playoffs? I have mixed thoughts.

On the bright side, Nurse and Murphy have excelled at suppressing goals. They have only allowed a mere 1.4 goals against per hour, which is fantastic. However, their high-danger chances allowed per hour rate is rather unimpressive, and so it raises doubts whether that GA rate will truly sustain. Furthermore, they have been rather a black hole offensively, only being on-ice for 1.6 goals per hour and losing the possession battle (46 CF%). Of course, I’m not saying here that I expect a whole ton of offence from this defensive pair, but it’s one thing to be defensively-oriented, and another to be so ineffective at moving the puck up the ice that your pairing spends most of your minutes in your own end.

Perhaps it is quite possible that the Nurse pairing will allow fewer goals than in previous years. But, whether they can approach a net-even goal differential remains uncertain.

Personally, I believe a pairing of Jake Walman and Connor Murphy would be a more natural stylistic fit, as Murphy would benefit from playing with a stronger, better puck-mover. Particularly given the historic playoffs struggles of Nurse’s pair, I would only give Nurse and Murphy a short leash; if they struggle early, the coaching staff should be prepared to make a quick adjustment and elevate Walman into the second-pair role.

Can Connor Ingram be a playoff starter?

I wrote an article back in September where I stated that there could be a decent chance Connor Ingram could be starting playoff games for the Oilers. It looks like I was right.

Kris Knoblauch clearly stated a couple of weeks back that Ingram would be the starter moving forward over Tristan Jarry, and that statement has remained true so far, with Ingram starting and winning most of his games ever since.

Overall, Ingram sits at a +1.7 GSAx this season. Nothing spectacular, but it’s certainly a fresh breath of air compared to the other goalies that have suited up for Edmonton this year, particularly the highly inconsistent Jarry who sits at -5.3.

At the end of the day, if McDavid and Draisaitl can do their thing, the Oilers may only need league-average net-minding to win a Stanley Cup. Can Ingram provide that for Edmonton? Perhaps the chances aren’t amazing, but I could certainly see it.

Feb 4, 2026; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (29) skates with the puck during the warmup period against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

Where will Leon Draisaitl play when he returns?

It goes without saying that if the Oilers want the Stanley Cup, they will need both their superstars to be at their best.

Now, on the one hand, we have seen some pretty impressive play in the post-season from Draisaitl, even when he was injured, particularly during the 2022 post-season, where he played with a high ankle sprain. However, the Oilers certainly felt the effects of a non-healthy Draisaitl in the 2024 cup finals, where he didn’t score a single goal.

His health will heavily influence where he slots into the lineup. Historically, when either McDavid or Draisaitl has been less than fully healthy, the coaching staff has often chosen to play them together on the top line. There is some justification for this approach as Draisaitl’s results as a centre tend to considerably decline when he is not at full health.

Given that the Oilers have, generally, played some strong hockey in Draisaitl’s absence, maybe there is a chance that this option could bring about success. However, this is heavily dependent on the potential success of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins at 2C, and the fact is, his numbers at 2C are quite mediocre, with a 46 percent goal share and 42 percent expected goal share without McDavid and Draisaitl on ice. It would, as it has in the past, make Edmonton too top-heavy.

Ultimately, I believe Edmonton’s best path to a Stanley Cup almost certainly involves McDavid and Draisaitl centring their own lines at five-on-five. The key question will be if Draisaitl will be healthy enough to drive an elite second line as he typically does.

Find me on Twitter (@NHL_Sid)

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Edmonton hockey fans — think you and your crew know playoff hockey? Prove it at the Nation Playoff Draft Party on Friday, April 17th at the River Cree Resort & Casino. Build your playoff roster, compete against other teams throughout the postseason, and battle for $2,500 cash and Nation bragging rights. Team entry is $1,000 for groups of 8, which includes dinner and your first bevy. The night will be hosted by Ryder & Lisa from The Sauce and Tyler & Liam from ON Everyday, so expect plenty of energy, competition, and chirps. Spots are limited — sign your team up now at nationgear.ca. All proceeds from the event support KidSport Edmonton, helping ensure local kids can stay in the game.

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