The Edmonton Oilers as a club have had a disappointing start to the 2025-26 NHL season. As of right now 24 games in, they sit just outside of a Western Conference Wildcard spot with 25 points and a 10-9-5 record.
Although the Oilers saw plenty of turnover this past summer -- something that is known to cause volatility -- they have not met expectations, especially as a team that has been to two straight Stanley Cup Finals.
Trent Frederic
Oilers general manager Stan Bowman spared no cost when he acquired the powerforward, Trent Frederic from the Boston Bruins at the 2025 NHL trade deadline. The club traded a couple picks and prospects to acquire Frederic in a three-team deal including the New Jersey Devils. He played one game with the Oilers before rejoining them in the postseason where he played 22 games scoring one goal and three assists for four points.
Bowman quickly re-signed the forward to an eight-year contract extension worth $3.85 million per season in the offseason. This set the expectations high for the complimentary winger and so far, he has not met them. Through 24 games, he has scored two goals and zero assists, even after getting a trial run on the top line beside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to start the season. He will need to greatly up his production in the final 60ish games in order to get back on track and win over Oilers fans.
Darnell Nurse
One of the longest tenured Oilers and longest tenured defenceman, Darnell Nurse is a staple on the blueline. He takes a lot of undeserved flack for his on-ice play but his usage is not his fault. This is largely brought about because of his expensive contract, as he is in year four of an eight-year deal, paying him $9.25 million annual average value.
Although you can argue that a lot of what Nurse does flies under the radar with his high end skating and big body, rugged style, this year he is actually not playing well. This is his worst season since his contract began by production, corsi percentage, expected goals percentage (according to evolving-hockey.com). Even in terms of his hits, he is due for his lowest totals in nearly a decade. He will need to be a big player to turn it around down the stretch as he plays an important role on the backend.
Andrew Mangiapane
Coming into the season, Andrew Mangiapane seemed poised to be a big steal. He signed a relatively cheap, two-year deal carrying a $3.6 million AAV and looked to be a bounce back candidate. The hope was that he could come in and provide secondary scoring while driving positive play and some solid two-way abilities in the middle-six. Or, as he has shown throughout his NHL career, play a passenger role beside the Oilers superstar forwards.
24 games in, he has not exactly hit those heights, scoring four goals and four assists for eight points, putting him on pace for his worst season yet in terms of point production. That is not to say he has been ineffective in his roles, as he has played up and down the lineup. As a two-way depth piece? He has definitely been a useful addition to the club but it is hard to say he has provided surplus value.
If the Oilers are to find a way to improve their play and take another shot at the Stanley Cup, they will have to be able to run four forward lines and three defensive pairings. As of right now, with the number of players underperforming, that is not possible. Hopefully down the stretch, the club can find their way again.