Just over two weeks into the 2026 NHL free agency period and the Edmonton Oilers are facing a slight dilemma. The team seems to have an excess of players on their NHL roster.
Looking at their puckpedia page, the Oilers have more players at each position than are necessary to ice a 20 man roster on a nightly basis. Although you do want depth, the way the team is currently configured, could force some trades to be made.
Do not get me wrong, this is a good problem to have but the team may have to make some changes either now or early in the season. Looking at the roster, who could be the odd men out?
Spencer Stastney
The first player who seems likely to be on his way out is 26 year old defenceman Spencer Stastney, who was acquired last December from the Nashville Predators for a 2027 third round selection to replace Brett Kulak who was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Stastney joined the club with some potential to grow into a similar role as Kulak and although through 36 games played in an Oilers uniform, he did not look the part, his underlying numbers shows some potential. However, through some recent moves, he seems to have been surpassed on the depth chart.
The Oilers acquired Shakir Mukhamadullin as a replacement part in the Darnell Nurse swap and signed Ryan Shea in free agency. Stastney was already a healthy scratch for all six games during the Oilers opening round series that saw them get knocked out of the postseason. Under Mike Babcock, his fortunes could change but even with his recent re-signing, he is the eighth man on their blueline.
This is especially true knowing Babcock's preference for slotting defencemen on their strong side, meaning putting left-handed defencemen on the left side and right-handed defencemen on the right side. As of right now, the team has five left-handed defenders and three right-handed, putting Stastney even more so on the outside.
Oilers depth gives them options
Even beyond the eight defencemen on the Oilers roster, they have multiple defencemen in the organization that offer some intriguing options. Alec Regula played 29 games for the Oilers last season and at just 25 years old, gives the club some added potential and has proven himself to be capable of slotting into their lineup.
There is also Josh Brown and Riley Stillman who have a combined over 450 NHL games under their belts. They could obviously slot into the Oilers lineup if need be and could be key pieces should the Oilers go on another deep playoff run.
Along with their proven NHL talent, there are multiple players who flash some legitimate potential from recent European signing, Tomas Cibulka to Atro Leppanen, they could prove to be hidden gems.
The Oilers have a clogged defensive pipeline and although it is a good problem to have, it could prove to be a breeding ground for resentment if players are not given proper playing time as a result.
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