Obviously, goaltending was a huge issue last season for the Edmonton Oilers. Excepting a short late season run, that got the team a playoff berth but missed the divisional title, none of the netminders who started for the Oilers played well enough to lock down the number one job. But anytime you see a goaltender struggling, it's fairly safe to assume that there are defensemen missing assignments, giving up loose pucks, and generally not being helpful enough in their own end.
The Oilers defensive corps had all of these struggles, and although their top pairing solidified and finished with fairly respectable defensive numbers (and incredible offensive ones), the middle and bottom pairs didn't do as well. Along with upgraded goalkeeping, that area has to be Stan Bowman's top priority ahead of the 2026-27 National Hockey League season.
Free agents
Every year there are intriguing names set to hit the Unrestricted Free Agency (UFA) market. Some, for example Cale Makar, will undoubtedly re-sign with their current club and never really be a potential option for the Oilers. Others, the cream of the UFA crop, usually price themselves out of a roster spot on a Stanley Cup contender, especially a team like Edmonton that has never shown an ability to creatively manage their salary cap.
Dylan Coghlan is a 28-year-old, right shot defender, currently rostered by the Vegas Golden Knights. He's a free agent this summer, and will be looking for a moderate raise on his $775k salary. Coghlan has bounced between NHL clubs, but in Carolina, and in his original 2020 to 2022 stint in Law Vegas, he had very strong underlying numbers. He is also showing quite well in this year's playoffs, with one goal and one assist through seven appearances, along with a plus-7.
Darren Raddysh of the Tampa Bay Lightning is another intriguing option. Raddysh exploded for 22 goals from the back end this season, with 16 of those coming on the powerplay. He makes $975k, but obviously that production will earn him a decent increase. While unlikely to supplant Evan Bouchard on the top powerplay, he'd add a dangerous element to the second unit.
On the trade front, while he's unlikely to return to the team that drafted him, John Marino has quietly developed into a decent NHLer. With the Utah Mammoth he managed a 4 goal, 32 assist season, ending up at a very impressive plus-43. Anytime a player's plus-minus exceeds their own point totals, it suggests an ongoing positive impact on play during their ice-time.
Add us as a preferred source on Google