Connor McDavid offered a compliment when asked how the 2025-26 iteration of the Edmonton Oilers compares with the past few.
“I’ve felt good about each and every group we go in with, honestly,” McDavid said, “and this group is no different.”
That last bit is the one that should terrify Edmonton Oilers fans, according to reports. All parties involved need to hope that something has changed, even after six months of largely uninspired hockey.
Oilers’ Playoff Hopes
The Oilers finished in second place in the Pacific Division, earning home-ice advantage in the first round. McDavid described his team’s regular season as “monotonous”.
Despite that, he finished the season on a post-Olympic, 1.8 point-per-game scoring run. This propelled his team out of danger, propelled him to another Art Ross Trophy and should propel him to a fourth Hart Trophy.
In October, McDavid signed a two-year, $25 million contract extension. It was a team-friendly move designed to give the general manager more space to operate. Some suggest it was McDavid putting the general manager on the clock.
Pressure on Edmonton
The 2026 postseason is about whether the Oilers can close the deal after two straight years of failure. Alternatively, they can fall short in a way that suggests a team stuck on a treadmill. The degree of difficulty on both might be equally high.
For more than a decade, the Oilers have relied on McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to an irresponsible degree. McDavid and Draisaitl dragged them to the doorstep of the Cup in 2024 against the Florida Panthers, then came nearly as close in last spring’s rematch.
The summer brought nothing of consequence, as the general manager leaned further into a forward group whose value was concentrated at the top. McDavid and Draisaitl are elite. Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are quality support. Beyond them, best case was a group of question marks.
Team Weaknesses
Even with Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton’s middle-six forwards entered 2025-26 with a combined Net Rating of minus-12. The rest of The Athletic’s top five teams in projected points all averaged a plus-5.
Wholly unaddressed were the team’s goaltending problems. Stuart Skin
The Oilers can either close the deal after two straight years of agonizing failure, or they can somehow fall short in a way that doesn’t suggest a team stuck on a treadmill as the stopwatch ticks.