So what's the plan?

Going into a busy 2025-26 offseason, the Oilers find themselves in a peculiar position. After capturing the Pacific division, the fans are clamoring for more winning seasons. The excitement, energy, and promiscuity has energized the Alberta capital like never before. Season tickets are already sold out for the upcoming season, and expectations point to another competitive season in the division.

All of that does not change the fact the roster isn't the same going into the offseason. Gone are Mats Zuccarello, Shayne Gostisbehere, Rasmus Andersson, and soon to be Sean Monahan, JT Compher, Jake Evans, and Sean Walker. Laurent Brossoit will be recovering from a serious injury and will not be available for the season. Juuse Saros, Carter Verhaeghe, Lawson Crouse, Alex Kerfoot, Brandon Saad, Kyle Burroughs, Travis Boyd, and Michael Carcone all had down seasons and are going to be more limited this season. Those key changes do not bode well for the team.

There is also the youth factor. There are several key players coming up through the system that are close to prime time, but not quite there just yet. Logan Stankoven had a very important year in his development, taking on more responsibility on the offensive end and even getting in on some playoff action. He will be looking to continue building off last year into this year, with the hope he will be a mainstay in the top 6 in the 2026-27 season. Same can be said about Olen Zellweger, who should be starting the season in the pros. Bobby Brink will be taking on a sizable role this season after what some would call a breakout. Finally, Nico Daws will be backing up Saros to start the season and hope to continue proving he can be a reliable starter at some point.

The rest of the younger core will be starting the season in Bakersfield. Rutger McGroarty, Jagger Firkus, Artyom Levshunov, Felix Unger Sorum, Luca Cagnoni, Fedor Svechkov, Yegor Sidorov, Artyom Duda, and Drew Commesso all have high expectations. There is hope that McGroarty, Levshunov, Svechkov, and possibly Cagnoni can step into the pros as mid-season call ups. However, these are anything but certainties and often take time to bake.

Time is something that can't be afforded in the RHL, as the competition is fierce. Without a clear timeline for the next wave of Oilers, the team may decide to take a step back this season and evaluate the next steps. With five picks in the first 3 rounds in the upcoming entry draft, there should be even more additions to the youth core. Next year's draft proves to be another strong one, and the Oilers hold their own pick. Some fans are excited over the prospect of adding a generational talent that the team has been missing. The unfortunate swing and a miss for Alexis Lafreniere is still fresh in everyone's minds, so there is an appetite to right than wrong.

With all of that said, there is a good level of excitement for this offseason. The draft, free agency, and possibility of further trades all brings the team to a pivotal and transitional season in franchise history. Stay tuned and don't give up on us Oiler Nation.