Tonight, the 2025–26 season begins for the Edmonton Oilers. They will be playing host to the Calgary Flames for an opening night Battle of Alberta. The energy in Oil Country is high right now, fresh off of the stunning contract extension signed by Connor McDavid. A discount the likes of which we have never seen.
Over the past decade, a continual theme for the Oilers has been difficulty filling out a roster around their superstar players. It can create a barrier to success when the depth cannot hold up to the competition. This has gotten significantly better over the past few years, as the Oilers have been one of the most successful teams in the league in the past four seasons. But as of yet, it has not gotten them the ultimate prize, a Stanley Cup.
The 2025–26 Oilers are a new look team. A major focus of the last six months of transactions was finding ways to get younger and faster, to match the direction the league is taking. That means older players like Corey Perry, Jeff Skinner, Viktor Arvidsson, and Evander Kane were let go in favour of younger alternatives like Matthew Savoie, Trent Frederic, Isaac Howard, and even 29-year-old Andrew Mangiapane is younger than the players that left.
How much turnover was there in the Edmonton Oilers roster compared to opening night last season? Let’s take a look and compare the rosters from 2024–25 to 2025–26!
Forwards
| 2024–25 Forwards | 2025–26 Forwards |
|---|---|
| Derek Ryan | Trent Frederic |
| Mattias Janmark | Adam Henrique |
| Zach Hyman | Curtis Lazar (Scratch) |
| Adam Henrique | Matthew Savoie |
| Connor Brown | Leon Draisaitl |
| Leon Draisaitl | Kasperi Kapanen |
| Viktor Arvidsson | Noah Philp |
| Jeff Skinner | Isaac Howard |
| Corey Perry | David Tomasek |
| Vasily Podkolzin | Andrew Mangiapane |
| Ryan Nugent-Hopkins | Vasily Podkolzin |
| Connor McDavid | Ryan Nugent-Hopkins |
| Raphael Lavoie (Scratch) | Connor McDavid |
| Injured: Evander Kane | Injured: Mattias Janmark, Zach Hyman |
In: Trent Frederic, Curtis Lazar, Matthew Savoie, Kasperi Kapanen, Noah Philp, Isaac Howard, David Tomasek, Andrew Mangiapane
Out: Derek Ryan, Connor Brown, Viktor Arvidsson, Jeff Skinner, Corey Perry, Raphael Lavoie, Evander Kane
This is an incredible amount of turnover for a contending team signifying a clear shift in direction for the roster composition. Not all of these players were acquired in the offseason, but they have changed over since opening night last season.
Gone are the old guard, in come some younger talents. Savoie and Howard lead the way for a rookie class the Oilers have not had in the last 5+ seasons.
The depth might struggle a bit with Zach Hyman injured to start the season, but this gives new acquisitions plenty of time and space to show they deserve a spot. Such as Noah Philp, who is finally set to get a chance as he is lining up as the third line centre to start the season. He led the team in scoring in the preseason.
Defence
| 2024–25 Defenders | 2025–26 Defenders |
|---|---|
| Evan Bouchard | Evan Bouchard |
| Mattias Ekholm | Mattias Ekholm |
| Travis Dermott | Darnell Nurse |
| Darnell Nurse | Brett Kulak |
| Brett Kulak | Ty Emberson |
| Ty Emberson | Alec Regula |
| Troy Stecher (Scratch) | Troy Stecher (Scratch) |
| Injured: Jake Walman |
In: Alec Regula, Jake Walman
Out: Travis Dermott
The defence is largely unchanged from last season. Which makes sense, as the Oilers have one of the top defensive groups in the league, according to many models and analysts. The one major change is the addition of Jake Walman, making this already formidable defensive unit even better. Unfortunately, Walman will likely miss the start of the season due to injury. When healthy, he is expected to be Darnell Nurse’s new defensive partner.
Of note is the rise of Alec Regula, who was claimed on waivers during the previous season, missed the entirety of it due to injury, and has immediately returned to claim an opening day roster spot in Walman’s place.
Goaltenders
| 2024–25 Goalies | 2025–26 Goalies |
|---|---|
| Stuart Skinner | Stuart Skinner |
| Calvin Pickard | Calvin Pickard |
The Oilers are utilizing the same goalie tandem on opening night that they did last season, for better or worse. Connor Ingram is in the AHL for a possible conditioning stint, and will hopefully be waiting in the wings in case, ready to provide a boost if the goalies are struggling as they often have.
What are your thoughts on the Edmonton Oilers roster compared to last season? Drop a comment down below!
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
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