4 Former Oilers in Round 2 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs

The Edmonton Oilers were eliminated in Round 1 of the 2026 NHL Playoffs by the Anaheim Ducks, ending a streak of four consecutive years advancing to at least the second round.

But while Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have cleaned out their lockers for the offseason, a handful of their former teammates are still chasing the Stanley Cup.  Here’s a look at the ex-Oilers whose teams remain alive in the postseason’s second round.

Taylor Hall, Carolina Hurricanes

It’s been a decade since Taylor Hall last played in Edmonton. After six seasons with the Oilers, the winger was dealt to the New Jersey Devils on June 29, 2016, for defenceman Adam Larsson.

Hall has since bounced around the NHL, going from the Devils to the Arizona Coyotes to the Buffalo Sabres to the Boston Bruins to the Chicago Blackhawks before finally being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes last season.

While Hall no longer puts up numbers like he did at his Hart Trophy-winning peak, the 34-year-old is turning back the clock, leading Carolina in both points (nine) and plus/minus (plus-8) this postseason.

Hall’s heroics have helped the Hurricanes win their first six games of the playoffs, including a Round 1 sweep of the Ottawa Senators. In Game 2 of the second round against the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday (May 3), Hall scored his first-ever Stanley Cup Playoffs overtime goal to give Carolina a 3-2 victory and 2-0 series lead.

Brett Kulak, Colorado Avalanche

After parts of five seasons with the Oilers, Brett Kulak was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in December. The defenceman played only 25 games with the Penguins before being dealt to the Colorado Avalanche on Feb. 24.

Now Kulak is playing a significant role for the Avalanche, who swept the Los Angeles Kings in the opening round of the playoffs and have now jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the Minnesota Wild in the second round. Kulak had two assists as Colorado defeated Minnesota 5-2 in Game 2 of their series on Tuesday (May 5).

Through Colorado’s first six contests of the postseason, Kulak ranks second on the team in even-strength minutes (19:36 per game) and third in total minutes (21:13 per game).

The 32-year-old is in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the sixth consecutive year, a streak that goes back to his tenure with the Montreal Canadiens. He has reached the Stanley Cup Final three times in the previous five postseasons but has yet to experience a championship victory. With Colorado favoured to represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Final, 2026 could finally be Kulak’s year.

Ryan McLeod, Buffalo Sabres

Ryan McLeod began his NHL career in Edmonton, playing 219 regular season games and 56 postseason contests from 2021 to 2024, before being traded to the Buffalo Sabres.

The forward scored 14 times and recorded 40 assists for the Sabres during the 2025-26 regular season, helping Buffalo finish atop the Atlantic Division standings and clinch its first playoff berth in 15 years.

McLeod has struggled, however, thus far in the playoffs, with just one point, an assist, in Buffalo’s 4-2 first round victory over the Boston Bruins. He had a plus/minus of minus-4 in the series, worst on the team, although McLeod ranked third among Sabres forwards in ice time, averaging 18:17 against the Bruins.

Buffalo opens its second round series against Montreal at KeyBank Center on Wednesday (May 6). This is the Sabres’ first appearance in Round 2 since 2007.

Jeff Petry, Minnesota Wild

Jeff Petry’s last game with the Oilers was a 2-1 victory over the Wild on Feb. 24, 2015, more than 11 years ago. The only current Oiler who was in Edmonton’s lineup that night is forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

The blueliner has since played for Montreal, Pittsburgh, the Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, and now Minnesota. With an eye on adding depth to their blue line, the Wild acquired the 38-year-old from Florida just before the trade deadline in March.

Petry suited up for his second game of the postseason on Tuesday, playing 9:28 in Minnesota’s Game 2 loss to Colorado. He was also in the lineup for Game 6 of the first round on April 30, when Minnesota defeated the Dallas Stars 5-2 to win its first playoff series in 11 years.

Oilers fans might not want to watch much hockey for a while after Edmonton’s early exit from the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. But at least they still have a few of their former favourites to cheer on.