Oilers 2025-26 Report Cards: Colton Dach

As the offseason rolls on, so do the Edmonton Oilers’ player grades. The last report card graded Calvin Pickard, and now we turn our attention to Colton Dach.

The Oilers acquired Dach and Jason Dickinson from the Chicago Blackhawks for Andrew Mangiapane and a conditional 2027 first-round pick at the trade deadline. Dach is a prototypical fourth-line role player who’s physical and plays with an edge. He provided an identity to the bottom six, something the Oilers haven’t had for much of the season. Let’s reflect on his impact with the Oilers.

2025-26 Performance

An injury limited Dach to just eight regular-season games with the Oilers. But he was effective in his limited ice time, recording two goals and four points, averaging 10:09 of ice time. He added one assist in five playoff games, averaging 8:27 per game. This was his first taste of playoff hockey.

Dach is a physical force. He had 219 hits in 61 games between Chicago and Edmonton, which ranked 14th in the league. He had 30 hits in his eight regular-season games since the trade. The St. Albert, Alberta native averaged an incredible 22.18 hits per 60 minutes, which was second on the team behind Connor Clattenburg. Dach also added 23 hits in five playoff games, good for third on the team. However, he led the team with 32.68 hits per 60 minutes. He was impactful in his limited minutes.

He’s a big kid at 6-foot-4, 218 pounds, and he uses his size to his advantage. He gets to the front of the net, and that’s where he generates his scoring chances. The Oilers play too much on the perimeter, and Dach is the opposite. Edmonton needs to generate more traffic in front of the blue paint, which he excels at. More players need to play that way. He was an underrated addition to the forward group because he fills a need that’s lacking.

Dach isn’t afraid to mix it up in front of the net. He likes to get in scrums and tries to get under the opponent’s skin. He plays with energy and emotion, which the Oilers need more of. Despite being a pest, Dach’s only regular-season penalty was a fighting major when he fought Vancouver Canucks defenceman Elias Pettersson on April 16.

He doesn’t kill penalties, but his 5-on-5 metrics were outstanding. In 79:55 of ice time since the trade, the Oilers had 60.32 percent of the shots, 74.96 percent of the expected goals, 68.57 percent of the scoring chances, and 68.75 percent of the high-danger scoring chances. When he was on the ice, positive things happened.

Oilers Should Re-Sign Dach

Dach is a pending restricted free agent (RFA), and the Oilers should absolutely bring him back. He doesn’t have arbitration rights, so he doesn’t have much negotiating leverage. Therefore, the Oilers should be able to re-sign him on a cheap contract to fill out their bottom six.

The 23-year-old also helps the Oilers get younger. Since the Oilers are constantly strapped for cap space, they need cheap, youthful, and energetic players in their lineup. He should be a mainstay on the fourth line next season. Dach, Josh Samanski, and Trent Frederic developed chemistry down the stretch. That trio provided energy and physicality, while even chipping in offensively. They outscored their opponents 3-1 at 5-on-5 in 39:46 of ice time. That should be the fourth line heading into next season, and they should get an extended look.

Overall Grade

Dach was a solid depth addition, and he provided a spark to the fourth line. Unfortunately, he only had a small sample size due to his injury. But he capitalized on his opportunity and endeared himself to the fan base. Oilers fans aren’t hard to please. If you’re physical, provide energy, and play with effort, you’ll become a fan favourite, and he did exactly that. Therefore, he gets a B- for his campaign.

This grade may be a tad high given his limited games played, but he made a positive impact. That deserves recognition, especially during an underwhelming season from the whole organization.

Do you agree with this grade? Keep following The Hockey Writers as we continue the Oilers’ player report cards throughout the offseason.

Advanced stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick