Heading toward the 2025-26 season, teams will consider handing out professional tryout (PTO) contracts to players looking to earn new deals, and it seems as though the Edmonton Oilers are pondering a few options.
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According to sources with the 2 Mutts Hockey Podcast, the Oilers are looking into signing three players to PTOs. Two forwards and one goaltender.
We are hearing that the @EdmontonOilers are looking at 3 PTO options.
— 2 Mutts Hockey Podcast (@2MuttsHockeyPod) August 13, 2025
It sounds like 2 forwards & 1 goalie.
The #LetsGoOilers current like their depth on the blue line going into the season.
They didn’t mention who the players were going to be, which led to some speculation about who the players could be, or if the report is accurate, but “looking at” PTO options doesn’t mean they’re going to do so. Every team considers how they are going to fill out their roster heading into a new campaign, so having some backup options in the event of any injuries is always a smart move. But who could they be?
Oilers Have Plenty of PTO Options Available
Since the Oilers aren’t looking at any defenders on a PTO, we don’t need to consider that. For the forwards, there are lots of options left on the table. A reunion with Klim Kostin seems to be on the horizon, since fans loved him during his previous stint, and he needs a fresh start with a new team, but he may have a tough time cracking the roster this time around.
Another option could be veteran Max Pacioretty, who was believed to be considering retirement, but has yet to make a decision on his future and could be open to joining the Oilers as he tries to make one more deep playoff run before hanging up his skates. I would assume he is leaning toward returning to the Toronto Maple Leafs if they are interested in bringing him back, but he would have to consider joining the Oilers and being a Corey Perry replacement, since they’ve had more success over the past couple of seasons and likely give him the best chance at a championship.
Brett Leason is another forward who comes to mind. The 26-year-old is from Calgary, Alberta, so coming to try and earn a deal closer to home would make sense. He had 17 points through 62 games with the Anaheim Ducks last season, and has 54 points through 220 games in his career. He could be worth taking a chance on, but he is someone else who may struggle to break into the Oilers’ already lethal forward lineup.
In terms of goaltenders, the only two that make sense are Ilya Samsonov and Alex Georgiev. Both of them have struggled over the past couple of seasons to find their footing, but there’s no harm in giving them both a chance to bounce back and earn a contract out of training camp.
My opinion would be to stick with Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard over either Samsonov or Georgiev, but having internal competition doesn’t hurt. Samsonov does well with high-danger chances against, but his overall play and underlying statistics haven’t been great over the past couple of campaigns. Georgiev has fallen off immensely and doesn’t seem like a trustworthy option, but if either of them comes in at league minimum, there’s no reason not to give them a look.
Time will tell if they end up bringing in any players on a PTO at training camp, but if they do, the Oilers have the cap space available to sign at least one of them, should they look solid at their tryout.
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