Oilers News & Rumours: Knoblauch’s Status, Howard, Nurse, Kapanen & More

The Edmonton Oilers were eliminated by the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the playoffs this season, stopping their season earlier than many expected.

With the season complete, the Oilers are shifting their focus to the offseason, with changes needed to get back into the championship picture next season.

In this edition of Oilers News and Rumours, we take a look at what came out of the Oilers’ end-of-season press conference, as well as some speculation surrounding the team as the 2026 NHL Entry Draft approaches.

Knoblauch Status Not Confirmed for Next Season

In his media availability, general manager Stan Bowman didn’t commit to keeping Kris Knoblauch behind the bench for next season.

When asked about Knoblauch’s status, Bowman kept his cards close to his chest, but admitted he would meet with everyone and analyze what went wrong.

Bowman said: “Today’s not a day for making announcements like that or anything, whether it’s players or anything else. That’s going to come in time. I’m here to talk about our season and answer your questions, but I don’t have any announcements.”

Ike Howard Expected to Be Full-Time Oiler Next Season

When he was asked, Knoblauch mentioned that he believed Ike Howard could be a full-time member of the Oilers next season.

Knoblauch on Ike Howard: “Certainly I think he can be part of this team next year.”

— Mark Spector🇨🇦🇺🇦 (@SportsnetSpec) May 2, 2026

Howard, who is 22 years old, played 29 games with the Oilers this season, scoring two goals and adding three assists for five points. With the Bakersfield Condors in the American Hockey League (AHL), Howard scored 24 goals and added 26 assists for 50 points through 47 games.

The Oilers acquired Howard from the Tampa Bay Lightning before the season began, and immediately signed him to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Nurse Trade Speculation Heating Up

In recent days, speculation surrounding Darnell Nurse has risen, and there is a strong belief that the Oilers will consider trading him this offseason. On Oilers Nation Everyday, David Pagnotta explained that the Oilers were interested in trading Nurse at the 2026 Trade Deadline, but couldn’t get a deal done.

Oilers reportedly tried to trade Darnell Nurse to Maple Leafs for Nic Roy at deadline https://t.co/1hZF66D75Z

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) May 5, 2026

This could mean that the Oilers are going to try to move him again this offseason, and with teams having more cap flexibility than they do during the season, it makes more sense for a team with more cap space to make that move.

There are no guarantees he gets traded, but it seems more likely than ever that the Oilers try to clear up some of his salary in hopes of improving their roster.

Oilers Have Interest in Re-Signing Kapanen, Among Others

Kasperi Kapanen, Connor Ingram, Connor Murphy, and Jason Dickinson all have interest in returning next season.

Bowman made it sound like he was going to talk to every single one of the pending free agents and see what they could do. It seems as though the Oilers would like to bring back Kapanen, Murphy, and Dickinson, but still have a decision to make about Ingram before the 2026-27 season.

Injuries Not Expected to Linger

Bowman gave some positive news at the end-of-season press conference, claiming that the injuries that several players were dealing with in the postseason shouldn’t linger into next season.

As the 2025-26 postseason moves along, be sure to continue following The Hockey Writers as your source for news, updates, and more from around the NHL and the hockey world.