The Edmonton Oilers have continued to push through their 2025-26 season and are poised to make a playoff push in hopes of winning their first Stanley Cup since 1990 after coming up short in the previous two seasons, and with a different look in their lineup this time around, they’re hoping they can find a way to get it done.
Related: Insider Suggests Oilers Open to Trading Stuart Skinner
In this edition of Oilers News & Rumours, we look at the potential trade speculation surrounding Troy Stecher and Stuart Skinner, a milestone for Connor McDavid, and some comments defending Evan Bouchard.
Troy Stecher & Stuart Skinner Trade Speculation?
As the Oilers prepare for the return of forward Zach Hyman, the team is going to be forced to make some moves to have the space to activate him from injured reserve. In a recent segment of Saturday Headlines, Elliotte Friedman revealed that the Oilers are attempting to find a “soft landing” for Troy Stecher.
Friedman added that there is some interest around the league in Stecher, and something should be figured out soon. He did add that it didn’t have to be Stecher who gets moved, hinting at some speculation surrounding another defender being traded, but mentions he has specifically heard Stecher’s name being tossed around.
Another player who has had their name come up is goaltender Stuart Skinner. In a recent segment of Oilers Now, Ryan Rishaug joined Bob Stauffer, stating that if the Oilers had the right deal in front of them for Skinner, they wouldn’t hesitate to make a trade.
They do have Connor Ingram in the American Hockey League (AHL), should they need to make a change and can’t find a suitable trade to make, but it sounds like they are doing their due diligence on what could be available around the NHL.
McDavid Reaches 1100 Points
Another big moment for captain Connor McDavid, who notched his 1100th point in the Oilers’ recent 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues.
Congratulations to Connor McDavid, who becomes the youngest active player to reach the 1,100-point milestone! pic.twitter.com/Y7oVEmZg5v
— NHLPA (@NHLPA) November 4, 2025
McDavid became just the 69th player ever to reach that milestone, and will likely continue to climb the all-time point rankings as the season moves along. After doing it in just 726 games, he is the fourth-fastest all-time to reach the 1100-point milestone, with only Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Mike Bossy doing it in fewer games.
Connor McDavid Defends Evan Bouchard
After some early struggles, fans began to criticize Evan Bouchard’s defensive play. However, after a solid showing against the Chicago Blackhawks, where the Oilers picked up an overtime win, McDavid defended Bouchard.
Connor McDavid on Evan Bouchard:
— Tony Brar 🚀 (@TonyBrarOTV) November 2, 2025
“You guys can say what you want about him. We love him in there. We know his best is among the very, very, very best.” #Oilers
His words made it very clear that the team sees what is said online and how much backlash Bouchard continues to face after a couple of bad mistakes, despite being among the NHL’s most elite defenders.
While the team’s early-season issues seem to be getting cleaned up as each game goes on, McDavid spoke for the entire locker room in defending Bouchard, letting the fanbase know they stand behind him and trust him on a nightly basis, and considering McDavid is someone who has said his only goal in the NHL is to win a Stanley Cup, he trusts Bouchard enough to be someone who helps him reach that goal.
As the 2025-26 season 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.
