The Edmonton Oilers will have some tough decisions to make soon, as they have several players on injured reserve, and will have to make some roster moves to be eligible to activate them all. Jake Walman, Noah Philp, and Kasperi Kapanen are among the key players who remain out of the lineup as they recover.
Related: Oilers Acquire Alex Lyon in Suggested Trade With Sabres
While they have been playing well without them, which speaks to the strength of their organizational depth, let’s take a look at some of the moves that should be made when everyone is healthy.
Tomasek, Janmark Trades Will Be Mandatory
When taking a look at the Oilers’ forward depth, the two forwards who will be on the outside looking in are David Tomasek and Mattias Janmark. Tomasek brings a solid offensive game, while Janmark brings a sound defensive game, but they don’t have any spots in the lineup when everyone is healthy.
Tomasek could get a fresh start with another team, since there was interest in him from other teams before he signed a contract with the Oilers. Janmark could also gain some interest from contending teams looking to add a defensive depth forward who is good on the penalty kill, but the reality is, the Oilers could get rid of both of them to clear up cap space and make room for other players.
Matthew Savoie and Adam Henrique are stronger penalty killers, pushing Janmark out. Offensively, the Oilers don’t have a spot for Tomasek in their top six, and he is being underutilized in the bottom six. He plays hard whenever he’s dressed, but it’s a simple fact: he is no longer a fit.
Howard & Hutson Should Remain in AHL
Ike Howard and Quinn Hutson have both played extremely well this season. Hutson has dominated in the American Hockey League (AHL) and earned a call-up, where he scored his first NHL goal and looked solid with limited minutes, while Howard started the season in the NHL, looked solid, and has also dominated in the AHL since being sent down.
They are both looking like future stars at the NHL level, but as of right now, the smart move is to keep them in the AHL and let them dominate while playing top-line minutes in every role, rather than being limited in the NHL.
Connor Clattenburg vs Max Jones
The Oilers called up Connor Clattenburg earlier this season in hopes of sparking something in the team when they were struggling, and it seemingly worked quite well. His energy and physicality helped the Oilers elevate their game, and he earned a few more games than originally anticipated, even when some fans were concerned he would be too far behind and wouldn’t look close to ready for the NHL level.
Clattenburg has earned a second look when he returns from injury, but the reality is, he needs to go back to the AHL. He has proven he is a step ahead of where everyone thought he was, but he still needs to fine-tune some things, and he can do that in a larger role when he returns to the AHL.
On top of that, Max Jones has played well as the Oilers’ fourth-line left-wing, and it seems as though he is the perfect player for that role right now. The nice thing about this situation is that if Jones starts to become a problem, they can just swap Jones for Clattenburg.
What Happens With Trent Frederic?
It’s time to have an uncomfortable conversation about Trent Frederic.
The Oilers locked Frederic up to an 8-year deal worth just under $3.9 million annually, and fans were skeptical from the start. His physical, power forward style of play that he portrayed with the Boston Bruins before being traded isn’t something the Oilers have seen since they acquired him.
He doesn’t have any confidence offensively, he is overthinking things defensively, and he refuses to drop the gloves or play physical.
There is still a player there in Frederic, but the reality is, he has been one of the Oilers’ worst forwards, and they are a better team without him on the ice. He could still be dealing with a lingering injury from last season, but if that’s the case, the Oilers shouldn’t have risked signing him for as long as they have, for how much they chose to give him annually.
His trade protection forces the Oilers to hope he turns his game around at some point, but as of right now, he is a liability.
Regula Needs to Go
When Jake Walman returns, the Oilers’ defensive depth will be stabilized. However, they still have a hole with Alec Regula in the lineup. Even if he is the seventh defender, he is a liability on the ice.
Spencer Stastney has been a strong addition, and Ty Emberson has elevated, leaving Regula on the outside looking in when Walman comes back, but the Oilers could afford to find a different defender to have as their extra blueliner.
For now, he stays as the extra player, but the Oilers should be looking at the trade market for an affordable upgrade.
What Should the Forward Lines Look Like?
There are a lot of ways the Oilers can organize their lineup. Personally, I think the Oilers are at their strongest when Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is playing centre on the third line, and the team can afford to do that with their depth.
Here’s what my ideal forward lineup would look like:
Jack Roslovic – Connor McDavid – Zach Hyman
Vasily Podkolzin – Leon Draisaitl – Matthew Savoie
Andrew Mangiapane – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Kasperi Kapanen
Max Jones – Adam Henrique – Curtis Lazar
This leaves Philp and Frederic on the outside looking in, and the reality is that’s the best thing for the Oilers right now. Frederic will get a ton of opportunities and likely gets the nod over Lazar or Jones most of the time, but if his play doesn’t improve, he is better served sitting in the press box.
Ideally, the Oilers look for a forward addition at the 2026 Trade Deadline who can play anywhere in the lineup. Moving Kapanen down to the fourth line and having someone stronger alongside Nugent-Hopkins and Mangiapane could create the strongest top-nine forward group in the NHL.
What Should the Defensive Pairings Be?
The Oilers can afford to move their defensive pairings around as well. The reality is, Riley Stilllman will be going to the AHL with Regula staying up. With that in mind, here’s what my ideal defensive pairings would be:
Jake Walman – Evan Bouchard
Mattias Ekholm – Ty Emberson
Darnell Nurse – Spencer Stastney
Nurse and Stastney have played extremely well together, while Walman and Bouchard have proven previously that they can dominate offensively and keep the puck in the offensive zone, making them a dominant pairing.
Unless there is an injury, Regula shouldn’t come into the lineup at all.
Goaltending-wise, Connor Ingram looked good in his first game with the Oilers, but it’s too early to tell if he or Calvin Pickard would be the best option as the backup behind Tristan Jarry moving forward.
At the end of the day, the Oilers have plenty of time before they have to make some of these tough decisions, but eventually, they have to make some moves to activate everyone off of injured reserve. Time will tell what those moves end up being, but that is what I would do.
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.
