Oilers Should Avoid the PTO Market This Year

The 2026-27 season is just around the corner, and training camp is under one month away. The Edmonton Oilers are looking to rebound after a tough first-round exit last season. They hired a new head coach, Mike Babcock and signed multiple free agents. They added to their depth, especially up front.

This is the time of year when we speculate about professional tryout (PTO) candidates. However, the Oilers should avoid signing any PTO’s this season because they aren’t required. PTO’s are valuable if the players you bring in have a legitimate chance of earning a contract and cracking the lineup. But that seems unlikely given the crop of talent available.

This free agent class was incredibly weak, so there aren’t many solid options remaining. Most of the unrestricted free agents (UFA’s) are older and on the decline. The Oilers were an aging team, but they are finally getting younger and prioritizing youth. Signing these older players to PTO’s will contradict what they are trying to do.

General manager Stan Bowman has done a solid job this offseason of filling holes and providing competition within the forward group. The Oilers have players already under contract who can fill different roles and play meaningful games this season. That makes signing PTO’s unnecessary. The Oilers are far more prepared this season than last.

Oilers Have a Crowded Roster

There’s no reason to sign any PTO’s given Edmonton’s crowded roster. They have eight legitimate NHL defencemen vying for roster spots, and they will only keep seven. If they don’t trade a blueliner before the season, one will likely get waived. So, there’s no need to add another defenceman to the mix. Their blue line is set, and no current free agent will be an upgrade.

The forward group is even more crowded. 16 forwards are competing for 14 spots, with only 12 in the opening night lineup. There are only a few roster spots up for grabs, with Mattias Janmark, Colton Dach, Mathieu Joseph, Josh Samanski, Isaac Howard, Eduards Tralmaks, and Max Jones competing for them. PTO’s are used to create competition in training camp, but competition already exists within the current roster.

Shortened Preseason

The NHL has shortened the preseason from eight games to four. This was an excellent decision by the NHL and should be a welcome addition with many benefits. The preseason was redundant and way too long. This move will cut out the fluff and get to the regular season quicker. While that’s a good thing, it also makes roster decisions tougher. There’s not much time to evaluate players.

This four-game format will affect PTO signings. There’s only so much ice time to go around, and everyone should play. The established players need one or two games to shake off the rust and prepare for the season, while fringe players need an opportunity to earn a spot.

While players are fighting for a job, the preseason is also an opportunity to give young AHL talent some ice time. While it’s highly unlikely they will make the NHL out of training camp, Connor Clattenburg, Owen Michaels, and Quinn Hutson should also play preseason games. It will be difficult to fit everyone in with only four games, so there’s no reason to complicate things by adding PTO’s.

Oilers Need to Remain Patient

The Oilers’ biggest need is an impactful top-six scoring winger, but they couldn’t find that in free agency. Therefore, it’s best to wait and acquire one via trade closer to the trade deadline. The Oilers have a ton of middle-six and bottom-six players in consideration, so they don’t need any more.

Their current roster is solid, and they don’t need an immediate solution. They can get by for now and make a big splash later in the season. Bowman improved the team and gained salary cap flexibility this offseason, so now he can sit back and be patient. The best course of action is to wait for a better fit to become available.

Should the Oilers sign any PTO’s, or maintain the status quo? Edmonton begins its preseason schedule on Sept. 19 against the Winnipeg Jets. Keep following The Hockey Writers for all your NHL content throughout the offseason.