The Edmonton Oilers are going to be an elite team once again in 2025-26, though it could very well mark their final year as a true Stanley Cup contender. That, of course, all surrounds Connor McDavid, who, as of now, is set to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason.
Related: McDavid Signing With Maple Leafs No Longer as Crazy as You’d Think
While the future of McDavid and the Oilers remains unknown, it’s quite obvious to everybody that they will be one of the NHL’s best once again in 2025-26. They have an elite forward group, which has played a big part in them reaching back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals. Whether they can do that for a third consecutive year remains to be seen, but their forwards should have no problem producing big once again in the regular season.
10. Trent Frederic
15 Goals (G) – 18 Assists (A) – 33 Points (PTS)
Though his extension caught many off guard, Trent Frederic was far from healthy this past postseason. Having the time over the summer to recover from his high-ankle sprain, fans should expect him to get back to producing solid secondary numbers as he did for a number of years with the Boston Bruins.
13. Mattias Janmark
6 G – 10 A – 16 PTS
As valuable as Mattias Janmark has been in each of the last two playoff runs, his regular season stats have been horrid. He’s scored a combined six goals over the past two campaigns, though he remains a big part of the penalty kill. This projection is expecting him to slightly improve on his offensive totals, though not by much.
18. Zach Hyman
25 G – 27 A – 52 PTS
Zach Hyman is going to be an interesting player for fans to keep an eye on this season. The 33-year-old is just two seasons removed from hitting the 50-goal mark, and still has an outside shot of cracking Canada’s roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The issue for Hyman, who had a rather disappointing 27 goals and 44 points last season, is that he’s still not fully recovered from a wrist fracture which knocked him out of the playoffs. It sounds as though he will miss all of preseason, which could result in him starting slow as he gets his reps in early in the 2025-26 campaign.
19. Adam Henrique
16 G – 16 A – 32 PTS
Adam Henrique has had a terrific career to date, though the 2025-26 season showed that he’s lost a step. His offensive numbers are capable of improving slightly, but anyone expecting him to get back to scoring north of 20 goals and 40 points would be thinking foolishly.
20. Curtis Lazar
3 G – 5 A – 8 PTS
It’s unclear whether or not Curtis Lazar will earn a spot with the Oilers this season. The veteran bottom-six forward was signed to a one-year, $775,000 contract on the second day of free agency. Should he crack the roster, he’ll be used primarily in a fourth-line role and will have little opportunity to provide any sort of offence.
22. Matt Savoie
17 G – 34 A – 51 PTS
One player fans are very intrigued to watch this coming season is Matt Savoie, the ninth overall selection from the 2022 Draft. He’s coming off of a solid first pro season, which saw him put up 19 goals and 54 points in 66 games. He’s likely to get looks in the top six plenty and often early on, which should help him build confidence and put forth a strong rookie season.
29. Leon Draisaitl
53 G – 58 A – 111 PTS
While most regard McDavid as the best player in the world, there is a legitimate case to argue Leon Draisaitl is the next man up. The German centreman cracked the 50-goal mark for the fourth time in his career last season, while notching north of 100 points for the sixth time.
As long as McDavid is around, Draisaitl will continue to produce video-game-like numbers for the Oilers. That isn’t to suggest he’s a byproduct of McDavid, as the Oilers captain would also see his numbers drop without his partner in crime. The two have just happened to form elite chemistry on the power play that fans haven’t seen in some time.
42. Kasperi Kapanen
10 G – 14 A – 24 PTS
Despite being healthy scratched early on in the playoffs, Kasperi Kapanen played a big role when finally given a shot, and was rewarded with a one-year contract extension this offseason. All in all, he’s proven to be a useful waiver addition, and while his offence isn’t likely to blow up this season, he should remain effective if he continues to throw his body around.
53. Isaac Howard
11 G – 21 A – 32 PTS
While Savoie is the Oilers’ top prospect, they were able to add another very intriguing one in Isaac Howard early this offseason. The 2024-25 Hobey Baker Award winner brings a lot of flash and skill to the lineup, though how he adjusts in his first season of pro hockey remains to be seen. Though these projections may seem disappointing to some, they should be looked at as a success for the 21-year-old.
86. David Tomasek
8 G – 10 A – 18 PTS
David Tomasek is the trickiest player to project on this list given that he hasn’t played a single professional game on North American soil. The Oilers signed the 29-year-old out of the Swedish Hockey League earlier this year, a league in which he produced big numbers. Whether he is able to make the team and produce, or perhaps fall more in line with other past European signings such as Gaetan Haas and Joakim Nygaard remains to be seen.
88. Andrew Mangiapane
21 G – 20 A – 41 PTS
The biggest signing the cap-strapped Oilers made this offseason was Andrew Mangiapane, who they brought in on a two-year, $7.2 million deal. It’s an intriguing signing given that the 29-year-old has shown the ability to put the puck in the net before, having scored a career-high 35 goals in 2021-22 with the Calgary Flames.
Though Mangiapane’s totals have dipped since that breakout season, there’s reason to believe he will be able to put up solid numbers in a top-six role with the Oilers. Add that in with his solid defensive play, and this has all the makings of being a great deal for Edmonton.
92. Vasily Podkolzin
15 G – 23 A – 38 PTS
Though many were frustrated that Vasily Podkolzin continued to get reps with Draisaitl throughout the 2024-25 season, the superstar centre recently gave comments as to just how much he likes playing with the physical 24-year-old winger. Those comments suggest that Podkolzin will once again play with Draisaitl this upcoming season, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him take a big step forward offensively.
93. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
24 G – 38 A – 62 PTS
The always dependable Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has turned into a true Swiss Army knife for the Oilers, as he’s a player who has proven to be effective regardless of where he’s placed in the lineup.
Related: McDavid’s Future Will Be Negative Distraction for Oilers
While his even strength numbers never jump off the page, he’s a key component of the Oilers’ elite power play and should continue to rack up points on the man advantage in 2025-26.
97. Connor McDavid
41 G – 76 A – 117 PTS
The 2025-26 season was a bit of a letdown for McDavid, which is saying something given that he still hit the 100-point marker. Injuries played a part, as he was limited to just 67 games, though there was some frustration given that he isn’t shooting the puck nearly as often as he did in 2022-23, a season which saw him score a career-high 64 tallies.
Assuming McDavid can stay healthy this coming season and decides to use his underrated shot more often, he should be able to reach the 40-goal mark for the fifth time in his career. He seems to be more content these days with dialing things back in the regular season to save energy for the playoffs, meaning his career-high 153 points is likely unreachable. Fans certainly won’t complain if he reaches this projection, however.
Oilers in for Another Fun Season
Despite the stress that has come up with the situation involving McDavid’s contract, Oilers fans can be content that their team will be extremely competitive again this coming season. While things could change in the coming years, this is still a much better place to be in than the decade of darkness fans were forced to endure during the 2010s era.
