The Edmonton Oilers didn’t just exit the playoffs early; they left behind a season that never quite lived up to its promise. Built as a contender and backed by elite talent, the Oilers instead find themselves heading into the offseason under pressure, with their biggest stars openly questioning the team’s direction.
Oilers GM Reveals Offseason Plan
On paper, the season looked respectable. Edmonton finished second in the Pacific Division with a 41-30-11 record, good for 93 points. But that surface-level success didn’t translate when it mattered most.
Facing the Anaheim Ducks in the opening round, the Oilers were widely seen as favorites. Instead, they were bounced in six games, with their season ending after a flat 5-2 loss in Game 6.
For Connor McDavid, the disappointment was personal as well as collective. Playing through a lingering ankle and lower-body injury, he was clearly not at his explosive best. After the loss, his assessment of the team was blunt. “It was tough. We were an average team all year. An average team with high expectations, you’re going to be disappointed,” McDavid said.
His words carry extra weight considering what he gave up to stay in Edmonton. Despite being in line for a massive payday at just about $18.8 million annually, McDavid signed a two-year extension at his current $12.5 million AAV in the offseason, a rare hometown discount for a player of his caliber.
And while Edmonton’s record suggests a playoff-worthy team, context tells a harsher truth. A 93-point season wouldn’t have been enough to secure a postseason spot in the Eastern Conference, reinforcing the idea that this was, at best, a middle-of-the-pack group.
Leon Draisaitl echoed that frustration and didn’t shy away from the bigger picture. “I am concerned because we’re not trending in the right direction. We’ve taken big steps backward and have to get a grip of this and head back in the right direction,” Draisaitl said.
With both franchise cornerstones sounding the alarm, attention quickly shifts to management, specifically GM Stan Bowman.
Bowman acknowledged the disappointment but signaled that a full-scale roster overhaul isn’t on the cards. “I don’t think we will have massive changes,” Bowman said. “We will have some new faces and how many and who they will be it’s too early to say. We need some adjustments.”
Still, Bowman’s approach raises a critical question: are minor tweaks enough for a team that clearly underperformed?
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With McDavid and Draisaitl entering their prime years and expectations in Edmonton as high as ever, standing pat could be a risky bet.
This offseason won’t just be about adding a few pieces; it may define whether the Oilers can truly contend or if they’ll remain stuck in that frustrating middle ground their stars are already calling out.
