Edmonton Oilers’ Worst-Case Scenarios for 2026-27 – The Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers are feeling the pressure heading into the 2026-27 season in what is another Stanley Cup or bust type of year. With their aging core along with Connor McDavid’s uncertain future, there is arguably no other team in the NHL with as much on the line as this organization.

By all accounts, the Oilers should have a good season. They made some big roster moves in the offseason (some of which we’ll get into) and have finally had a lengthy offseason to both train and recover. They will also have plenty of motivation to silence their main critics after a frustrating 2025-26 campaign.

While the Oilers should be a strong team in 2026-27, there are still some holes on their roster that could prevent them from reaching their ultimate goal. Their depth remains a concern, there are questions in net, and their decision to hire Mike Babcock brings an entirely new variable into the equation.

Oilers Miss the Playoffs

The Oilers can’t possibly miss the playoffs in 2026-27, can they? Odds are slim, though not impossible. After all, they finished 2025-26 with just 92 points. While that wound up being good enough for second in the Pacific Division, it had them 14th in league standings.

With younger teams in the Pacific such as the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks continuing to improve, along with the Stanley Cup finalist Vegas Golden Knights, the Oilers will need to be a much more consistent team in 2026-27 to ensure they make the postseason.

Missing the playoffs would truly be the worst-case scenario for the Oilers, as it could be the final straw for McDavid. Even if he weren’t to request a trade, it’s difficult to envision him willing to sign an extension next summer if that were to occur.

Babcock Gets Up to Old Antics

One major question facing the Oilers this coming season is how they will respond to their new head coach in Babcock. Though it became quite clear that Kris Knoblauch needed to go, it surprised seemingly everybody that management chose to replace him with someone as controversial as Babcock.

There’s no need to dive into the past stories of Babcock, which hockey fans are well aware of. There’s serious concern that he may continue with his old antics, which have caused plenty of unnecessary issues in past dressing rooms. Any negative stories would result in a major distraction facing this team.

There is also reason to wonder how long Babcock actually lasts in Edmonton. After all, the NHLPA is keeping a close eye on him, and all it would take is one player to report anything that’s out of line. Again, you can’t help but wonder why the Oilers chose to go with Babcock when there were so many other competent and less controversial options available.

Injuries Strike Again

After two straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final, the Oilers looked like a tired and banged-up bunch throughout the course of the 2025-26 season. They had some key pieces miss significant time throughout the regular season, and were nowhere close to 100 per cent in the playoffs.

A large reason why the Oilers fell to the Anaheim Ducks in the playoffs was due to health. Both McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were playing through injury, likely as a result of how much hockey they’ve played in recent years.

The long summer should help the Oilers in a big way when it comes to their health, but this is an aging core group that also lacks depth. If injuries continue in 2026-27, it’s difficult to envision this group getting back to the Cup Final.

Goaltending Moves Backfire

While the Oilers have made tweaks here and there over the years in hopes of improving their goaltending, it seems the moves made this offseason have best helped address that long-lasting issue. Tristan Jarry does remain in the fold, but the Oilers were able to sign Frederik Andersen, while also trading for Devon Levi.

Andersen, fresh off a Stanley Cup win with the Carolina Hurricanes, feels like a serious upgrade over both Jarry and Connor Ingram. That said, he struggled immensely throughout the 2025-26 season, all while playing behind a much more structured team. He’s also had plenty of health issues in recent years, which gives cause for concern.

As for Levi, he’s extremely inexperienced having logged just 39 career games. In other words, there are still plenty of questions and uncertainty surrounding two of the Oilers’ new goaltenders. One can’t help but think about what a disaster it would be if both struggled this coming season.

Concerns for Oilers are Valid

The Oilers have plenty of reasons to be optimistic heading into 2026-27, but there are also legitimate concerns surrounding this team. They have enough star power to make another deep playoff run, yet their lack of depth, questions in goal and the uncertainty surrounding Babcock could quickly derail their season.

With so much riding on the coming campaign, the Oilers simply can’t afford for multiple things to go wrong. If they stay healthy, get adequate goaltending and Babcock keeps the dressing room together, they should once again be among the NHL’s top teams. If not, their Stanley Cup window could close much faster than anyone in Edmonton wants to admit.