Edmonton Oilers’ Short Playoff Run in 2026 Will Help Them This Season – The Hockey Writers –

The Edmonton Oilers have been taking it easy and relaxing this summer. Leon Draisaitl has been on an African Safari, Connor McDavid was out enjoying himself on the water, and Zach Hyman was chilling out as he hosted his annual Charity Golf Tournament. This is all good news for the organization.

The further they can get from their disappointing first-round playoff loss to the Anaheim Ducks this spring and reset for the season ahead, the better off the team will be. Getting away from the rink might be the biggest boost for the team ahead of the 2026-27 NHL season, possibly even bigger than hiring a new head coach and making some smart personnel changes earlier in July.

Oilers Have Played the Most Games in the NHL Since 2021-22

The Oilers’ early playoff exit could pay dividends down the road. When they hit the ice for Game 4 against the Ducks, it marked their 489th game in the last four years. That’s more than any NHL team during that stretch.

When you combine the emotional and physical toll that playing in two Stanley Cup Finals as well as the pressure and travel that McDavid and Draisaitl experienced participating in the 2026 Winter Olympics and 4 Nations Face-Off in Feb. 2025, it’s no wonder the two stars didn’t look like themselves against Anaheim. Things will be different this season.

Rest & Recovery Important for the Oilers

Research shows that rest is one of the best things you can do to achieve peak performance. For the Oilers, getting the rest their bodies need this offseason will be paramount to having a successful campaign.

Former Oilers great Wayne Gretzky often spoke about the benefits of staying away from hockey during the summer and playing other sports such as baseball or lacrosse. A change was as good as a rest for Gretzky, and helped him develop other skills that made him the greatest player in NHL history. It’s a good lesson for the Oilers or any hockey player of any age, for that matter.

Expect Oilers to Bounce Back Big Time

It would’ve been difficult to find anyone optimistic about the team’s future after they lost Game 6 to the Ducks in April. In fact, this might have been the worst start to an offseason in Oilers history, getting caught up in a coaching controversy when news leaked about their interest in former Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy.

They fired Kris Knoblauch, then hired Mike Babcock. They were also right up against the salary cap until they traded Darnell Nurse in early July, with the San Jose Sharks taking on his full salary. Slowly but surely, pessimism has turned to optimism in Oil Country. With the moves made by general manager Stan Bowman and the much-needed rest for the team’s core, we can rest assured the Oilers will be better in 2026-27.

Oilers Could Surprise in 2026-27

It’s hard to predict what will happen when the season opens in late September. The Oilers could easily be back among the NHL elite. Considering the number of games they’ve played, this long summer of rest is exactly what the team needed.

In fact, it’s the biggest factor that will help the team go far in 2026-27 – bigger than the coaching change, Bowman’s trades and signings and the new three-goalie rotation. Skeptics outside of Edmonton might not agree, but Oilers fans have to believe their team will sneak up on a lot of teams this season. It could finally be the season McDavid gets his name on the Stanley Cup.