Oilers 2026-27 Player Previews: Spencer Stastney – The Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers

It’s officially September, which means the Edmonton Oilers play games this month. The 2026-27 season is upon us, so let’s continue the Oilers’ player preview series. The last player we looked at was Matt Savoie, and now we turn our attention to defenceman Spencer Stastney.

After trading Brett Kulak in December, the Oilers acquired Stastney from the Nashville Predators for a 2027 third-round pick. The 26-year-old had just one goal and zero assists in 36 games with Edmonton, averaging 16:02 per game. Unfortunately, he was a minus-10. He was a fine defender and came as advertised. He’s a third-pairing defenceman at best and is a solid depth option in case of injury.

As the season went on, Stastney was the odd-man out. The Oilers acquired Connor Murphy at the trade deadline, which pushed him down the lineup. Ty Emberson also outplayed him down the stretch, even though he’s a right shot, while Stastney shoots left. The Oilers value versatility and have players like Jake Walman who can play on both sides.

The Oilers had a crowded left side of their blue line with Walman, Mattias Ekholm, and Darnell Nurse. As a result, Stastney struggled to find playing time. He was healthy scratched for the final 12 regular-season games and didn’t suit up in the playoffs. While general manager Stan Bowman traded Nurse this offseason, he also added Ryan Shea and Shakir Mukhamadullin, further pushing Stastney down the depth chart. So, where does he fit on this team? Here’s his 2026-27 player preview.

Stastney Could Get Traded

The Oilers have eight legitimate NHL defencemen entering training camp, and should keep seven. That means one will either get placed on waivers or traded, and Stastney seems like the likely candidate. Teams are always looking for defencemen, so it’s unlikely he will clear waivers. The Oilers can’t lose him for nothing, so seeking a trade is realistic. They should keep him for added depth, but since he requires waivers, they don’t have the space.

New acquisitions Shea and Mukhamadullin also shoot left, leaving the organization with five left shots and three right shots. So maybe Bowman can recoup a draft pick by trading the depth defenceman.

Worst Case Scenario

The worst-case scenario is that Stastney doesn’t make the roster out of training camp and gets waived and claimed by another team. That would be another example of horrendous asset management by the Oilers’ front office. They traded a third-round pick for him, so letting him go for nothing is inexcusable.

However, if he somehow earns a spot, he’ll likely need to wait for an injury to get playing time. If he plays under 30 games, that’s not ideal. He will need to outplay someone by a lot to earn ice time, and that’s a very tall task. He has his work cut out for him.

Best Case Scenario

The best case scenario is that Stastney gets traded for a draft pick. But if he doesn’t, he must outperform Emberson and Mukhamadullin for that final spot. Defensive depth is crucial, especially during a long season. However, the waiver rules complicate things. There’s a massive logjam on the back end, and not everyone can make the roster. If he somehow clears waivers, that would be a massive win. He would remain in the organization while playing games for the Bakersfield Condors in the American Hockey League (AHL). That would be better than sitting in the press box for weeks at a time.

If he plays over 50 games and provides solid third-pairing minutes, that would be fantastic. He’s not an offensive defenceman, so don’t expect many points. He has just four goals and 19 points in 117 career games. If he can get roughly 10 points and have a positive plus/minus, that would be a solid season.

He was also used a decent amount on the penalty kill. In his 36 games with Edmonton, he spent 52:07 shorthanded and was on the ice for six goals against, which isn’t terrible considering their lacklustre penalty kill. If he plays, he can fill an important role, and that’s valuable.

For the first time in a while, the Oilers have a solid defence core. Now, they have too many quality NHL defencemen, and that’s a wonderful problem to have. Hopefully, Stastney can provide value in 2026-27 and help the team find success.

What should we expect from Stastney this season? Keep following The Hockey Writers for all your NHL content throughout the offseason.

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