With the draft and free agency now in the rearview window, the Edmonton Oilers have some runway between now and the start of training camp to contemplate, re-assess and strategize for the upcoming season. Read More
With the draft and free agency now in the rearview window, the Edmonton Oilers have some runway between now and the start of training camp to contemplate, re-assess and strategize for the upcoming season. In addition to the coaching staff decisions, will Stan Bowman decide to tweak any further? If there a “hockey trade” is
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With the draft and free agency now in the rearview window, the Edmonton Oilers have some runway between now and the start of training camp to contemplate, re-assess and strategize for the upcoming season.
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In addition to the coaching staff decisions, will Stan Bowman decide to tweak any further? If there a “hockey trade” is the future? Or is this the crew that they plan to go to war with?
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That and more in this edition of…
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Headline News
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9 Things
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9. Oilers depth prospect Luca Munzenberger has signed with Kolner Haie of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. Selected in the Third Round of the 2021 draft (#90, by Tyler Wright), the big D-man did not sign with Edmonton after his time at The University of Vermont. It is not unusual for a new G.M. to do some weeding. These were not “his guys.” You see it in every club.
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8. It was a nice touch to have Stan Bowman pose with all five of his 2025 draft picks at Development Camp this past week, the young men wearing the jerseys with their name plates on the back. It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for them that Mr. Bowman seems to instinctively understand. The little things like that often speak loudly about the quality of an organization.
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7. Bowman has already stated that rounding out the coaching is high on his list of things to go. “Starting today,” the GM said last week, “the top priority is to round out our coaching staff.” I am one who thinks that while Edmonton will miss Glen Gulutzan, fresh blood and a new voice for a PP group that has barely changed its personnel in four years could be a real opportunity.
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6. My Oilers wild card for this upcoming season is defenceman Alec Regula. Claimed off waivers from Boston mid-season, Regula sat out the year with an injury. The 6’4, 211 LB London Knights grad is a stout defender. But his right shot also has significant offensive up-side. And he is at a $775k cap hit. Edmonton did not pluck and then protect this player all season long because they did not believe in him. Store that one away, if you will…
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5. I will not be surprised if Jake Walman’s numbers spike this upcoming season. Evan Bouchard will get the lion’s share of the Power Play time…as well he should. But I see Walman as the #1 candidate to be on the second unit. His ability to transport, pass, to walk the line and shoot are all well-above average. Could Walman hit ten goals and fifty points this year? I really think so. The Oilers would be well advised to extend the player’s contract now and not later.
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4. Sometime this season Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will pass Ryan Smyth and become the Oilers with the second-most games played in franchise history. The Nuge is at 959, Smyth at 971. And unless injury strikes, Ryan could then edge out Oilers legend Kevin Lowe who sits at 1,037. Nugent-Hopkins is already unique in that he is the only one of those three to play his entire career (to-date) in Edmonton. Is it me or does it seem just like yesterday he was drafted. Man, time does fly, doesn’t it?
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3. It is easy and fair to pick out the holes in an imperfect Oilers roster and magnify those. But it is just as easy to dismiss the fact that this club has been to the Stanley Cup Finals in back-to-back-seasons. One of the reasons is how strong the Oilers are at Center. I believe The Athletic rated the club #1 at that position. The very presence of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl gets you most of the way there. But Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was very good at pivot in the playoffs. There is lots of game in him yet. Far too many people are in a rush to trade the super-smart Adam Henrique who would be a 3C on about every NHL Squad. And now, you have Curtis Lazar, who is a “real” NHL center. That is a strong list.
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2. There is a general misconception out there just what Edmonton Oilers top prospect Matthew Savoie is. I believe Savoie has a roster spot to lose at camp this autumn. But Savoie is not a driver. He is not especially strong at transporting the puck and does not possess the size to be a power forward. But in my viewings of him, I believe he can be a Top 9 complimentary guy. Maybe Top 6. His best skills are possession, skilled on the give-and-go, and he is adept at winning battles along the way while being dependable defensively. In short: If Savoie delivers what Kailer Yamamoto did in 2021-22 (20-21-41 in 81 GP) with a better defensive contribution including the PK) you would be thrilled…no?
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1.The pre-season schedule came out earlier this past week. Probably like most of you, I looked at it and immediately thought “Eight games?! That’s ridiculous!.” But until the NHL fixes that, the Oilers can at least use it to their advantage. On one hand, there are a limited number of roster battles to be solves in exhibition play. A couple forwards, Depth D-men. You should be able to decide after eight games whether Noah Philp or Curtis Lazar is your 4C. But Kris Knoblauch can and should use the games to experiment with his projected lines. While I graded Knoblauch very high on his performance last season, there was an early example I felt was a misstep: Not giving Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner a much longer (three or four games) look with Leon Draisaitl. I kept wondering why anbd worrying. Turns out, I was probably right on that.
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This fall, I would tack either Andrew Mangiapane or Matt Savoie (or both) on Draisaitl’s wing and leave them there. Have a much better idea by Game One whether that has a chance of working or not. Give them a chance to get to know one another. To work the kinks out, if there are any. Who cares if it fails?
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I would do the same on the blueline. Skip the old “put a rookie with a vet.” Put your anticipated pairs together in a setting where nothing is on the line and see how you like them. There is no risk. Not in September.
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I do not give a tinker’s dam what the Oilers pre-season record turns out to be. Nor should Kris Knoblauch, nor should you.
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Instead, figure some things out while the stakes are low. So you can win, when they are high.
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Now on Bluesky @kurtleavins.bsky.social. Also, find me on Threads @kleavins, Twitter @KurtLeavins, Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, and Mastodon at KurtLeavins@mstdn.social.
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This article is not AI generated.
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Bruce McCurdy, 1955-2025.
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