What Happened
In its Friday Four column, Sportsnet identified roster depth as the flaw most likely to derail the Edmonton Oilers in 2026-27. The piece notes Edmonton again failed to adequately replace Corey Perry, Connor Brown and Viktor Arvidsson up front, with Alex Formenton the only notable forward addition. On defence, Darnell Nurse's departure leaves Ryan Shea and Shakir Mukhamadullin to absorb minutes. Sportsnet adds that the goaltending situation remains unsettled, with Tristan Jarry coming off a difficult year, Devon Levi largely unproven and Frederik Andersen already injured.
Key Details
- Mike Babcock takes over as Oilers coach after six seasons away from the NHL.
- Sportsnet notes Babcock has not won a playoff series in well over a decade.
- Alex Formenton has not appeared in the NHL since the 2021-22 season.
- Edmonton is relying on Isaac Howard and Matthew Savoie to take significant steps.
- Darnell Nurse averaged over 22 minutes per night during his Oilers tenure.
- Frederik Andersen, a free-agent signing, is already injured.
What It Means
The column frames Edmonton as a top-heavy roster leaning heavily on Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard. If the supporting cast and goaltending do not hold up, the gap between the Oilers and the rest of their division could close quickly over a long season.
What's Next
The Oilers open the 2026-27 season with the forward group, defence pairings and goaltending workload still to be sorted out, and Andersen's injury status is the immediate variable to watch.