Inside look at Edmonton Oilers

NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, the Edmonton Oilers.

The Edmonton Oilers believe their championship window is still open after two straight losses in the Stanley Cup Final.

Several role players were added to a strong core led by forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, in hopes of reaching that goal.

"I would challenge people to try to turn the page on the last season and look forward to next year," Oilers general manager Stan Bowman said on July 2. "It's going to be a new group, particularly up front, but not a wholesale new group. All the key players are back, it's really finding the right mixture, but I think that's what makes it exciting and I think for that reason, we're in a really good spot right now."

Along with McDavid and Draisaitl, the two-time Western Conference Champions are also returning key forwards Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Trent Frederic, and Adam Henrique, and defensemen Darnell Nurse, Evan Bouchard, Mattias Ekholm, Brett Kulak and Jake Walman. Goalies Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard will also return.

Bouchard signed a four-year contract as a restricted free agent on July 1.

"(Losing in the Cup Final) is not an easy pill to swallow two years in a row," he said on July 2. "We had that feeling a few years ago and last year was not any better, if not worse. To go that far two years in a row and not be rewarded for it. So this upcoming year, excited to have a lot of the same guys back. Everyone is going to be that much hungrier."

The newcomers include forwards Andrew Mangiapane, David Tomasek, Isaac Howard, Curtis Lazar, and Matt Savoie, who was acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres in July 2024.

They will battle to replace the roles vacated by the departure of forwards Connor Brown, Corey Perry and Jeff Skinner who left as unrestricted free agents, as well as Evander Kane, who was traded to the Vancouver Canucks on June 25.

Mangiapane is hoping to add some scoring depth. He had 14 goals last season but had a career-high 35 goals and 22 points in 2021-22 with the Calgary Flames.

"I think this was just a great fit for me and obviously Edmonton has a great team," he said after signing. "I just want to come in here and play my game and kind of help the team whatever way possible to win and hopefully get them over the finish line this year."

Edmonton signed Frederic to an eight-year contract on June 27, hoping he can fill in physically for Kane. Frederic was acquired from the Boston Bruins on March 4, but a high ankle sprain limited him in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"I've always said it's nice to have some new faces to come into your group," Bowman said. "They bring a bit of a different energy. They weren't here last year when we made the push, and the year before, so I think they're hungry to get that far in the playoffs and to be able to play in the Stanley Cup Final. I think to have some new voices as well, I think it's good."

Howard is looking to make an impact in the NHL after winning the Hobey Baker Award as the best player in the NCAA last season with Michigan State University. The 21-year-old was acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 8, and signed to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Savoie, 21, will be looking to make the jump after his first season of professional hockey in Bakersfield of the American Hockey League.

"It would be silly to think they're going to come in and the transition is going to be seamless and they're going to be impact NHL players right from the start," Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. "We know there's going to be some hiccups and I think within the organization there's a lot of belief that these are key players."

Whether or not Howard and Savoie make an impact this season, the Oilers should still be strong contenders for the Stanley Cup again.

"I think the team is certainly positioned to be really, really good again next year," McDavid said after the season ended. "This core has been together for a long time, and we've been building to this moment all along. … We're all in this together, trying to get it over that finish line."