The Edmonton Oilers find themselves in their current predicament, having been eliminated by the Anaheim Ducks in six games during the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with no one to blame but themselves. While key players like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are accepting responsibility for the season’s shortcomings, the ultimate accountability rests with General Manager Stan Bowman and President and CEO Jeff Jackson.
The Edmonton Oilers’ trajectory began to falter during the 2023-24 season when the team opted not to extend the contract of their then-General Manager, Ken Holland, who is now with the Los Angeles Kings. Holland was in a precarious position heading into the season, as all NHL teams were aware of the critical dates: the Stanley Cup Final concluding on June 24, 2024, followed by the NHL Draft on June 28-29, and the commencement of free agency on July 1.
Regardless of the organization’s stance on Holland’s tenure, having a General Manager in place by July 1st was imperative. If the organization had decided to move on from Holland prior to his contract expiring on June 30, 2024, one would expect they would have been actively seeking a replacement beforehand. Allowing Jeff Jackson to navigate free agency proved to be an oversight.
Furthermore, if the plan all along was to await Stan Bowman’s reinstatement by the NHL following his involvement in the Chicago Blackhawks scandal, then that represents an even more significant miscalculation, the consequences of which are now apparent. The decisions made by Jackson and Bowman have pushed the Edmonton Oilers further away from championship contention.
Let’s examine the moves made in 2024, notably the offer sheets extended by the St. Louis Blues to Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway. These two players were drafted and developed by the Edmonton Oilers. Management mishandled their development leading into the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Nevertheless, both players proved valuable for the Oilers during their run to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, with Broberg, in particular, contributing significant minutes on the backend and playing solid defense.
The immediate priority for incoming General Manager Stan Bowman should have been to evaluate these players without prior knowledge. Instead, he chose to acquire assets and allow two developing players to depart. Rather than Jackson signing Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner, the primary focus should have been re-signing Broberg and Holloway to contracts before addressing other needs. This is the hallmark of effective general managers and management teams.
Instead, Arvidsson and Skinner were brought in, coinciding with the departures of Broberg and Holloway. They were joined by Cody Ceci, Vincent Desharnais, Warren Foegele, Derek Ryan, and Ryan McLeod, with McLeod subsequently being traded for Matt Savoie. The depth that the Oilers possessed in 2024 was significantly diminished. Moreover, the moves to offload Desharnais and Ceci were intended to free up cap space to sign both players, or at least Broberg.
The Oilers experienced a fluctuating performance throughout the 2024-25 season. A core group remained, including Corey Perry, Evander Kane, John Klingberg, and others. With Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard in net, the Oilers demonstrated their capability, successfully reaching the Stanley Cup Final once again.
Despite the six-game series loss, the contest was not particularly close, as the Oilers were once again outmatched by the Florida Panthers. The depth that had previously defined the Oilers was absent, failing to match the Panthers’ capabilities, signaling more changes were on the horizon during Bowman’s first full offseason as GM. In the preceding offseason, he had to manage Leon Draisaitl’s contract extension; during the 2025 offseason, his focus shifted to Connor McDavid’s extension.
McDavid placed Bowman and his team under pressure by signing only a two-year extension, effective July 1, which was finalized just before the season commenced. However, the roster had already sustained damage. Viktor Arvidsson was traded to Boston for salary cap relief. Connor Brown signed with the New Jersey Devils. Evander Kane was traded to Vancouver for cap relief. Corey Perry signed with the Los Angeles Kings.
The Edmonton Oilers’ depth was visibly eroding. Evan Bouchard secured a substantial contract extension. To compound matters, despite indications of an intention to upgrade goaltending, Bowman traded Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak to Pittsburgh in exchange for Tristan Jarry and his full salary cap hit.
Kulak was subsequently traded by the Penguins to the Colorado Avalanche, who then advanced to the Western Conference Final with his overtime-winning goal. In addition to these transactions, Bowman also relinquished a 2027 first-round pick, a 2027 third-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 second-round pick in trades involving Connor Murphy, Colton Dach, and Jason Dickinson with the Chicago Blackhawks, alongside moving Andrew Mangiapane’s contract.
As Bowman stated at the year-end press conference, he hopes to re-sign Murphy and Dickinson. There is no hope; he needs to find a valid justification for moving the Edmonton Oilers backward and further away from a Stanley Cup Championship. And who bore the brunt of this? The head coach, Kris Knoblauch.
Knoblauch was dismissed before his three-year contract extension took effect because Bowman circumvented the coach by arranging his replacement, a situation that subsequently became public. Consequently, Bowman was compelled to make the change. Credit must be given to Stan Bowman for accepting responsibility for the organizational turmoil in Edmonton, but now, he and Jeff Jackson are on the clock.
This team must achieve success next season or demonstrate a clear path to winning for Connor McDavid to remain in Edmonton. These trades and personnel decisions are inexcusable for any general manager. While his name is etched on the Stanley Cup for the Blackhawks’ three championships, Dale Tallon was instrumental in building the core of those Blackhawks teams, whereas Bowman’s actions led to their decline.
The same scenario is unfolding in Edmonton. This is the most critical offseason in the franchise’s history, mirroring the situation in Toronto. However, it is equally true for the Oilers. When incompetent decision-makers are at the helm, poor decisions are inevitably made. This is precisely why the Edmonton Oilers regressed this season, rather than progressing.