Latest news with #StanBowman
Edmonton Journal
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
'It's my job to connect with Connor': Oilers GM ready and waiting work with McDavid on new deal
Article content Oilers GM Stan Bowman says he's looking at making changes in goal and at forward with the Edmonton Oilers, but he's not looking at major change, given the success of the Stanley Cup Final team. Said Bowman at his season-end press conference today: 'Sitting here today with the way it ended, it certainly feels like a disappointment. And I think it's hard to in the moment, to reflect upon how great a seasoning was. I think over time, you get some perspective on that. And I know from experience that emotions of the moment right now are are challenging, But I'll try to do my best to explain, you know, the fact that this was a great season. We fell short, but we did a lot of great things we you know, there's 30 other teams that would would trade with where we were… At the end of the day, Florida, you know, played better than we did in the Final, and they deserved it.
New York Times
8 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
An early look at the Edmonton Oilers' potential 2025-26 roster
The Edmonton Oilers have lost the Stanley Cup Final two years in a row, but fans are already looking forward to another chance to win it. The key names will return, led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. After that, expect changes. The big item is McDavid's next contract, but that won't kick in until the fall of 2026 (he is signed for one more season at a value deal, $12.5 million). Advertisement For general manager Stan Bowman, any roster improvement must also make the team cap compliant. It's no easy task in a summer when some positions offer few obvious upgrade opportunities. There's every chance some of the players acquired by Bowman during the season return for a full season on new contracts. Here's a position-by-position look at how things might turn out in the weeks to come. Via PuckPedia and Natural Stat Trick There isn't much in free agency, and the trade market is also shallow for contending teams in search of quality veterans. If Bowman could acquire John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks (a major salary would need to exit to make it happen), the club would have something close to what previous management hoped to gain from the Jack Campbell and Stuart Skinner tandem in the fall of 2022. Gibson is 31, but just delivered his finest season since 2018-19. It isn't an efficient move. The play here is to run back Skinner and Calvin Pickard, with an eye to a deadline deal. The cap room needed to improve the roster in other areas forces Bowman to stay the course for one more year at the position. There may be a silver lining. Skinner is young (26) and has 50 playoff games on his resume. A final 'stand and deliver' season makes sense at a position with no home run solutions available this summer. via PuckPedia This may look like running it all back, but John Klingberg's emergence in the postseason as a sublime passer out of the zone represents a strong addition to the roster. Jake Walman also delivered after the deadline, and the pairing was quality (50 percent goal share, 54 percent expected) at five-on-five during the postseason, via Natural Stat Trick. The top pairing should remain the same next season, with Evan Bouchard projected to receive a massive new contract that takes him well into the next decade as an Oilers defenceman. Mattias Ekholm's various injuries should heal over the summer, and that bodes well for this group in 2025-26. Advertisement Darnell Nurse, Brett Kulak and Troy Stecher fill out the defensive roster, and the organization may want to see if there's a market for any of these players over the summer. Ty Emberson appears to be the odd man out entering training camp, and Bowman may want to make a move in order to reduce the massive cap numbers this group will earn next season. via PuckPedia This is the most ridiculous depth chart in the sport. Edmonton's top two centres are the strength of the roster. McDavid and Draisaitl deliver elite performances every season and are at the heart of any success enjoyed by the team. Draisaitl doesn't always play in the middle, and that's also the case with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Veteran Mattias Janmark can play the wing, and may see competition from David Tomasek (coming off a fantastic season in Sweden) and Bakersfield Condors centre Noah Philp. The changing of the guard must occur at some point in the season, with Tomasek and Philp well situated to see NHL ice time in 2025-26. via PuckPedia The Oilers badly need an infusion of skill and youth. Both may come from Condors graduate Matt Savoie, who's on a value contract. He should occupy a key role on a skill line in Edmonton beginning this fall. Trent Frederic is another player who brings a rugged style to the game and can play all three forward positions. He had a tough year with injury and long stretches of ineffective play, but if healthy, he should bring the Oilers quality play on one of the top three lines. Rumours have him re-signing before July 1 with Edmonton. Hyman remains the key winger, especially if coach Kris Knoblauch runs McDavid and Draisaitl up the middle. Edmonton doesn't have a large group of scorers among wingers, and this roster (as presented here) would be relying on Connor Brown to post between 15 and 20 goals in a support role. Advertisement The Oilers up front would have moved out all of Evander Kane, Adam Henrique and Viktor Arvidsson. Frederic and Savoie would replace them, and represent an increase in skill and speed, with less of an edge in the case of Savoie. McDavid's contract aside, the big story over this summer will be Bouchard's new deal. I've projected a $10 million cap hit over eight seasons, and that kind of money for Bouchard will be met with all manner of reactions. The bottom line is this: Bouchard is the third-best player on this Oilers team. Trading him over the summer, or (worse) losing him to an offer sheet, would be disastrous. The Oilers have no choice. Bouchard is the priority. After that, money's too tight to mention. The Oilers could sign Patrick Kane as a free agent, but may eschew that kind of move in favour of a more rambunctious winger. This is the point in the Oilers' development cycle when Dylan Holloway would have been an outstanding plug-and-play for one of the skill lines, but that ship sailed last summer. The roster above comes in under the cap and requires an aggressive offloading of current players. Bowman has his work cut out for him. He must sign McDavid and Bouchard, then fill as many holes as possible. The goaltending issue, should it remain one, would need to be solved at the deadline.
National Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- National Post
Change needed: Factors standing in the way of the Oilers winning a Stanley Cup next year
Now what? Article content After another regime change and a major player overhaul in the summer, the Edmonton Oilers seem father away from a Stanley Cup right now than they did a year ago. Article content What started out as an epic series with the Florida Panthers — three-straight ferocious overtime games — fizzled into the Oilers being exposed. Article content When your last three losses of a series are by scores of 6-1, 5-2 and 5-1, the gap between you and the team that beat you is more like a canyon. Article content Article content This was an eye-opening final, to be sure. Article content Edmonton was good enough to steamroll the Western Conference. Going 12-2 in their last 14 games against Los Angeles, Vegas and Dallas is the stuff of a real contender. But face-to-face with a real champion, the Oilers didn't have an answer. Article content The Panthers were better on every possible level. Article content So this is going to be a massive summer for general manager Stan Bowman and Hockey Operations chief Jeff Jackson. The Oilers need a complete overhaul. If all we see are a couple of tweaks around the edges, the Oilers aren't winning a Stanley Cup next year, either. Article content Not as long as the Panthers are around. And you can be sure the other contenders are going to muscle up as well. Article content A LITTLE HELP Article content Right now, the legacy for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, 10 years into their partnership, is one of near-misses and long-running frustration. Article content But they've been more than good enough to win a championship. Article content In 96 career playoff games, Connor McDavid has 150 points, including 75 points in 47 games over the last two runs to the final. Article content Article content Leon Draisaitl has 141 points in 96 playoffs games and 64 points over the last two runs. Article content It's the organization that's been letting them down, not the other way around. Article content Edmonton scored 16 goals in the Cup Final, not counting Vasily Podkolzin's garbage-time marker with four minutes left in a 5-0 Game 6. Of those 16 goals, McDavid and Draisaitl either scored or assisted on 11 of them. They were on the ice for 13 of the 16. Article content You can't win that way. Article content Getting Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson for a combined $7 million seemed like solid moves at the time, but they weren't. Trying to get something for nothing with Kapsperi Kapanen and John Klingberg wasn't the answer, either. Not when the Panthers were getting Seth Jones and Brad Marchand.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
What changes could help Edmonton Oilers return to Stanley Cup Final again?
Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman is looking at an active summer. The last remnants of the Ken Holland era burned out Tuesday night in Sunrise, Fla., just as dusk arrived in the city of Edmonton. Contracts for Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard will be top priority, and the postseason has exposed some areas of weakness. Several contracts, including some with no-movement clauses, will have to be moved out by trade or buyout. Advertisement Here's a quick and early glance at what the Oilers may look to add between now and training camp in the fall. During the regular season, Edmonton's five-on-five save percentage (.903) was the subject of concern for Oilers fans. The team's GA-60 (2.52) was in range with expected GA-60 (2.37), but was one of the few areas of the game where Edmonton ranked in the lower third of the NHL (No. 23). In the playoffs, both Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard had successful runs in net, and the club's five-on-five save percentage ranked in the top half of the league's postseason teams. It's an area Bowman may want to upgrade this summer. The problem? There's not much in free agency that looks like a clear upgrade. Chris Johnston at The Athletic lists Jake Allen (No. 12) and Alex Lyon (No. 37) as his top free agents at the position for 2025. Johnston's trade list includes one strong possibility (Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson) and another less likely option (Elvis Merzlikins of the Columbus Blue Jackets). One target that has potential and high risk is Boston Bruins starter Jeremy Swayman. He's coming off a subpar season, has a no-movement clause and the cap hit ($8.25 million) would require a massive roster overhaul for the Oilers to acquire. That's before we get into a discussion about what Bowman would need to send the other way to complete the deal. Is it possible the Oilers run it back with Skinner and Pickard? Seems unlikely. Rachel Doerrie of Betalytics was a guest on the Lowdown on Monday. She spoke about the Panthers' roster and the absence of inefficient contracts. The Florida tax situation helps the two teams who play in the state, but Edmonton's long list of contracts with partial or complete no-movement clauses must be culled by Bowman. Advertisement Many fans believe Viktor Arvidsson and Adam Henrique will be dealt in the offseason, and buyouts are possible if trades can't be found. There are rumours everywhere suggesting the club is close to signing veteran winger Trent Frederic long-term, and that may allow Bowman to deal Evander Kane over the summer. If Bowman can offload Arvidsson and Henrique, moving Kane (who has had a significant impact in the playoffs) may not be necessary. The most inefficient contract on the Oilers roster belongs to Darnell Nurse. He's in the middle of an eight-year deal with an annual average value of $9.25 million. He has a no-movement clause that relaxes in 2027 (10-team no-trade list at that time), and it's unlikely the player would waive before then. Nurse's deal was signed by Ken Holland in the days after the Seth Jones contract, while Oscar Klefbom's future was also in doubt. Contracts for top defencemen signed after Nurse have made his deal less of an outlier, but most of the defenders signed to big money bring more offence. Bowman may want to at least pursue the idea this summer or next, with an eye to using the $9.25 million in cap on two efficient contracts. The Oilers arrived at the end of a long season and playoff run with several players who were not 100 percent healthy. The roster carried a large number of older veterans with hundreds of NHL games on each resume. Some of those players signed value deals in an effort to win the Stanley Cup, with Corey Perry delivering an exceptional regular season and playoff run. When Zach Hyman went down to injury late in the series against the Dallas Stars, the team's skill and speed on the wings was left wanting. Here's a list of the wingers deployed by Edmonton coaches during the final: Matt Savoie, Edmonton's top prospect, is a right winger whose foot speed landed him near the top (92nd percentile) of the league during the regular season. No one can suggest that coach Kris Knoblauch should have used him during this year's playoffs, but one year from now, after a season in the NHL on a top line, Savoie might be able to deliver the goals that Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner were unable to during the postseason. Advertisement Skinner is an example of what can happen to veterans who wear down or get nicked up. During the regular season, NHL Edge tracked him at 35.35 KPH, just slightly below average. He was far off that pace in the playoffs. The Oilers up the middle have extreme speed, featuring McDavid (98th percentile) and Draisaitl (94th percentile). A young, fast winger like Savoie would be an inexpensive skill option for next season. He would have enough experience during the regular year to be trusted in the 2026 postseason. The Oilers need an infusion of youth, and based on the scoring by Edmonton's wingers in the playoffs, scoring ability is also a must. The Ken Holland era ended in Florida on Wednesday night. Edmonton lost for the second year in a row in the final versus the Panthers. Fans will want change, and Bowman should look for opportunities in specific areas. The Oilers looked old in the final, and many of the foundation pieces were injured (we know about Hyman and Ekholm; fans should prepare for a long list in the days to come). Bowman may shop for help in goal, another scoring winger, a puck mover with speed who can retrieve and outlet in a hurry and a healthy dose of youth. His main priority is signing McDavid to an extension. Beyond that, prepare for loud noises. The Stan Bowman era begins now. It is time for change. (Photo of Connor McDavid and Jeremy Swayman: Perry Nelson / Imagn Images)
New York Times
08-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How the Edmonton Oilers are set up for the 2025 NHL Draft
The Edmonton Oilers signed another young free agent on Saturday. Finnish left winger Viljami Marjala is 22 and the latest addition to the prospect pool by general manager Stan Bowman. Marjala posted 44 assists in Finland's Liiga last season, the fifth best total in the entire league. His 52 points landed him just outside the top 10 in league scoring. Scouting reports have him as a playmaker with a good shot, a good two-way type and a player who blossomed in the last two seasons with TPS Turku. Advertisement Bowman has signed a plethora of prospects since arriving last August, giving the team's talent pool more long-shot bets and addressing a major area of need. The draft this summer will be a challenge for Edmonton. Currently in the middle of the Stanley Cup Final, management has one eye on the series against the Panthers and another on the summer's activities. That includes the draft. Here's a quick look at what the picks Edmonton owns, and a possible target with the top selection. At this point in the season, there's some uncertainty in the final draft seeding. Edmonton's first-round selection will land No. 31 or No. 32, depending on the outcome of the final. Here's a look at the selections currently belonging to the Oilers: via Pro Sports Transactions The Oilers own three picks in the 2025 draft, the highest originally belonging to the St. Louis Blues. That selection, tentatively No. 83, will be key to any draft success delivered by Oilers scouts. A decade of dealing picks and prospects left the Oilers with holes at most positions. The organization has made attempts in the last 12 months to add bona fide NHL future talent, specifically Sam O'Reilly and Matt Savoie. A look at the projected best player by position informs us the group, while showing considerable promise, isn't deep and could use some help via the 2025 draft: Bowman could sign KHL winger Maxim Berezkin in the days to come, and help the depth chart at left wing. The Oilers organization may have found a late-round gem in goaltender Samuel Jonsson, who offers size and an impressive 2024-25 performance. Savoie is the surest bet in the group, a guaranteed plug-and-play on an NHL skill line next season. The only ways he isn't on the opening-night roster for 2025-26 will be poor performance in preseason, injury or a trade. Advertisement That leaves defence. It is there that the Oilers may use that third-round pick acquired from the Blues. A team that enters a draft with a third-round selection as its highest option is forced to make a decision: Go for the safe prospect, or try to hit a home run with a player with both extreme talent and enough question marks to scare away the teams with higher picks. Most of the players who make the NHL as depth players are readily available via trade or free agency. The Oilers would be best served by attempting to hit a home run. Since Bowman arrived as general manager, he has signed two defencemen (Atro Leppanen, Damien Carfagna) and three forwards (Marjala, Josh Samanski, Quinn Hutson) from outside the organization. He also secured goalies Jonsson and Nathan Day and forward Connor Clattenburg from the group of previous Oilers drafts. Based on the team's depth chart, a defenceman might be the best option available. Scott Wheeler at The Athletic has Reese Hamilton of the Regina Pats ranked No. 77 on his final list for the 2025 draft. His description reveals an exceptional skater who was highly ranked entering his draft season but fell down lists due to dull performance in 2024-25. Wheeler's thumbnail sketch of Hamilton suggests the type of defender the current Oilers management group may value highly. Wheeler: 'Hamilton is a smooth-skating, heads-up defenseman whose impressive mobility allows him to transport pucks, walk the line, gap and re-gap and get back to pucks. He's a zone-exit machine.' The Oilers are currently trying to win the Stanley Cup playing a style that focuses on zone exits that allow fast breaks for Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and others. Gathering a player who could play that role in the future is a good idea. Although Hamilton does not have the resume Evan Bouchard delivered in junior, he plays for the Regina Pats, who were the poorest offensive team in the WHL last season. The club's 170 goals represent just 2.5 goals per 60, in the same league that the Medicine Hat Tigers averaged 4.41 goals per game. The Pats were bad one year ago. Advertisement Wheeler concludes, 'his skating is the real premium, though. It's effortlessly smooth and should allow him to develop into an entry/exit/escapable/rush defense/tight gap D.' Hamilton is 6-feet-1, 170 pounds and could grow into a more substantial blueliner. His foot speed will get him a long look as a pro, and if his offence develops, the Oilers could have a useful top-four defenceman by the end of the decade. The Oilers have left themselves vulnerable at the 2025 draft, but no Oilers fan can possibly be upset. If the idea is winning the Stanley Cup, the last two years have proven beyond a doubt that the organization is laser-focused on winning it all. The steps taken by Bowman this season, in adding multiple players, show management is aware that the organization is vulnerable in the area of amateur procurement. The urgency is warranted. There's little use in finding a future No. 6 defenceman. Taking a chance on a player like Hamilton allows the team to make a sizeable bet on a player with raw physical skills. In baseball, these types are called 'draft and follow' and can have a major impact. Last season, playing for two WHL teams, Hamilton posted just four goals and 14 points in 59 games. Akey, another speedy puck mover, scored 47 points in 66 games during his draft season. The Oilers grabbed him with selection No. 56 in 2023. The key to identifying a 'draft and follow' player is making certain the talent was real and confirming the opportunity was unlike other draft-eligible players one year ago. It would seem Hamilton is such a player. Wheeler's ranking, despite the poor offensive production, is a tell.
