Edmonton Oilers enter spring amateur signing season with plenty of needs – The Athletic
As the Edmonton Oilers continue to navigate through another competitive NHL season, all eyes are beginning to turn toward the future. The organization has found itself at a crossroads with many questions surrounding the long-term construction of the roster. While the Oilers have established themselves as a playoff contender with the dynamic duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the team’s performance in both the regular season and the playoffs has highlighted several weaknesses that need addressing in the future. As the spring amateur signing season approaches, the Oilers face an essential opportunity to bolster their roster with youth, and potentially address some of their most pressing needs.
The NHL’s amateur signing period is crucial for teams looking to deepen their prospect pool, secure future talent, and potentially find hidden gems that could make an impact sooner rather than later. As one of the most competitive teams in the NHL right now, the Oilers have relatively few spots available on their current roster, but the long-term sustainability of their success depends on how they continue to build their prospect system. With a few needs to address, the Oilers are set to leverage the amateur signing season as a way to improve not just their current roster, but their future success as well.
Identifying Needs: What the Oilers Lack
Despite their status as Stanley Cup contenders, the Edmonton Oilers have several areas on their roster that could use reinforcement. Here’s a look at some of the most pressing needs that the team should focus on during the spring amateur signing season:
1. Defensive Depth
While the Oilers have a top-tier offensive lineup, including McDavid and Draisaitl, one of the key challenges they face every season is their lack of defensive depth. Despite acquiring defensemen like Mattias Ekholm and Cody Ceci, Edmonton still struggles to put together a stable and reliable defensive corps. Darnell Nurse, Evan Bouchard, and Ekholm have all had solid moments, but the Oilers are still too inconsistent on the defensive end, particularly when it comes to controlling opposing forwards and shutting down top lines. Their blue line lacks a truly dominant shutdown defender capable of playing top minutes and handling the physicality of playoff hockey.
The Oilers need more defensive depth and are likely to look for young prospects who can add physicality, stability, and two-way play to their system. As they continue to build toward a Cup run, adding defensive prospects with NHL potential could be a key focus of the spring signing period.
2. Bottom-Six Forward Help
While the Oilers’ top-six forwards are among the best in the NHL, the bottom-six depth remains a challenge. The team lacks a solid, consistent third and fourth-line group capable of chipping in offensively and playing reliable defensive minutes. Ryan McLeod, Warren Foegele, and Zach Hyman provide some versatility, but there’s still a lack of depth that could be exposed in a long playoff series. In particular, the team struggles to generate consistent offense from players lower in the lineup.
As a result, the Oilers need to start prioritizing adding young forward prospects who can contribute to the bottom six in the future. These players should be able to create depth scoring, provide responsible two-way play, and ultimately contribute to the team’s overall success. The Oilers should be eyeing players who have the potential to become key cogs in their bottom six or even evolve into future top-six forwards, depending on their development.
3. Goaltending Depth
The Oilers have a solid tandem in goal with Stuart Skinner and Jack Campbell, but they lack true depth in the position. The Oilers are riding Skinner as their starter, and while he has shown flashes of brilliance, he’s still a young netminder learning the ropes at the NHL level. Campbell has struggled with consistency, and while the Oilers can rely on both goalies during the regular season, it remains unclear how they will fare in a deep playoff run, where elite goaltending often makes the difference between success and failure.
Finding a young goaltender to add to the prospect pool would be an important step for the Oilers. This would not only provide insurance in case of injury or performance dips but also ensure the team has a capable netminder to step into the crease when needed. A promising goaltending prospect could develop into a future NHL starter or provide invaluable experience in high-leverage situations.
Focusing on the Spring Amateur Signing Season
As the Oilers enter the spring amateur signing period, they will look to address these gaps by signing top prospects that fit their needs. The signing season is particularly vital because it represents an opportunity to land players who may not yet be drafted or have the potential to fall under the radar, while also identifying players who have the skill sets the team is lacking. The following strategies could guide the Oilers’ decision-making process during this crucial period.
1. Targeting High-Impact Defenders
The Oilers’ primary focus during the spring amateur signing period should be on securing highly skilled defensemen. Teams that are in a strong playoff position like Edmonton need to shore up their back end by adding prospects who can play both at the NHL level and in the AHL. The Oilers’ defense corps lacks a truly dominant presence, and the team could benefit greatly from signing promising blueliners who can play a significant role in the future.
They should target young defensemen who excel at moving the puck, maintaining defensive zone coverage, and playing in all situations. With a focus on the team’s long-term future, signing defensive prospects who could play key roles in two to three years would make the Oilers much more well-rounded.
2. Scouting for Bottom-Six Forwards with Upside
A significant challenge for the Oilers will be finding players who can help them create bottom-six depth, especially in the forward group. Historically, the team has struggled to find consistency in its bottom-six lines, especially when compared to other Stanley Cup contenders, who often have well-balanced lineups with contributions from all four forward lines.
By scouting for prospects with high upside who can contribute to this area of the roster, Edmonton can build a pipeline of talent that will add strength to the bottom of their lineup in the future. Ideally, the Oilers would look for players who not only have the potential to score goals but also exhibit strong defensive awareness, as both are critical for bottom-six forwards. Versatile forwards who can play on special teams, especially penalty kill and power-play situations, will help provide further depth to the team.
3. Exploring Goaltending Prospects
As mentioned earlier, goaltending depth is an area the Oilers should target during the amateur signing period. While they are relatively solid with Skinner and Campbell, finding an elite goaltending prospect to develop within the system should be a long-term goal. This ensures that the team isn’t scrambling for a potential starter down the line.
Top goaltending prospects can be found through the undrafted free-agent market or from junior leagues around the world. The Oilers should prioritize scouting top-tier talent in junior leagues, as well as looking overseas for players who may be ready to take the next step into North American hockey. A young goaltender with high potential could step into the system and potentially challenge for a backup role in the future, providing depth if needed.
The Future of the Edmonton Oilers
Looking beyond the immediate, the Oilers are at a crossroads where they must begin thinking about their long-term roster construction. While the team is currently in a prime position with McDavid, Draisaitl, and other key players in their prime, the window for a Stanley Cup championship is not indefinite. The team must continue to add pieces through the amateur signing process, whether through trades, drafts, or signings, to ensure they continue to build a balanced, competitive roster in the coming years.
Securing talented prospects during the spring amateur signing period is one of the most important ways the Oilers can achieve this. By identifying and targeting players who fit their needs, whether in defense, goaltending, or forward depth, the Oilers can set themselves up for a strong future. Even if these signings don’t make an immediate impact, they’ll help round out the organization’s development pipeline and give the Oilers the depth they need to be sustainable contenders for years to come.
