The Edmonton Oilers have long been known for their high-powered offence. From the Dynasty years of the 1980s to the Connor McDavid era, scoring goals was never an issue for the Oilers. Heading into the 2025-26 NHL Season, the team will again expect big numbers from McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and possibly Zach Hyman when he returns from injury.
After that, which players will step up and add secondary scoring? That was the question former Oilers coach and general manager Craig McTavish posed to Bob Stauffer on 880 CHED’s Oilers Now. It’s a legitimate question. Here are five players who will need to step up or have breakthrough seasons in 2025-26 for the team to be successful.
Trent Frederic
Trent Frederic will likely start the season on the Oilers’ top line with McDavid and Draisaitl. Based on that alone, the stocky winger should be able to get close to his career high of 40 points, scored with the Boston Bruins in the 23-24 NHL Season.
However, Frederic could be slowed down by any lingering effects of the high ankle sprain he sustained last season. He was healthy enough to suit up for the Oilers in the 2025 Playoffs, but he wasn’t 100%. If Frederic is fully healthy this season, he could surpass his career best.
Andrew Mangiapane
The Oilers signed Andrew Mangiapane this summer in the hopes that he would return to the player he was with the Calgary Flames in 2021-22, when he scored 35 goals and 55 points. Mangiapane, who played with the Washington Capitals last season, had a bit of a down year, scoring 14 goals and 14 assists.
Based on the enthusiasm he has shown this pre-season, noting that he’s happy to be back playing in Alberta, there’s a good chance he will surpass his totals from last season. If he has a strong start to the campaign, he could score 20 or more goals, which would be a big help for a team in need of secondary scoring.
Matthew Savoie
Former Oilers GM Ken Holland liked to make sure a prospect was ripe before calling him up to the NHL. Based on Matthew Savoie’s numbers last season in the American Hockey League (AHL), where he scored 19 goals and 54 points in 66 games, we have to assume he’s ready for the NHL.
There’s hope that head coach Kris Knoblauch will put Savoie in a position to succeed, which means second or third-line minutes, and when Hyman returns to the line-up, Draisaitl might move back to centre on the second line with Savoie on his wing. If that happens, we can expect some decent numbers from the first-year Oiler. Savoie played briefly with Draisaitl last season, and they had some good chemistry. If that chemistry develops, Savoie could be capable of much more.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
The always reliable Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is expected to deliver respectable point totals again this season. Even though the 14-year veteran’s numbers have dipped from his career high of 104 points (2022-23) over the last two seasons, Nugent-Hopkins can still be counted on to contribute on the power play and on the scoresheet.
Even though he’ll turn 33 in April and might have lost a step, he still thinks the game at a high level and can be counted on to be in the right position at the right time. After losing Corey Perry, Evander Kane, Connor Brown, Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner this offseason, the Oilers will be counting on Nugent-Hopkins to fill the void and have a bounce-back year after tallying 49 points last season.
Vasily Podkolzin
The expectations for Vasily Podkolzin are high after the Oilers signed the big winger to a three-year, $8.85 million contract this offseason. Last season, Podkolzin racked up eight goals and 24 points in 82 games. Based on his playoff performance, when he scored 10 points and had a plus-7 rating, the Oilers are hoping he continues to gain confidence and surpass his numbers from 2024-25. Podkolzin seems to have found a good home in Edmonton, and that could mean a career high in goals and assists this season.
Oilers Must Start Strong
Many in the Oilers organization, from McDavid to Bowman, have talked about the importance of a strong start to the 2025-26 campaign, unlike the past two or three seasons. Bowman will be keeping a close eye on his roster, and if anyone doesn’t play up to their potential, especially in the forward group, you can expect Bowman to bring in some secondary scoring before the 2026 Trade Deadline in early March.
Related: 5 Oilers to Watch During the Preseason
The Oilers have a lot of question marks going into this season, from McDavid’s contract to goaltending to who will step up and have a big offensive year outside the team’s superstars. The hope is the Oilers will get positive answers early on; otherwise, more questions will arise.
