How will Edmonton Oilers deploy new-look winger depth charts in 2025-26?

New York Times

2 days ago

While Edmonton Oilers fans focus on the famous veteran wingers who were lost to free agency, the organization is focused on a new-look group that marbles youth, experience and the unknown in hopes of adding speed and goals.
The Oilers' wingers scored a total of 116 goals last season: Zach Hyman (27 goals), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (20, 12 as a winger), Corey Perry (19), Jeff Skinner (16), Viktor Arvidsson (16), Connor Brown (13), Vasily Podkolzin (8) and Kasperi Kapanen (5).
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Meanwhile, the team's main centres scored 100: Leon Draisaitl (52), Connor McDavid (26), Adam Henrique (12) and Mattias Janmark (2), plus the eight goals Nugent-Hopkins scored while playing centre.
Edmonton general manager Stan Bowman needed to add youth, a rugged edge and goals this summer, while also saying goodbye to almost 60 percent of the goals scored by wingers last season.
How did he do it? Will it work out? Here's a look.
Matt Savoie has a full year of professional experience, having thrived with the Bakersfield Condors as a rookie pro in 2024-25. He was the leading rookie scorer (age 20 group) in the AHL last season, and the Condors outscored opponents at a 65 percent rate when he was on the ice. When Savoie was not on the ice, that goal share dipped under 50 percent for Bakersfield.
NHL coaches are risk-averse, especially with rookies. Savoie's performance in Bakersfield, plus a cup of coffee in the NHL, should give him an early boost in the race for skill-line minutes alongside one of McDavid or Draisaitl. Hyman should be the right winger with McDavid, but he can play either side. It's possible Hyman is delayed in making the opening-night roster as he recovers from wrist surgery. That could help Savoie.
Ike Howard's journey to the Oilers roster is a little more complicated. Edmonton moved out Perry, Arvidsson and Brown on right wing, leaving only Hyman and Kapanen as incumbents this fall. However, Skinner was the only free-agent left winger not retained. Adding to the degree of difficulty is Howard's pure rookie status; he has never played professional hockey.
His main calling card is as a first-shot scorer. Howard delivered 26 goals in 2024-25 and led the Big Ten in that category, finishing second in points. If Howard can gain some traction in training camp, the Oilers' roster becomes wildly interesting on the third- and fourth-line left wing spots. It's possible the club makes a trade before opening night (possibly Janmark) to make room.
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Likely deployment: Both men receive between 45-60 games, Savoie scoring 0.5 points per game, with Howard taking a little longer to establish himself. The range of outcomes for Howard includes extended time with the Condors, especially if his work away from the puck becomes an issue.
Andrew Mangiapane and Trent Frederic both have a chance to grab significant roles on the 2025-26 Oilers. The veterans signed with the team over the summer and will bring a range of skills to the top three lines.
Mangiapane's intelligent play and aggressive forechecking style should lend themselves to both the McDavid and Draisaitl lines. He did not have a strong offensive season in 2024-25 (his sole campaign with the Washington Capitals) but should recover if he can stay on one of the top lines.
Likely deployment: Mangiapane playing left wing on one of the top two lines is the easiest bet among the newcomers on the Edmonton roster. Expect 75-plus games, 40-45 points and 15-20 goals for the coming season.
Frederic is a more difficult player to project onto the Edmonton roster. He brings plenty of grit, something the club will want (at times) on the top two lines. If completely healthy, he could score enough to merit time with the high-end skill centres. Failing that, he could be an effective winger on a third line that outscores and takes on some tough assignments.
Deployment: Plenty of third-line time, with trips up the depth chart as required. Oilers fans didn't get to see Frederic at his best last season. Before his injury-riddled season in 2024-25, he averaged 14-14-28 with the Bruins. That should be the range of expectation (if he's healthy) for him in 2025-26.
Hyman had wrist surgery and is 33. Despite a motor that won't quit, it's unrealistic to expect the kind of goal-scoring Oilers fans enjoyed over the past four seasons (he has averaged 38 goals per 82 games in Edmonton).
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Podkolzin scored just eight goals last season while playing a significant amount with Draisaitl on the second line. His career high (14) should be within reach if he can hang around on the skill lines long enough this season. For a team that may need his fearless approach more often this season (with the exit of Evander Kane), Podkolzin is in a good spot to increase his offence in 2025-26.
Kapanen projects as a depth forward and should deliver at about the same per-game production levels as last season.
David Tomasek (Swedish league's leading scorer), Curtis Lazar (healthy again and a possible solution at centre) and Quinn Hutson are wild cards who could pick up significant playing time if injuries hit or the young hopefuls fail to deliver. Here's the tale of the tape.
Each year, I run a 'reasonable expectations' series that projects goals-for and against for the Oilers in the coming season. The wingers this coming season project behind last year's group by nine goals. Hyman's injury and aging are factors, and the reliance on both Savoie and Howard as rookies, plus a wild card in Tomasek, likely means a slight downturn in results.
The positive in this exercise is clear: there is room to grow. If the Oilers stay the course with the new group of players, the team should be fresher in the playoffs with the rookies battle-hardened.
Look for an increase year over year from Podkolzin. He's in an excellent spot on this roster for the coming season. If Savoie and Howard are quicker than projected in figuring out where the goals are scored, Edmonton could break even in terms of production on the wings.
(Photo of Andrew Mangiapane: David Kirouac / Imagn Images)