Top NHL insider reports Oilers “will look different” after Olympic break

Top NHL expert Elliotte Friedman is saying that the Oilers are thinking about making some big changes after the Olympic break.

There are talks that the Oilers might change their coach after the Olympics and bring in Paul Coffey, but Elliotte Friedman now says even more things could “change. ”

NHL expert Elliotte Friedman says the Oilers will look different after the Olympics.

 

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on Oilers Now that the Oilers are going to look different after the break. He’s not sure if any trades will happen immediately after the freeze, but with lots of GMs in Italy talking business, changes are coming.#Oilers #LetsGoOilers #yeg #nhl…

— Bleed Oil Blue (@BleedOilBlue) February 11, 2026

On the latest OilersNow show, Elliotte Friedman mentioned that the Oilers will probably change after the break. Many NHL General Managers are attending the Olympics, including Stan Bowman, leading to a lot of trade talks.

STAUFFER: Do you think the Oilers will seem different when they return from the Olympic break?

FRIEDMAN: I believe they will look different. I’m just not sure if it will happen quickly. There are a lot of managers here, so I think there will be a lot of discussions. I thought about Paul Coffey, but I was informed it’s not going to occur.

With this comment dismissing Coffey joining the coaching team, any adjustments the Oilers make after the Olympic break will have to be through trades.

As they approach the trade deadline, Edmonton mostly needs two things: a strong forward and a solid right-shot defenseman. Out of these, the defenseman seems to be the bigger priority.

The Oilers’ defense has really struggled since the start of the new year, currently ranking 25th in goals allowed and 26th in penalty kills. They need to figure out how to support Darnell Nurse and his partner, as Walman is not doing well playing on the opposite side. They might consider breaking up the pairing of Bouchard and Ekholm to improve the defense, but that could mean separating one of the best pairings in the NHL.

Finding a good partner for Darnell Nurse should be their top focus, and if the Oilers are going to change after the break, making this adjustment should be the main priority.