Less than a week after their first-round loss, the disappointment for the Edmonton Oilers is still fresh. Following two consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Finals, everyone had high hopes for the 2026 playoffs.
However, the Oilers faced many injuries towards the end of the season and in the playoffs, leading to an early exit after only six games.
The Oilers ended the 2025-26 season with 93 points, the lowest they have had in a normal season since 2018-19. Their defeat against the Anaheim Ducks was also their first first-round loss since 2021. Making it to the Stanley Cup Finals twice is impressive, but when you have the greatest player ever on your team, winning the Cup is what everyone expects.
Things are only going to get tougher for the Oilers, especially since they only have Connor McDavid for two more years. In the press conference at the season’s end, McDavid talked about the changes happening in the Pacific Division:
“This year felt like there was a lot of change. Those younger teams are not the same losing teams anymore. They are strong teams with great players. San Jose is also improving. How long will it take for Chicago to turn things around? Utah is right in the mix too. There was a significant shift this year, and we need to step up.”
The Ducks, who hadn’t made the playoffs for seven seasons before 2025-26, made great progress this year. They ended up third in the Pacific Division with a record of 43-33-6 and were in the race for first place in the Division throughout the season. Last year, they showed some signs of getting better, but ended with a record below . 500 and only 80 points, putting them 16 points away from the last wild card spot.
In Northern California, the San Jose Sharks made big progress. The team from the Pacific Coast had a rough 2024-25 season, ending with a record of 20 wins, 50 losses, and 12 ties, which was the worst in the league. However, with Macklin Celebrini standing out as a real superstar this year, the Sharks improved to a record of 39 wins, 35 losses, and 8 ties, gathering 86 points, and they were just four points away from making it to the last playoff spot. They are likely to get even better, especially if their defense improves.
The Chicago Blackhawks and the Utah Mammoth aren’t really a worry since they’re both in the Central Division. However, if the playoffs go as expected, it’s possible they could meet either of those teams in the Western Conference Finals.
Before the playoffs began, there were some similarities between this season and the playoffs from 2016-17. Ten years ago, the Ducks had more experience while the Oilers were a younger team looking to gain playoff experience. In the end, the Ducks’ experience helped them win that series in the second round, but after that, it was their last series win.
Another team that has some similarities and might be an even closer comparison is the 2016-17 Sharks. The year before, the Sharks made it to the Stanley Cup Finals for the very first time but lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. The following year, they couldn’t defeat the Oilers in the first round and also lost in six games.
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The good news is that the Oilers are not in a terrible place right now. McDavid will turn 30 in January, Draisaitl will be 31 in October, and Evan Bouchard also turns 27 in October. Of the five top players on the Sharks, which include Brent Burns, Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, Joe Thornton, and Patrick Marleau, only one was still in their twenties. Thornton and Marleau were both in their late 30s, while Burns and Pavelski were in their early 30s.
Back in the 2016-17 season, the Sharks had a stronger lineup. Tomáš Hertl and Timo Meier were just starting their careers, and Couture was in his prime at the age of 27. However, they didn’t have a standout player like McDavid or a top-five player like Draisaitl on their roster.
Despite having an older team, the Sharks stayed competitive. In the 2018 playoffs, they beat the Ducks in four games but lost to the newly created Vegas Golden Knights. They got their revenge on the Golden Knights in 2019, mostly because of a bad call during a five-minute major in Game 7, and then they beat the Colorado Avalanche in seven games. The Sharks became exhausted during the Conference Finals and lost to the St. Louis Blues in their surprising journey.
Fortunately, the Oilers are not in a place of struggle just yet. However, with Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg leaving after the 2024 season, they might miss out on having a player like Hertl or Meier, who were crucial for the Sharks during their playoff run in 2019.
It would be great if players such as Vasily Podkolzin, Josh Samanski, and Matthew Savoie could improve and help the Oilers in 2026-27, while Ike Horward reaches his full potential. Nevertheless, it’s really important for the team to make smart choices this summer because time is running out for the Oilers to compete for a championship.
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