How Many Oilers Will Be Affected By Father Time This Season?

The Edmonton Oilers are still firmly within their window to win. That said, the window is starting to close, and if for no other reason than some of the core is getting older. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl still have several good seasons ahead of them, but there are others on the roster who, if they don’t win in their next couple of seasons, will be trying to secure a championship on the back nine of their careers.

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Two of the team’s key top-six guys are Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Hyman, 34, is at the point where his next contract will be one that allows a team to sign him on a bonus-heavy structure. Meanwhile, Nugent-Hopkins, 33, has been with the Oilers for 15 seasons. Both are slowing down, and the Oilers are trying to find the next Hyman and Nugent-Hopkins who can start to elevate up the roster, eventually taking their places.

There’s also Mattias Ekholm on the blue line (36), and Connor Murphy (33). In goal, Frederik Andersen was just signed at the age of 36. This Oilers team is getting older. There’s no denying it. And it’s not just depth pieces.

Expect Some Reduced Ice Time For the Older Core

Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal writes:

“Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will be thirty-four by the time the next Stanley Cup Playoffs comes around. It is between he and Mattias Ekholm that I worry the most about what Father Time will bring in the coming season. These days, NHL Edge puts The Nuge’s skating at just above league average. Now, Nugent-Hopkins is a very smart player and that can compensate for a lost half-step here and there. But I think his effectiveness in the coming season will come down to usage.”

In other words, expect that Mike Babcock will start to reduce Nugent-Hopkins’ role. His average ice time of 19:04 in 2025-26 was down from his average of 19:23. That should go down even further. Leavins writes, “The trick is where to find that extra rest time. It will not come from the Power Play. In fact, it is easy to make the case that Nugent-Hopkins is better on special teams versus 5v5.”

What about Hyman? He’s unlikely to see reduced ice time on the power play, but how many minutes can he play if he’s crashing and banging and taking a beating in front of the net? It’s a tough game he plays, and his body is starting to feel it. He’s missed time in the past couple of seasons. Health could be a concern.

3 Goalies Makes Sense

In goal, Edmonton is going with a three-goaltender system. The Oilers have an unproven backstop in Devon Levi as their young guy, with a struggling Tristan Jarry and an older Andersen rounding out the trio. Andersen might be the starter, but could actually play fewer games than the other two.

Leavins argues he can see situations where it may be advantageous for Andersen (who will be thirty-six in October and has past injury concerns) to play one game and then actually be in the press box the next one.” He called it “severe load management,” and he believes the Oilers will rest Andersen often.

The road schedule is a tough one for the Oilers, which won’t help matters. He predicts Anderson starts an absolute maximum of 28 of the games between now and Christmas, leaving Jarry and Levi to split the remaining 18. He then wonders if 60% is too heavy of a load.

As it stands, Elite Prospects has the Oilers ranked 13th in the league in terms of age, with an average of just over 28. It would be one thing if it was bottom-six forwards or six and seventh d-men that were causing the average to go up. It’s not. It’s some of the team’s key guys, which adds another level of urgency to things.

Next: The Unwanted UFA?: Why Discount Forward Makes Too Much Sense for the Oilers