Colton Dach

The Oilers chase a playoff spot with Trent Frederic and Colton Dach inching toward returns that could bolster their forward lines just in time. Whispers swirl around deadline targets like Justin Faulk or Oliver Ekman-Larsson to shore up the right side of the blue line, while the front office stands pat in net with Tristan Jarry and Connor Ingram.

Connor McDavid signed that short-term extension with the Oilers last fall to chase a Cup in these next two seasons, but insiders whisper he could bolt as early as summer 2026 if things sour. GM Stan Bowman loaded up at the deadline with Connor Murphy, Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach from Chicago, aiming to shield McDavid and Draisaitl from grind-it-out matchups while bolstering the blue line and penalty kill.

The Edmonton Oilers stare down a nightmare scenario with Leon Draisaitl sidelined for the rest of the regular season after that brutal hit from Nashville's Ozzy Wiesblatt, leaving Connor McDavid to shoulder an impossible load. Trent Frederic, Colton Dach, Mattias Janmark, and Curtis Lazar pile on the pain from IR stints, exposing roster gaps that front-office brass ignored in past offseasons.

Jeff Blashill walks into the pregame presser with that familiar Chicago grit, but even he can't hide the sting of losing two key pieces right before puck drop against the Hawks' latest foe. Whispers from the locker room point to injury updates on guys like Colton Dach and Wyatt Kaiser shaking up the lineup, while a healthy scratch adds another layer of intrigue to an already thin blue line.

The Oilers yank Max Jones back from AHL Bakersfield on Friday, filling the void left by Colton Dach's trip to long-term injured reserve after a rough hit on Josh Manson. Jones, who's been tearing it up with 10 goals and 61 PIM in 39 games down there, steps into a bottom-six mix that's suddenly wide open for Kris Knoblauch.

Andrew Mangiapane's disappointing stint with the Oilers came to an abrupt end when Chicago acquired the veteran winger and a 2027 first-round pick in exchange for Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach. After managing just 14 points in 52 games with Edmonton, Mangiapane is heading to a rebuilding Blackhawks team that's banking on a change of scenery to resurrect the scoring touch that once produced 35 goals in a Calgary season.