For the last 23 years (12 with The Hockey News) Dobber has reviewed each team from a fantasy-hockey standpoint and graded them.

The 24th annual review will appear here on Dobber Hockey throughout the summer. This is not a review of the likely performance on the ice or in the standings, but in the realm of fantasy hockey both for the season ahead as well as the foreseeable future. Offensively, will the team perform? Are there plenty of depth options worthy of owning in keeper leagues? What about over the next two or three years? These questions are taken into consideration when looking at the depth chart and the player potential on that depth chart.

Enjoy!

** Be sure to pick up your copy of the 2026-2027 Fantasy Hockey Guide **

Gone: Darnell Nurse, Jack Roslovic, Adam Henrique, Connor Ingram, Curtis Lazar, Calvin Pickard.
Incoming: Frederik Andersen, Ryan Shea, Shakir Mukhamadullin, Mathieu Joseph, Zachary Sharp.

Impact of Changes: The Edmonton Oilers have themselves a number one netminder? Well, on paper at least. The addition of Andersen has the Oilers heading into the season with arguably the best goaltending tandem they've had in over a decade. Of course, Andersen's fantasy value is now at the mercy of Edmonton's blue line rather than the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes', but the Danish veteran has shown that, despite his injury history, he can still be a number one goaltender and a proven presence in the postseason. Nearing 37 years old and with a checkered injury past, drafting Andersen in upcoming fantasy hockey drafts comes with inherent risk, which is compounded by his .874 save percentage and 3.05 goals-against average from last season. Backup Tristan Jarry likely won't be pushing Freddie for starts as long as he can stay healthy, so there's plenty of upside when it comes to wins on an Edmonton group that should return to the top two spots in the Pacific Division.

As for the big name on the way out, kudos to Stan Bowman for finally getting out from under Darnell Nurse's king's ransom contract by shipping him to San Jose without retaining any salary. Say what you will about the heinous contract, Nurse's 20-plus minutes of ice time per night have to go somewhere, and his ability to throw the body and block shots will surely be missed. Can the additions of Ryan Shea and Shakir Mukhamdullin mitigate that loss and provide enough sandpaper in front of Andersen? That remains to be seen. From a fantasy hockey perspective, Nurse will still provide value in banger cat leagues as a player who contributes across multiple categories while maintaining a 30-point baseline, making him an excellent late-round target to round out a fantasy blue-line roster.

Ready For Full Time: In addition to ensuring this blue line holds up in front of the aforementioned boom-or-bust tandem of Andersen and Jarry, another major storyline for Edmonton is once again depth scoring. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard — then who? Of course, most will point to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and the fantasy dynamo that a healthy Zach Hyman can be, but the Oilers will also need one of their young players to establish themselves at the NHL level while providing another wrinkle of offensive support for Edmonton's big guns.

That name has to be Isaac Howard. The former Hobey Baker Award winner and 31st-overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft out of Michigan State has the explosive skating ability and wicked release to become an impact goal scorer. However, a small sample size of just 29 NHL games and five points leaves the 22-year-old with a lot to prove in training camp and, even more importantly, during the first couple weeks of the campaign. Howard is currently projected by many to get a real look on the top line on McDavid's left flank, and if he sticks there, he easily fits the mold as a fantasy hockey sleeper with sneaky 40-to-50-point potential. Rather than going with a fading veteran whose fantasy value is now tied more to his name than his impact on the ice, consider taking a shot on Howard. In deeper formats, he could be the kind of late-round steal that takes a fantasy squad over the top if he sticks in the top six, as many pundits expect.

Disclaimer: some may point to this section lacking mention of Matthew Savoie, but considering he already has 90 games of NHL experience and a taste of the rigors of the postseason, Savoie's not getting the moniker as "Ready For Full Time".

Fantasy Outlook: McDavid, Draisaitl, and Bouchard are all top-25 fantasy targets flying off draft boards regardless of the format. Locked and loaded. However, after the next likely Oiler off the board in Hyman, who likely won't make it much past the fifth or sixth round, things get a little more complicated. Edmonton was bounced by the Anaheim Ducks in six games last spring, surrendering an ugly 29 goals in the process, and while the offseason additions of Andersen and Shea are designed to address some of those deficiencies, there are still plenty of question marks surrounding the supporting cast.

The pressure to perform is very real in Edmonton this year. With McDavid entering another critical stretch of his career and the Oilers making minimal changes to a roster that fell short in the opening round, another prolonged stretch of mediocre hockey to open the season could create some real headaches for fantasy managers. We've seen this movie before: Edmonton gets off to a sluggish start, the lines begin to shuffle, and suddenly the players who looked like fantastic values on draft day become inconsistent week-to-week assets. That's the biggest concern with this group beyond the Big Three. The talent is undeniable, but the fantasy value of names like Nugent-Hopkins, Hyman, Howard and the rest of Edmonton's secondary scoring is going to be heavily tied to deployment. Who gets McDavid's wing? Who lands beside Draisaitl? Who gets first-unit power-play time? Those decisions could create significant swings in fantasy value throughout the season.

That makes Edmonton a fascinating team to draft this season. Take the stars, trust the talent, and absolutely take your shot on the upside — but once the elite names are gone, be careful about paying for what the Oilers could be rather than what their secondary players have actually proven they can be. 

Overall Grade: A- (Last year was A-).

Check out the rest of the Dobber team previews here.