3 Edmonton Oilers stars likely to regress in 2025-26 NHL season ft. Calvin Pickard

The Edmonton Oilers have made the Stanley Cup Finals in back-to-back seasons and have had a relatively quiet offseason.

Entering the season, Edmonton has hopes of finally getting over the hump and winning the Stanley Cup. Yet, there are likely some players who will take a step back this season.

3 Oilers who are likely to take regress this season

#1, Calvin Pickard

Calvin Pickard is back as the Edmonton Oilers' backup goalie, but it does appear like he will take a step back this season.

The Oilers are committed to Stuart Skinner as the starting goalie and should remain with him, getting the bulk of the starts.

“He looks good, he looks quick on the ice,” Bowman said to Stauffer. “And in talking to Peter Aubry, they’ve formed a really great connection. Stu and I talked about that. He’s really excited about the connection that they’ve formed over the summer; they’ve spent a lot of time with each other, talking about the game and talking about his game. It’s like a fresh approach to the season.” “When you add it all up, there’s a lot of reason for excitement.”

With that, Pickard will be getting fewer starts, and there were some concerns with his play down the stretch. Pickard should likely take a step back from his 2.71 GAA and .900 SV% last season.

#2, Jake Walman

Edmonton made a bold move to acquire Jake Walman at the trade deadline, and he made an impact down the stretch.

Walman is an offensive defenseman who can run the power play. But, his role will be limited as Evan Bouchard will run the top power play, while Darnell Nurse and Mattias Ekholm will also get more ice time than him.

Meanwhile, Walman isn't as good defensively, so he likely will not get as much ice time to make an impact.

Walman recorded 7 goals and 33 assists for 40 points last season.

#3, Brett Kulak

Brett Kulak is expected to be on the Oilers' third-pairing, and he should regress this season as he will likely get less ice time.

Kulak recorded 7 goals and 18 assists last season, which is a good year for him, but Edmonton likely can't bank on that again.

Kulak will likely regress a bit offensively, while defensively, he struggled and that is a concern heading into this season.

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Edited by Cole Shelton