Oilers have a major problem that could force a trade before opening night

The Edmonton Oilers wrapped up another offseason move this week, bringing in left winger Alex Formenton to bolster their fourth line with speed and penalty kill ability. But the real concern in Edmonton has nothing to do with the bottom of the roster.

It sits squarely on the second line.

New head coach Mike Babcock has reportedly committed to keeping Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl together on a top unit alongside Vasily Podkolzin. That trio, if it stays intact all year, could be the most dangerous line in the NHL.

The problem is what comes after it as Allan Mitchell explained in his latest The Athletic’s column.

At the captain's practice this week, the second line featured Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman, and Ike Howard. Nugent-Hopkins is 33. Hyman is 34. Howard is just 22 with only 29 NHL games under his belt. None of the three are in the prime of their careers, and that creates a significant competitive gap when facing elite opposition.

General manager Stan Bowman reportedly needs to find a difference-maker before opening night. Whether that means a first-shot scorer or a high-skill right-handed centre, the mandate is clear. The second line, as currently constructed, could be a liability against top competition.

The numbers paint a telling picture. Over the past three seasons, Hyman has been a prolific five-on-five goal scorer, averaging 1.29 goals per 60 minutes. That figure leads all Oilers forwards. However, a deeper look reveals his production drops considerably away from McDavid. With the captain, Hyman averaged 1.43 goals per 60. Without him, that number fell to 0.92.

When Nugent-Hopkins and Hyman have played together without McDavid or Draisaitl, they have managed just a 50 percent goal share in roughly 360 five-on-five minutes, often against weaker opponents. Against top-tier matchups, that number could dip further.

Historical data underscores the broader issue. Over the past 11 seasons, when both McDavid and Draisaitl are off the ice, the rest of the Oilers lineup has posted a goal share above 50 percent only twice. That persistent drop-off has haunted Edmonton for years.

Splitting the two superstars remains the only proven internal solution. But doing so means Babcock would need each star to carry his own line, which requires capable supporting talent that the roster currently lacks.

Babcock is known for deploying effective goal-suppression units lower in the lineup. That could help mitigate some of the damage. Still, without a legitimate top-six addition, Edmonton's depth scoring could become a recurring vulnerability.

As the season’s start is just around the corner, the pressure falls on Bowman to find that external upgrade before the season opens. If the Oilers want to contend at the highest level in 2026-27, the second line cannot remain an afterthought.