The Holiday Season has arrived, and with Christmas around the corner, it’s time to determine Santa’s Naughty or Nice List. For the Edmonton Oilers, there have certainly been players who’ve impressed, but there have also been a few major disappointments.
The Oilers had another mediocre start to the season and currently sit in fourth place in the Pacific Division with a 14-11-6 record through 31 games. They are currently in the first Wild Card spot and five points out of the division lead. They need to find consistency in hopes of climbing the standings and getting back into the division’s top three. Edmonton has taken too many games off, and you can’t do that in the NHL.
While there have been positives, some players have been going through the motions and haven’t contributed as much as they should.
The team has its fair share of players who could be on the nice list, which is why Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are excluded. They are automatically on the nice list every year, so it’s important to give recognition to other players. There are also a few players who found themselves on the naughty list. With that said, here is the Naughty and Nice list for the Oilers.
The Nice List
Jack Roslovic
General manager Stan Bowman hit the jackpot when he signed free agent forward Jack Roslovic to a one-year, $1.5 million contract during the Oilers’ home opener. While he’s currently injured, he made an immediate impact in a top-six role alongside Draisaitl. The Columbus, Ohio, native has recorded 10 goals and 18 points in 23 games. He’s still third on the team in goals, only behind McDavid and Draisaitl, despite missing eight games.
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He has fit like a glove and has added much-needed secondary scoring. During Edmonton’s early-season struggles, he was a lone bright spot and a key contributor to the offence. He kept them afloat, and his absence is felt within the lineup. Roslovic came out of nowhere and has won over the fan base. He has been productive, and the Oilers don’t get enough of that from the depth players.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is approaching 1,000 career games, and he’s still a vital part of this team. He has seven goals and 24 points in 22 games. He’s also a crucial penalty killer and a versatile forward. The Burnaby, British Columbia native can play as the third-line centre, or on the top line left wing alongside McDavid and Zach Hyman. The longest-tenured Oiler is an intelligent two-way player who has aged like fine wine. The 2011 first-overall pick isn’t flashy, but he’s consistent and can be trusted in all situations.
He missed some time with an injury, but when he’s in the lineup, he’s effective. The 32-year-old is currently on a four-game point streak, with six points during that span. He has also gone pointless in only six games so far this season. He continues to provide incredible value at his $5.125 million cap hit, with three more seasons left on that deal. The veteran forward has turned into a bargain contract, and he deserves his flowers for the outstanding season he’s putting together.
Vasily Podkolzin
While he’s not an offensive juggernaut, there’s a lot to like about Vasily Podkolzin’s game. The Russian winger is as consistent as it gets, and he rarely has bad games. He’s a tenacious and physical forechecker who’s strong on the puck and wins battles. The 24-year-old leads the team in hits with 96, 19 more than second. He has also contributed six goals and 13 points in 31 games this season, while having a team-high plus-11 rating.
He does the little things well and has a remarkable work ethic, which this fan base appreciates. Leon Draisaitl loves playing with him, and he has found a home on the second line. Podkolzin is an underrated member of this forward group and should be on Santa’s nice list.
The Naughty List
Trent Frederic
To say Trent Frederic has been a disappointment is an understatement. The Oilers acquired him ahead of the 2025 Trade Deadline and inked him to an eight-year extension with a $3.85 million contract following an underwhelming playoff performance. He has carried over that disappointing play to this season, recording two goals and three points in 31 games.
The 27-year-old is struggling to find a role on this team. He started the season on the top line with McDavid and Draisaitl, but that experiment didn’t work out. He has spent most of his time in the bottom six and recently spent some time on the fourth line. The 2016 first-round pick could benefit from playing on the penalty kill, so he can find a role and establish an identity.
Last season’s struggles could be attributed to the high-ankle sprain he sustained in February, but that’s not an excuse anymore. He is healthy and still isn’t impacting the game in positive ways. While he’s second on the team in hits, he should have more than 77 hits. In his last nine games, he has only registered more than two hits in one of them, which was his previous outing against the Detroit Red Wings. That’s not enough, and the team needs him to ramp up the physically, especially if he isn’t contributing offensively.
Andrew Mangiapane
Other than Roslovic and Hyman, the Oilers haven’t had success signing free-agent wingers. They brought in Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson last offseason, but neither player panned out, resulting in their departures. This offseason, they inked Andrew Mangiapane to a two-year deal with a $3.6 million cap hit, and so far, he hasn’t worked out, either.
The 29-year-old winger has four goals and 10 assists in 31 games this season, but is in the midst of a 17-game goalless streak, the longest since his rookie season. He hasn’t scored since Nov. 3 against the St. Louis Blues, and is struggling to generate offence. He’s also a team-low minus-14, averaging 14:12 per game.
Like Frederic, Mangiapane is struggling to find a role. The Toronto Native spent some time in the top six, but has recently been demoted to the fourth line. He’s been disappointing and should find coal in his stocking this holiday season.
Calvin Pickard
The backup goalie’s job is to give the team a chance to win, and Calvin Pickard hasn’t done that nearly enough. He holds a putrid 4.04 goals-against average (GAA) and an .851 save percentage (SV%) in 10 games (eight starts). He has been borderline unplayable and hasn’t instilled confidence in the fan base.
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The 33-year-old has had some great moments in Edmonton and was a crucial reason why they made back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals. While his efforts are appreciated, that’s in the past. He has been terrible this season, and his time in Edmonton should be coming to an end. Even though the Oilers traded Stuart Skinner, they desperately need to upgrade on Pickard as well. Therefore, the journeymen netminder is on the naughty list.
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