The Edmonton Oilers dominated the NHL in the mid-to-late 1980s, after joining the league from the defunct World Hockey Association with the 1979-1980 season. The new franchise took just three years to reach the Stanley Cup Final â only to be swept by the NHL’s ruling dynasty at the time, the New York Islanders.
That loss only motivated Edmonton to get better, and that is exactly what they did. Led by such future Hall of Famers as Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, goalie Grant Fuhr and an up-and-coming young center named Wayne Gretzky, the Oilers reeled off four Stanley Cup championships in the next five seasons.
Oilers Look to Follow in Footsteps of 1980s Teams
After the last of those four, in 1988, Edmonton traded the “Great One,” Gretzky, and his 65-goals-per-season average to the Los Angeles Kings. But even that shocking move was not the end for the Oilers. They came back in the 1989-1990 season to dominate the Boston Bruins four games to one, claiming a fifth Stanley Cup.
That was a long time ago. But in 2025 the Oilers find themselves in a similar place as the 1983 team, except this time Edmonton has reached the Stanley Cup Finals two years in a row, and lost both times to the Florida Panthers, a franchise that did not even exist the last time the Oilers won a title.
In the offseason, they have retooled and upgraded, signing or re-signing such key players as defenseman Evan Bouchard, former Calgary Flames forward Andrew Mangiapane, and former Boston Bruins first-round draft pick Trent Frederic.
Still Looking to Add Depth Pieces
Even with the flurry of moves, the Oilers are not done yet. According to a report this week by the 2 Mutts Hockey podcast, Edmonton still plans to bring in three players on professional tryout (PTO) contracts, to add depth to the roster at some important positions.
A PTO is a type of contract unique to the NHL, allowing teams to bring in veteran players who are not currently under contract to a team, and test them out during the preseason. Teams pay the players’ expenses and a per diem fee, but no salary. If a player aces his “tryout” the team may offer him a conventional contract.
But who are the Oilers planning to try out? That question has not been answered, but according to NHL expert Jesse Courville-Lynch of The Hockey Writers, one player on the PTO list is likely to be 17-year veteran and former Montreal Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty.
Retirement? Or One Last Playoff Run?
The 2007 Montreal first-round draft pick “was believed to be considering retirement, but has yet to make a decision on his future and could be open to joining the Oilers as he tries to make one more deep playoff run before hanging up his skates,” Courville-Lynch wrote on Thursday.
Pacioretty, now 35 years old, spent last season in Toronto, but the Maple Leafs may not be interested in bringing him back.
If not, according to the Hockey Writers scribe, “he would have to consider joining the Oilers and being a Corey Perry replacement, since theyâve had more success over the past couple of seasons and likely give him the best chance at a championship.”
Pacioretty Scored 30 Goals as Recently as 2019-2020
The 40-year-old Perry spent the last two seasons in Edmonton, mainly in a reserve role â but he managed to score a noteworthy 19 goals with 11 assists in 2024-2025.
But Perry signed with the Kings in July.
Pacioretty has scored just 12 goals in limited action with three different teams over the last three seasons. But his resumé features six different seasons with at least 30 goals â five in Montreal, one with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2019-2020.
If the New Canaan, Connecticut, native can find even a fraction of his younger form, he could contribute to what the Oilers hope will be the start of a whole new dynasty.
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