Stan Bowman's Ruthless Overhaul of the Oilers' Bottom Six

When you picture Stan Bowman you probably think of the calm, measured voice that answers press‑rooms with a steady “yes” or “no.” Yet behind that veneer lies a ruthless side that most NHL GMs need – the willingness to rip out pieces that aren’t working, no matter how uncomfortable it feels.

That ruthless streak showed up in full force last summer and kept grinding through the 2025‑26 campaign. Ten players left the Oilers’ roster in a span that began with the 2025 off‑season and didn’t stop until the regular season’s final game. Most of those moves targeted the Bottom Six – the group that, on paper, should be providing steady depth but had slipped into a slump after a promising 2023‑24 run.

Bowman’s ultimate goal was simple: find role players who could actually complement Edmonton’s star trio – Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman. The Top Six was still firing on all cylinders, but the Bottom Six’s goal‑for‑percentage (GF%) had slipped from a respectable 52 % in 2023‑24 to a disappointing 42.5 % this past season. Even though ice‑time stayed roughly the same, the output fell dramatically, and the numbers spoke loudly.

Enter Mike Babcock, the new head coach, who promised clearer roles and more minutes for depth forwards. Bowman answered that call by turning the Bottom Six into a revolving door. First came the 2025 waivers of Noah Philp and the release of David Tomasek, who both opted to play in Europe. Then came the trade of Andrew Mangiapane to Chicago and the long‑term injured‑reserve stint for Mattias Janmark so he could finally get surgery.

All of those players shared a common flaw: they were under‑performing according to advanced metrics – low “Grade A” shot counts and negative plus‑minus at even strength. The only forward who escaped the purge was Trent Frederic, largely because Edmonton was locked into his eight‑year deal and his play improved after recovering from an injury.

During the season, the Oilers experimented by calling up Josh Samanski and acquiring Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach. The summer that followed saw veteran free agents Adam Henrique and Curtis Lazar exit, along with depth winger Roby Jarventie. Even Jack Roslovic, who’d earned occasional Top‑Six minutes, was edged out by Kasperi Kapanen on the second line.

To fill the growing void, Edmonton signed two fresh Bottom‑Six forwards – free agents Mathieu Joseph and Alex Formenton – the latter arriving just before the 2026‑27 training camp. In effect, five new players now occupy the depth spots: Dickinson, Formenton, Samanski, Dach and Joseph.

The statistical contrast between the Top Six and Bottom Six is stark. In 2023‑24, the Top Six posted a 59 % GF% while the Bottom Six managed 52 %. The next year that gap widened to 55.4 % versus 47.7 %, and in 2025‑26 it ballooned further – 53.6 % for the stars, a mere 42.5 % for the rest of the squad. The drop is even more eye‑catching considering the Bottom Six’s ice‑time barely shifted over those three seasons.

Bowman’s gamble is clear: replace the under‑performing depth pieces with players who can at least break even, if not tip the scales back toward the positive goal differentials the Oilers enjoyed under former coach Kris Knoblauch. In a tiny sample of 22 playoff games last spring, the Bottom Six actually out‑scored the Top Six – 58.1 % GF% versus 56.7 % – giving fans a glimmer of hope.

Financial constraints still loom, however. After the 2025 playoffs the Oilers couldn’t afford to keep veterans like Corey Perry and Connor Brown, and Henrique’s production faded quickly. Meanwhile, young forward Vasily Podkolzin earned a promotion to the Top Six, further highlighting the thin margin between depth and star roles.

All eyes will now turn to Babcock’s first training camp under the new roster. Can the revamped Bottom Six rediscover the spark that once made Edmonton a formidable opponent in the middle of the lineup? Only time – and a lot of hard‑earned minutes – will tell.