The Winger Carousel: Edmonton Oilers
By Justin Hubler on March 2, 2026
The Edmonton Oilers struggled for a long time to find the right wingers for our star in Connor McDavid. While we all know Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins have those spots secured, who were the previous candidates for the top line and to play alongside the greatest player in the NHL?
Benoit Pouliot 2014-17
Benoit Pouliot for the majority of his career was a pretty solid NHL player, a depth guy that could get you a good amount of goals but he never stayed on one team very long and it was unfortunate that his career with the Oilers was near the tail end of his career. Pouliot was also a very solid player for the Oilers playing 180 games and tallying 40 goals with 84 points total with him specifically struggling in his last season the most.
Teddy Purcell 2014-16
Traded for Sam Gagner to the Oilers, Teddy Purcell was a long time Tampa Bay Lightning player so going from an organization like that to what the Oilers were in 2014 im sure was a real culture shock. Playing 2 seasons Purcell never did anything too shocking, putting up a respectable 143 games, along with 23 goals and 66 points leaving himself as just a small footnote in the grand scheme of the Edmonton Oilers.
Milan Lucic 2016-19
Milan Lucic played three agonizing years on the Edmonton Oilers which in truth felt like a lot longer than three measly years. A lot of people expected the Oilers to get the Bruins stanley cup Lucic but instead, we were unfortunately given a beatdown hunchback who could barely skate anymore. In Lucic’s first season he was serviceable with cracks in the armor but throughout his tenure with the Oilers he got worse, and worse and worse. All that was left was a sorry afterthought of who he used to be in Boston until he was traded to Calgary for James Neal. Lucic ended with 243 games, 39 goals and 104 points as an Oiler.
Patrick Maroon 2016-18
Patrick Maroon didn’t play as much as you’d think for the impact he had. Shamefully, in the earlier parts of McDavid’s career, Patrick Maroon is one of the better wingers he had not just being a tough body but also an actual goal scorer. We moved him during the trade deadline to the Devils because we couldn’t afford him but he was a pretty big fan favorite while he was here. He put up 154 games, 49 goals and 86 points as an Oiler.
Jesse Puljujarvi 2016-23
Jesse Puljujarvi’s tenure as an Oiler can be described in one word. Disappointment. The Oilers took Puljujarvi over Matthew Tkachuk back in 2016 and that can only be described as disastrous years down the line. Puljujarvi had all the tools to be a top line winger listed at 6’4” 201 lbs he had everything including speed and puck skills. He just lacked all the hockey IQ to ever be something meaningful in the NHL. Puljujarvi couldn’t work with anyone including McDavid despite being given every opportunity in the world. He played a mind-numbing 317 games where he scored 51 goals and tallied 112 points.
Ty Rattie 2017-19
Ty Rattie is a quick but hilarious player because during the 2018-19 he may have had the greatest pre season in the history of the NHL only to put up the biggest waste of a season disappointing fans and probably himself alike. Rattie finished his short stint as an Oiler playing 64 games, notching 9 goals and 20 points.
Alex Chiasson 2018-2021
Alex Chiasson is also a funny player because he was never really a big goal scorer anywhere in his life. That is until he managed to find his way on to the Oilers powerplay where his entire goal was to sit in front of the net and let Connor McDavid put the puck off his stick in the net. Chiasson provided much needed penalty killing as well as the goal scoring but in terms of actual skill, he never had all that much. Chiasson had a respectable 183 games, 42 goals and 78 points.
James Neal 2019-21
James “The Real Deal” Neal was everything the Oilers needed him to be at his age when he was brought in. Traded for Milan Lucic, everyone was aware Neal was at the end of his career and what he provided for us in his small tenure here was everything and more. A short 84 games where he provided 24 goals and 41 points, Neal was one of the more fun wingers we were able to bring in despite the obvious need for better.
Kailer Yamamoto 2017-23
Kailer Yamamoto was a massive fan favorite, a guy who fought through everything including himself. Listed at a measly 5’9” 179 lbs, there is never a moment when Yamamoto isn’t the smallest guy out there and yet there isn’t ever a guy who plays with more heart. He was great when he played but he just couldn’t overcome the limits of his size and the coach who despised him for some odd reason, Dave Tippet. Yamamoto played a long 244 games where he was able to bring in 50 goals and 118 points for the Oilers.
Evander Kane 2022-25
Evander Kane was a legendary player for the Edmonton Oilers coming in at the perfect time to really make the Oilers real contenders. Kane brought a level of intensity to not just himself, but also the entire team, having an impact that went beyond the scoresheet. He was fantastic his entire Oilers tenure but just got a little too slow near the end of it where we moved on from him despite his greatness for us. Kane finished with 161 games, 62 goals and 111 points.
Lastly, Zach Hyman was signed by the Edmonton Oilers all the way back in 2021 and it was generally seen as a bad signing due to overpayment. Did that statement ever age badly because Hyman has all but outperformed his contract in every way possible. Hyman had a 50 goal season for the Oilers making this not just a huge win in terms of an Oilers signing, but a huge win in terms of Hyman’s career putting up great numbers not just in terms of Oilers players, but league wide. Hyman so far has played 347 games with us and earned 166 goals along with 294 points.
