One of the most beloved Oilers players could be on his way out
David Pagnotta dropped the kind of update Friday that confirms what every Edmonton Oilers fan suspected. The third line still isn't fixed.
The Daily Faceoff insider went on DFO Rundown and laid it out. The Oilers are going to look for a 3C this offseason. Whether that's Jason Dickinson coming back or someone younger from outside the organization.
"Maybe they go a little younger." That's the Pagnotta line. Edmonton's roster keeps getting older around Connor McDavid, and Stan Bowman knows the math.
Dickinson played 64 regular season games on a 4.25 million cap hit. He produced 7 goals and 17 points at minus-10. That's depth scoring at a depth-scoring price.
His playoff sample was tiny. Just 4 games. 2 goals. Plus-2. The 30-year-old center was either healthy or rotating, depending on the night.
That's the spot Bowman is trying to upgrade. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl carry the top two lines. The drop-off after them has been the story of every playoff exit in the McDavid era.
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Bowman has to fix the center depth or watch the McDavid window close
The 3C role is where the McDavid Oilers keep losing series.
Anaheim exposed it in Round 1 this spring. Florida exposed it in the Cup Final the year before that.
Edmonton lost to the Ducks in 6 games. McDavid finished his playoffs at minus-8.
The captain's frustration with the supporting cast has been documented all year.
That's why Pagnotta's mention of going younger matters. Dickinson is a known commodity, and a known commodity at 4.25 million per year doesn't move the needle.
The Oilers ran a 41-30-11 regular season for 93 points and 14th overall.
The slide from a Cup Final appearance two years ago is real, and the third line is the most fixable part of it.
Bowman has a coaching search to deal with first. Kris Knoblauch was fired this week. Bruce Cassidy is the target.
The Vegas Knights are blocking interview permission for now.
The Mavrik Bourque offer sheet rumor in Dallas connects to all of this too. Right-shot, signable, young.
That's the profile Edmonton has been hunting since the trade deadline.
Whether Bowman pulls the trigger on an offer sheet, a free agent signing, or a trade is the open question. Pagnotta's reporting at least confirms the team knows where the hole is.
McDavid's 2-year extension is the clock. Every offseason between now and the end of that contract has to produce a real upgrade somewhere on the roster.
The 3C spot is the obvious starting point. The summer just officially began for Bowman.
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YESTERDAY
MAY 16, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Rasmus Dahlin | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| Tage Thompson | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| Jack Quinn | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Zach Benson | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jake Evans | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jason Zucker | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Ivan Demidov | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Konsta Helenius | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Zach Metsa | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Arber Xhekaj | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Bowen Byram | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Cole Caufield | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Lane Hutson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Michael Matheson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Ryan McLeod | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Josh Norris | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Mattias Samuelsson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Josh Anderson | - | - | - | |
| Zachary Bolduc | - | - | - | |
| Alexandre Carrier | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||