Edmonton Oilers forward depth will be tested as Mattias Janmark is out for the season after surgery

Mar 2, 2026 (3:25 PM)

Photo credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images

The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta reports Mattias Janmark needs Wednesday surgery, and the Edmonton Oilers just lost a key penalty-killer.

If this lines up, Janmark is done for the regular season, right as the stretch drive tightens.

Kris Knoblauch already called it "long term" and framed it as a chronic issue that needs rest.

That tracks with how weird his last appearance looked, only 2:30 of ice time in Anaheim before he disappeared.

Janmark's 2025-26 line sits at 1-7-8 in 43 games, and it undersells what he actually does for this roster.

-

The Oilers are 29-24-8 after a 5-4 loss to San Jose, so they do not have the cushion to "just survive" missing a trusted winger.

Janmark is the guy coaches throw over the boards when the game gets messy, and when the man advantage swings momentum the other way.

He is 33, a 2013 third-round pick by Detroit, and he plays like someone who knows exactly where the next puck battle is going.

Oilers fans feel the same thing here, this team cannot keep bleeding useful pieces and pretend depth will magically appear in April.

The cap angle matters, because Janmark is in year two of a three-year deal with a $1.45 million cap hit.

If Edmonton can slide him onto LTIR, it could create just enough room to shop for another defensive winger without sacrificing the blue line.

That deadline is close, Friday, March 6, and it always turns injuries into leverage.

Tactically, the hole is on the penalty kill first, not the scoresheet, because his reads let Edmonton pressure without getting stretched.

The next few games will show whether Knoblauch can patch it internally or needs a real add to keep the bottom-six from becoming a nightly adventure.

Previously on HockeyLatest

POLL
MARS 2\|195 ANSWERS Edmonton Oilers forward depth will be tested as Mattias Janmark is out for the season after surgery Should the Edmonton Oilers use Mattias Janmark's injury to add a winger before the deadline?
Yes	169	86.7 %
No	26	13.3 %
List of polls