NHL analyst Josh Cybulski believes the Oilers' quiet summer could haunt them if they play a Stanley Cup Finals series for the third time against the Panthers. Few rosters have been shaken up as much this offseason as the Edmonton Oilers. After back-to-back Stanley Cup Final losses, <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl/trades/nhl-insider-urges-oilers-to-swing-blockbuster-trade-for-metropolitan-division-star-goalie' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>the majority expected changes, first and foremost in goal</a>, but management avoided those contentious areas. Instead of an overhaul in net, the Oilers rebuilt largely at forward, losing several veterans to free agency and trades, with mixed results. The dominoes began to fall when Edmonton traded Evander Kane to Vancouver for a 2025 fourth-round draft choice. Days later, they traded Viktor Arvidsson to Boston for a 2027 fifth-rounder and freed up to $4 million of cap room to sign star defenseman Evan Bouchard to an extension. <h3>The Oilers Lost Gritty, Playoff-Proven Key Veterans This Summer</h3> On July 1st, more departures: Connor Brown joined New Jersey, Corey Perry joined Los Angeles, and John Klingberg joined San Jose. Perry's departure is especially noteworthy given playoff contributions. To complete the roster, Edmonton signed Trent Frederic (eight years, $3.85M AAV) and re-signed Kasperi Kapanen (one year, $1.3M). Another signing was made in Andrew Mangiapane for two years, and Curtis Lazar. They finished off by getting Isaac Howard from Tampa Bay in exchange for prospect Sam O'Reilly. Despite these deals, the Oilers' forward ranks are not as strong as the group that lost Game 6 to Florida. They appear to have lost toughness and playoff-hardened depth, especially in Kane and Perry, without fully replacing it, per NHL analyst Josh Cybulski. <a href='https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2025/07/have-the-oilers-improved-this-summer.html' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>This could definitely haunt them if they face the Panthers yet again</a> in the Finals. Considering the overall body of work so far this summer, the Oilers' changes have been underwhelming. Losing Perry will no doubt hurt, as his net-front presence was crucial, especially in the playoffs, while Kane was a solid contributor in the first three rounds and helped Edmonton reach the finals. Overall, they've filled some of the gaps created by player departures, but it does seem like Edmonton lost some toughness and key veterans this summer, which could put them in a tough spot if they face the Florida Panthers for the third straight year. - Josh Cybulski <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/prohockeyrumors/status/1951350508704375295'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> Maybe the greatest issue is still outstanding: goaltending. Stuart Skinner should start again, with Calvin Pickard in relief. With little cap room to maneuver, any upgrade during the season would necessitate a cap-neutral swap, much easier said than to do. If Edmonton wants to get back to the Finals, they will have to see improvement in goal.