December 25, 2025 by Ryan Lotsberg

While spending time with loved ones is the best part of Christmas, finding out what Santa put under the tree for everyone is always a highlight. The presents have been delivered and the sleigh is back in the garage in the North Pole, but here’s a list of what the Edmonton Oilers need the most for Christmas this year!

1. Home cooking

Much has been made of the Oilers’ ridiculous road schedule to start the season. For the first time ever, they visited every Eastern Conference city before Christmas. The good news is that the majority of their games in the second half of the season will be at home, and their travel will be limited. They entered the break in a tie for first place in the Pacific Division, and they have a great opportunity to pull ahead with an easier schedule and lots of divisional games in the second half.

Related: November could be a nightmare for the Oilers

2. Another opportunity for David Tomasek

This apparently came true for Tomasek on Christmas day according to a report from Vӓrmlands Folkbad (@VFSPORTEN). It sounds like he’s headed back to Sweden to play for Fӓrjestad of the SHL where he spent the last two seasons prior to this one. He led the SHL in scoring last season with 57 points in 47 games.

UPPGIFTER:

David Tomásek på väg att återvända till Färjestad från NHLhttps://t.co/pTiBrNoGj7 #fbkse pic.twitter.com/vqlDZekk5T

— Värmlands Folkblad (@VFSPORTEN) December 25, 2025

It was Tomasek’s dream to play in the NHL, and he accomplished that goal. It didn’t go all that well for him unfortunately. Tomasek got three goals and five points in 22 games for the Oilers. He wasn’t getting much of an opportunity to play in Edmonton. He barely saw the ice when he did play, and he spent the last six games of his Oilers tenure in the press box. The report hasn’t been confirmed by the Oilers, but it feels like Tomasek’s days with the Oilers have been numbered ever since the team signed Jack Roslovic. Roslovic took the spot that Tomasek was fighting for.

Since the decision to terminate the contract is mutual between the player and the club, the Oilers will gain the full $1.2 million in cap space with Tomasek leaving. In reality, it just means that the Oilers won’t have to clear as much cap space to activate their injured players from LTIR. Tomasek was always a part of that math, so this really doesn’t change anything for the Oilers from a mathematical standpoint.

I sincerely hope that Tomasek got a sense of fulfillment from his short NHL journey and that he has continued success in Sweden and wherever else his career takes him.

3. A goal for Adam Henrique

Henrique only has two goals on the season, the last of which came on October 23 against the Montreal Canadiens.

The team leaned on Henrique’s veteran presence to help bring the kids (namely Matt Savoie and Ike Howard) along earlier in the season. He’s also been a mainstay on the penalty killing unit. Having said that, more offence is wanted from a $3 million player that put up 51 points just two seasons ago. The opportunity hasn’t been the same for Henrique as it was with the Anaheim Ducks, but the decline is also real for the 35-year old.

Henrique has a no-movement clause and a desire to stay with the Oilers, so he’s going to have to work through his scoring drought. For his sake and for the team’s sake, hopefully Santa left a few goals in Henrique’s stocking.

4. A third line centre

Bob Stauffer suggested that the Oilers would be in on a right-handed centre from a team that thinks they’re still in the mix right now but won’t be by the trade deadline during the broadcast of Tuesday’s game. That could be any number of players. Henrique is supposed to be the third line centre for the Oilers, but he isn’t producing like one. Neither is Trent Frederic, another recent Oilers acquisition with unfulfilled third line centre promise. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins could play third line centre, but he’s so good on that top line with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman that it’s hard to break them up. A rental could be a good fit as long as the price is right, but having another centre option in the mix long-term is never a bad thing.

5. Phone calls from Team Canada

Team Canada will announce their men’s Olympic hockey roster on December 31. Pierre LeBrun recently reported that Evan Bouchard is in the running for a roster spot on defence. Bouchard had some early season struggles with turnovers, but he has been playing some tremendous hockey as of late. The lack of a pulse that leads to some egregious turnovers is the same trait that allows him to shine when the lights are brightest. His propensity for turning it up in the playoffs should be a consideration for Doug Armstrng and the Team Canada brass.

We already know McDavid will be there, but his two linemates are making strong pushes to make Team Canada as well. Nugent-Hopkins has 31 points in 29 games, and Hyman has nineteen points in nineteen games since returning from injury. That includes eight goals in his last eight games. Nugent-Hopkins and Hyman have bigger hills to climb, but Bouchard is a legitimate candidate in my opinion. Hopefully one of these three Oilers (if not all three) get the call.

6. Elevated play from Trent Frederic

Frederic was a healthy scratch for Sunday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights. He didn’t get any points in his next game against the Calgary Flames, but he stood up for Hyman by fighting big Kevin Bahl after he laid a high hit on Hyman. Frederic at least needs to bring the physicality and the emotion if he’s not scoring. He doesn’t need to score 50 goals, but he has more offence in him and it needs to come out to justify his eight-year contract.

Related: Frederic returns to Boston seeking a boost

7. A solution in goal

The Oilers have already made one big splash in goal by trading Stuart Skinner for Tristan Jarry, but the shuffling might not be done yet. Jarry’s injury has given the club a chance to get a look at Connor Ingram. Ingram has had a tough start to the season in Bakersfield, but he has been solid in his first two NHL starts of the season. He’s already got 1.2 goals saved above expected at five-on-five in just two games. His load was light against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday, and his night only got interesting on Sunday in the third period as the team hung on to a 4-0 lead and won 4-3. Two of the Golden Knights goals were powerplay goals, so Ingram has only allowed one five-on-five goal in each game he has played. 

Related: The risk that came with Jarry for the Oilers

It’s a small sample size in some easy games, but Ingram is making life difficult for Oilers GM Stan Bowman. Calvin Pickard has struggled this season, but he has come through for the Oilers on numerous occasions. There’s also the possibility of adding another goaltender to the mix. 

We’ll see how it shakes out, but the Oilers definitely need some stability in the crease after getting wins from four different goaltenders in a month for the first time in franchise history in December.

8. Continued positive development from prospects

Howard has been filling the net for the Condors since being sent down. Quinn Hutson has been near the top of the league scoring lead as an AHL rookie, and he showed well in a recent short NHL call up. Clattenburg gave the Oilers a jolt in an unexpected call up before getting hurt.

These are encouraging trends for an organization that has struggled mightily to develop talent internally for many years. Howard and Hutson are definitely in the conversation for NHL roster spots next season or sooner depending on what happens down the stretch. Clattenburg is likely further away, but he seems like a player with an NHL future.

9. A win streak longer than two games

It’s true! The Oilers haven’t won more than two games in a row yet this season. That seems hard to believe for a team that won sixteen straight games two seasons ago, but here we are. This seems like a trend that’s bound to end sooner than later, but it hasn’t happened yet even with McDavid putting up an astonishing 31 points in his last twelve games.

And last but not least…

10. Health

The Oilers haven’t had a full roster yet this season. Sunday’s game was the first one all season where their entire top six forward group was dressed for the same game. Hyman missed the first month of the season while recovering from his broken and dislocated wrist. Jake Walman is dealing with his second multi-week injury of the season. The same could be said for Kasperi Kapanen, who hurt himself in the final drill of the last practice before he was set to return to the lineup. His last action came in Detroit on October 19. Noah Philp hasn’t played since November 17. Connor Clattenburg hasn’t played since December 4. Newly acquired Oilers goaltender Tristan Jarry is expected to miss approximately two weeks with a lower body injury that he suffered in his third start as an Oiler.

The Oilers struggled in the early part of the season for multiple reasons, one of which was injuries. The lineup looks much more complete when injuries are taken out of the equation. They’re turning a corner even with the injuries, so I imagine a return to health will only help the Oilers win more consistently.

A merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight!