The Edmonton Oilers will head to training camp with a roster that’s strong at the top and includes several layers of possible solutions in areas of weakness. There’s also enough walking-around money to be a significant force in any player auction that comes up during the season. Perhaps most importantly, the team could accommodate any position player that pops loose due to a balanced roster.It’s a unique moment in team history, made possible by the trade of Darnell Nurse to the San Jose Sharks early this summer. Nurse, a capable top-four defenceman, was playing with a contract that kept the organization from optimizing the salary cap. The team spent some of the Nurse money on free agents July 1, but held back a handsome sum ($4.725 million, according to PuckPedia) in hopes an impact player shakes loose.Impact players and fading veterans in EdmontonThe Oilers have three elite offensive talents. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are brilliant forwards who can make a difference with any set of linemates. If new coach Mike Babcock decides to play them both at centre, Edmonton will once again have the most dominant depth chart at the position in the NHL.Evan Bouchard is a brilliant puck mover on defence. His splendid work helps the Oilers outscore at five-on-five and deploy a quality power play.Beyond that, the roster is aging. Here’s a three-year look at the Oilers’ top offensive contributors, using points per 60 at five-on-five to reflect the offensive erosion from feature players on the roster.Player2023-242024-252025-26Leon Draisaitl2.632.692.48Connor McDavid3.52.652.46Zach Hyman2.531.671.82Ryan Nugent-Hopkins1.661.241.38Adam Henrique1.931.070.77All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat TrickMcDavid and Draisaitl are elite talents who drive possession and scoring success. Draisaitl has been remarkably consistent during these three seasons in five-on-five scoring. The problem for Edmonton comes with the feature wingers on the top two lines. Management brings in solutions annually, but men like Evander Kane, Warren Foegele, Jeff Skinner, Viktor Arvidsson and Andrew Mangiapane either got hurt, were ineffective or played so well they priced themselves out of the Oilers’ range.It has now become a critical area of the roster, as Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins enter their mid-30s and become prone to injury and performance downturns. Management has added some solid options, including Matt Savoie and Vasily Podkolzin. Ike Howard may soon join that group, as he’s poised for his first full NHL season in 2026-27. The Oilers need another. Now.What’s out there? Oilers general manager Stan Bowman and Babcock may prefer a more established player to a youngster like Howard. The club has cap room, some attractive trade pieces and a desire to improve the current roster. This is a team looking to grab the best available player in-season, and is guaranteed to be aggressive in the next several months.