How Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers were built

The Edmonton Oilers advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006 with a 2-1 win against the Dallas Stars in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Sunday.

The Oilers will seek their sixth title and first since 1990 when they defeated the Boston Bruins in five games for their fifth championship in a seven-year span.

Forward Corey Perry is the only player to have played at least one game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for Edmonton this season who has won the Stanley Cup before; he did so with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007. It is the fourth time in five seasons Perry has been in the Cup Final; he previously made it three straight seasons with the Dallas Stars in 2020, the Montreal Canadiens in 2021 and Tampa Bay Lightning in 2022, losing all three.

Of the 23 players to play at least one postseason game, 10 were selected by Edmonton in the NHL Draft, eight signed in free agency, and five were acquired via trade.

Here's how the roster of this Stanley Cup finalist was built, with background on the coaching staff and general manager:

FORWARDS

Connor Brown, RW: Signed as a free agent on July 1, Brown had 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 71 regular-season games and has four points (one goals, three assists) in 12 playoff games.

Sam Carrick, C: Acquired from the Ducks in a three-team trade also involving the Lightning on March 6 with forward Adam Henrique for a first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, Carrick had five points (two goals, three assists) in 16 regular-season games with the Oilers. He has one assist in nine playoff games.

Leon Draisaitl, C: Selected with the No. 3 pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, Draisaitl had 106 points (41 goals, 65 assists) in 81 regular-season games and has 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in 18 playoff games.

Warren Foegele, LW: Acquired in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes on July 28, 2021, for defenseman Ethan Bear, Foegele set NHL career highs in goals (20), assists (21) and points (41) in 82 regular-season games and has three points (one goal, two assists) in 15 playoff games.

Adam Henrique, C: Acquired from the Ducks in a three-team trade also involving the Lightning on March 6 with Carrick for a first-round pick in the 2024 draft, a fourth-round pick in the 2026 draft and a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2025 draft, Henrique had nine points (six goals, three assists) in 22 regular-season games with the Oilers. He has four points (two goals, two assists) in 10 playoff games.

Dylan Holloway, LW: Selected in the first round (No. 14) of the 2020 NHL Draft, Holloway had nine points (six goals, three assists) in 38 regular-season games and has four points (three goals, one assist) in 18 playoff games.

Zach Hyman, LW: Signed as a free agent on July 28, 2021, Hyman scored an NHL career-high 54 goals and had 77 points in 80 regular-season games. He leads the playoffs with 14 goals (18 points) in 18 games.

Mattias Janmark, C: Signed as a free agent on July 17, 2022, Janmark had 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 71 regular-season games and has four points (two goals, two assists) in 18 playoff games.

Evander Kane, LW: Signed as a free agent on Jan. 29, 2022, Kane had 44 points (24 goals, 20 assists) in 77 regular-season games and led the Oilers with 250 hits. He has eight points (four goals, four assists) in 18 playoff games.

Connor McDavid, C: Selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, McDavid finished third in the NHL with 132 points (32 goals, 100 assists) in 76 regular-season games and leads the playoffs with 31 points (five goals, 26 assists) in 18 games.

Ryan McLeod, C: Selected in the second round (No. 40) of the 2018 NHL Draft, McLeod had 30 points (12 goals, 18 assists) in 81 regular-season games and has one goal in 17 playoff games.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C: Selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NHL Draft, Nugent-Hopkins had 67 points (18 goals, 49 assists) in 80 regular-season games and has 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) in 18 playoff games. He is the longest-tenured player on the team (13 seasons).

Corey Perry, RW: Signed as a free agent on Jan. 22, Perry had 13 points (eight goals, five assists) in 38 regular-season games with the Oilers and has one assist in 13 playoff games.

Derek Ryan, C: Signed as a free agent on July 28, 2021, Ryan had 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 70 regular-season games and has one assist in 14 playoff games.

DEFENSEMEN

Evan Bouchard: Selected in the first round (No. 10) of the 2018 draft, Bouchard set NHL career highs in goals (18), assists (64) and points (82) and has 27 points (six goals, 21 assists) in 18 playoff games.

Philip Broberg: Selected in the first round (No. 8) of the 2019 draft, Broberg had two assists in 12 regular-season games and has one goal in three playoff games.

Cody Ceci: Signed as a free agent on July 28, 2021, Ceci had 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) in 79 regular-season games and has four points (two goals, two assists) in 18 playoff games.

Vincent Desharnais: Selected in the seventh round (No. 183) of the 2016 NHL Draft, Desharnais had 11 points (one goal, 10 assists) in 78 regular-season games and has one assist in 15 playoff games.

Mattias Ekholm: Acquired in a trade with the Nashville Predators on Feb. 28, 2023, with a sixth-round pick in the 2024 draft for defenseman Tyson Barrie, forward Reid Schafer, a first-round pick in the 2023 draft and a fourth-round pick in 2024, Ekholm had 45 points (11 goals, 34 assists) in 79 regular-season games and has seven points (four goals, three assists) in 18 playoff games.

Brett Kulak: Acquired in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens on March 21, 2022, for defenseman William Lagesson, a second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and a seventh-round pick in the 2024 draft, Kulak had 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) in 82 regular-season games and has five points (one goal, four assists) in 18 playoff games.

Darnell Nurse: Selected in the first round (No. 7) of the 2013 NHL Draft, Nurse had 32 points (10 goals, 22 assists) in 81 regular-season games and led the team with 172 blocked shots. He has three assists in 18 playoff games.

GOALIES

Calvin Pickard: Signed as a free agent on July 17, 2022, Pickard was 12-7-1 with a 2.45 goals-against average, .909 save percentage and one shutout in 23 regular-season games (20 starts). He is 1-1 with a 2.21 GAA and .915 save percentage in three playoff games (two starts).

Stuart Skinner: Selected in the third round (No. 78) of the 2017 NHL Draft, Skinner was 36-16-5 with a 2.62 GAA, .905 save percentage and two shutouts in 59 regular-season games (57 starts). He is 11-5 with a 2.50 GAA and .897 save percentage in 16 playoff games.

COACHING STAFF

Kris Knoblauch, coach: Hired on Nov. 12 to replace Jay Woodcroft with Edmonton 3-9-1 and 31st in the NHL standings, Knoblauch guided the Oilers to a 46-18-5 record the rest of the season and a second-place finish in the Pacific Division. He previously was coach of the New York Rangers' American Hockey League affiliate in Hartford since the 2019-20 season.

Paul Coffey, assistant: A special adviser to ownership and hockey operations since 2022, Coffey also served as an assistant after Knoblauch was hired as coach, helping the Oilers finish 10th in goals against per game after they were 30th when he took over. The Hockey Hall of Famer won three titles with the Oilers (1984, 1985, 1987) and is their all-time leader in points among defensemen (669).

Glen Gulutzan, assistant: Hired on May 25, 2018, Gulutzan previously was coach of the Calgary Flames from 2016-18 and coach of the Dallas Stars from 2011-13. He was an assistant with the Vancouver Canucks from 2013-16.

Mark Stuart, assistant: Hired on July 26, 2022, Stuart previously was an assistant with Colorado College (2021-22) and the University of Vermont (2020-21) in the NCAA.

Dustin Schwartz, goaltending coach: Hired on Nov. 24, 2014, Schwartz previously spent four seasons as a goaltending consultant with Edmonton of the Western Hockey League from (2010-14).

GENERAL MANAGER

Ken Holland: Hired as president of hockey operations and GM on May 7, 2019, Edmonton has qualified for the playoffs in each of his five seasons. He previously was GM of the Detroit Red Wings for 22 seasons (1997-2019), guiding them to 10 division titles, four Presidents' Trophies and the Stanley Cup championship three times (1998, 2002, 2008).