Locked On Oilers - Daily Podcast On The Edmonton Oilers

To win the Stanley Cup, a team needs almost everything to go exactly right. In this Monday edition of Locked On Oilers, host Nick Zararis breaks down the fallout of failing to close the deal and examines how the Edmonton Oilers can navigate the ticking clock on their championship window. By looking at the historical trajectories of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Tampa Bay Lightning, this episode explores the patience, roster building, and cap management required to return to the Stanley Cup Final.

03:57 Pittsburgh's unique Cup journey

07:52 Building a Cup Contender

10:34 Pittsburgh's early Stanley Cup win

16:35 Building the next player generation

19:24 Tampa Bay vs Edmonton patience strategy

20:43 Challenges of Making Stanley Cup Final

25:23 Building a Strong Team Roster

26:56 Coaching stability with John Cooper

Can the Oilers bounce back to contenders? Lessons from Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh on long-term windows

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On today’s edition of Locked On Oilers, host Nick Zararis dives deep into the weeds to reverse engineer the Oilers' conceptual system. Using the "Downstream Theory," Nick breaks down how what happens in the offensive zone directly dictates the heavy workload on the defense and goaltending. We look at why management moved on from Darnell Nurse’s contract in favor of Ryan Shea, how Mike Babcock is transitioning the team from a rush-based offense to a heavy cycle game, and why the bottom-six forward group must step up when Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have an off night.

Plus, we project the 2026-27 forward lines—including the massive upside of a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jason Dickinson, and Matt Savoie third line and analyze how a managed workload for Freddie Andersen could be the key to defensive stability.

06:12 Impact of Edmonton's superstars

07:28 Oilers' reliance on star players

11:27 Evaluating Oilers' Future Strategy

16:05 Team strategy for offensive puck control

18:05 Controlling play and helping goalie

24:16 Oilers lineup and scoring challenges

25:13 Challenges with Darnell Nurse's play

28:41 Promoting Locked On Podcast Network

 

The Downstream Effect: Reverse Engineering the Oilers recipe for success

 

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If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub

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FanDuel

Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. From the opening whistle to the final kick, Let There Be Goals on FanDuel. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started now.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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Is Shakir Mukhamadullin the hidden gem the Edmonton Oilers needed?

In today’s episode of Locked On Oilers, host Nick Zararis breaks down the massive trade that allowed the Edmonton Oilers to successfully dump Darnell Nurse’s contract, receiving former first-round pick Shakir Mukhamadullin in return.

Mukhamadullin is way more than just a "throw-in" piece. At 6’4” and 200 lbs, this 24-year-old defenseman has a fascinating developmental pedigree that got derailed by pandemic-era quirks and a logjammed New Jersey Devils system. We trace his winding road from the 2020 NHL Draft to the San Jose Sharks, and look closely at why he never got a true runway to break out in California.

We dive deep into the advanced analytics, underlying numbers, and transition data to paint an honest picture of his style of play. From possessing the highest rate of clears on the Sharks last year to his low-risk, "safe" puck-handling archetype, we evaluate exactly how he profiles. Plus, where does Mukhamadullin fit into Mike Babcock’s defensive hierarchy? Can he morph into a highly effective third-pair shutdown specialist—similar to the role Nikita Zadorov played for Calgary?

Finally, we project the Oilers' defensive depth chart ahead of opening night, discuss Stan Bowman's offseason roster moves, and explore what year-two jumps from Ike Howard and Matthew Savoie mean for Edmonton’s ceiling.

07:08 Mukhamadullin 's NHL minute breakdown

11:14 Evaluating NHL draft prospects

17:32 Evaluating Mukhamadullin's potential role

20:49 Discussing defensive pairings and strategies

22:32 Defenseman's uncertain NHL future

27:02 Oilers offseason changes and new coach

Why Shakir Mukhamadullin is a worthwhile low risk gamble for the Edmonton Oilers

Everydayer Club
If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub

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Odoo

Great organizations win because operations matter. And that’s why you should get Odoo. Try for free today at https://Odoo.com/lockedon.

 

FanDuel

Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. From the opening whistle to the final kick, Let There Be Goals on FanDuel. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started now.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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Is the Edmonton Oilers' move to sign Ryan Shea a stroke of genius or a short-term gamble? In this episode of Locked On Oilers, we break down the high-stakes transition from Darnell Nurse to Ryan Shea and what this means for the team's blue line heading into the new season.

After an impressive campaign with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Shea enters Edmonton with high expectations. We dive deep into his underlying numbers, his career trajectory as a late-bloomer, and why his efficient play style might be exactly what the Oilers need to elevate their 5-on-5 performance.

06:01 The Penguins' surprising performance

08:54 Joining Connor Murphy in Team Strategy

09:43 Excitement of tournament soccer

15:22 Improving player matchups

17:37 Change in Defensive Pairings

20:57 Unexpected breakout season

24:00 Evaluating Shea in Edmonton's system

25:33 Oilers' roster strategy changes

Why Ryan Shea will define the Edmonton Oilers defense

Everydayer Club
If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub

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Indeed
Now, you can speed up your hiring process with a $75 Sponsored Job Credit. Just go to https://indeed.com/podcastright now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply.

Odoo

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FanDuel

Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. From the opening whistle to the final kick, Let There Be Goals on FanDuel. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started now.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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The Edmonton Oilers are heading into a pivotal season with a new strategy between the pipes. In this episode, we break down the Oilers' unique "three-headed goalie monster" and what it means for their Stanley Cup aspirations in the 2026-2027 season.

In this episode, we cover:

The Freddie Andersen Factor: Why his veteran pedigree and recent playoff experience make him the likely opening-night starter despite his injury history.

Tristan Jarry's Role: A deep dive into Jarry’s consistency struggles, his $5.8 million contract, and the expectation for him to shoulder 30-35 starts.

The Future with Devon Levi: Is Levi the long-term answer? We analyze his potential, his role in the current rotation, and why the Oilers might carry three goalies to avoid losing him on waivers.

Goalie Strategy & Depth: Why moving away from a single "bell cow" starter toward a 1A/1B tandem could be the key to maximizing the roster in a "win-now" year

06:27 Freddie Anderson's playoff impact

10:07 Categorizing NHL goalie roles

12:52 Issues with Oilers' Goaltending Choices

14:59 Impact of Injuries on NHL Teams

20:04 Goalie rotation and strategy analysis

24:50 Discussing goalie strategy in the NHL

27:56 Oilers goalie roster management

28:58 Promoting hockey podcasts and channels

The Oilers new look goalie rotation is ready for the challenge

Everydayer Club
If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!

Indeed
Now, you can speed up your hiring process with a $75 Sponsored Job Credit. Just go to https://indeed.com/podcastright now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply.

Odoo

Great organizations win because operations matter. And that’s why you should get Odoo. Try for free today at https://Odoo.com/lockedon.

 

FanDuel

Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. From the opening whistle to the final kick, Let There Be Goals on FanDuel. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started now.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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