Allan Mitchell's suggestion was simple on the surface. Edmonton should target Blackwood, then also check on Jordan Kyrou and Owen Tippett.
That is not one idea. That is a map of what people think the Oilers still lack after another season that left too many questions hanging over the roster.
Blackwood is the clearest pressure point because goaltending keeps dragging Edmonton back into the same discussion. If the crease is unstable, everything else gets pushed uphill.
That is why his name jumps first. He is not being brought up as a luxury add. He is being framed as a fix to the position that can derail an entire season.
Kyrou points to a different issue. He would bring more pace, more controlled entries, and another forward who can create off the rush instead of waiting for Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl to do all the heavy lifting.
Tippett rounds out the list in another lane. He is the kind of winger who can get downhill, push defenders back, and make a line feel heavier without losing speed.
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That is the real takeaway from Mitchell's list. This is not about one depth move on the margins. It is about reshaping the spine of the roster in net and up front.
Blackwood would address survival. Kyrou would address skill distribution. Tippett would address pressure and straight-line bite. Put together, that is a pretty blunt read on Edmonton's holes.
It also says plenty about where the Oilers are mentally as an organization. A team with McDavid and Draisaitl should not still be wondering whether the goalie spot can hold up or whether the wing support is dangerous enough.
Knoblauch would feel the difference right away if any of those names ever became real. A steadier crease changes bench decisions. More speed on the wings changes matchups. More power changes how the team handles playoff hockey.
None of that means these players are available or that Edmonton can actually land them. But the names are revealing because they are not random.
Blackwood, Kyrou, and Tippett each point at a separate weakness that has shown up too often when the Oilers get pressed. That is why the suggestion carries weight.
And that is where this story lands. Allan Mitchell did not just throw out 3 names. He laid out the kind of offseason Edmonton may need if Kris Knoblauch is going to coach a team that finally looks more complete.
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YESTERDAY
MAY 8, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Mitch Marner | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
| Alex Newhook | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Brett Howden | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Shea Theodore | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Zach Benson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Alexandre Carrier | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Chris Kreider | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Michael Matheson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Brayden McNabb | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Beckett Sennecke | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Nick Suzuki | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Josh Anderson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Ivan Barbashev | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Leo Carlsson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Phillip Danault | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Josh Doan | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Noah Dobson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Pavel Dorofeyev | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jack Eichel | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jake Evans | - | 1 | 1 | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||