While there are still two months until the puck drops on opening night for the Edmonton Oilers, we’ve reached the point in the NHL off-season where most of the action is behind us. The big trades have happened, the marquee free agents have signed, and projections for 2026-27 have begun.

Every year, The Athletic’s analytics expert, Dom Luszczyszyn, releases his rankings for the most improved teams during the offseason. This year, the Oilers rank 25th.

“On the roster, Ryan Shea makes a lot of sense replacing Darnell Nurse, given the price difference,” wrote Luszczyszyn. “Frederik Andersen, when healthy, is an upgrade in net too. But the Oilers could still use a middle-six forward to replace Jack Roslovic, even if he was incredibly inconsistent.”

It’s been a rough summer for the Pacific Division — the San Jose Sharks were the only team ranked inside the top 10 most improved, while the Anaheim Ducks, Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles Kings, and Edmonton Oilers all ranked in the bottom 10.

A division so bad it was labelled a “pillow fight” by Oilers captain Connor McDavid last season has become even weaker.

The Ducks, Golden Knights, and Kings all lost major pieces without acquiring replacements. It’s no mystery why they ended up near the bottom of........

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