The Edmonton Oilers are hoping that previous playoff success translates into ongoing success next season.
That’s the case of Kasperi Kapanen. The Oilers inked the 29-year-old to a one-year, $2.6 million deal this offseason. The deal was actually a hefty pay raise from the year before. Last summer, Edmonton signed the former first-round pick to a one-year, $1.3 million contract.
And, well, he’s actually been a solid performer, especially in the postseason. A study by Rotowire showed that Kapanen was the biggest playoff performer this past season. The data showed the Finnish forward registering a +2.07 Surprise Score, per Rotowire’s proprietary information.
The Surprise Score compares a player’s regular-season analytics to their postseason ones. The difference, including the Puck-Luck Index, shows just how much a player’s performance could be repeatable down the line.
Kapanen, who scored eight goals and 17 points in 41 regular-season contests, was on fire during the Oilers’ first-round series against the Anaheim Ducks. The Edmonton forward scored four goals and six points in the six-game series.
That was a follow-up to the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, in which Kapanen scored three goals and six points in 12 postseason games.
That’s the sort of performance that the Oilers are banking on this upcoming season. Perhaps Kapanen may not blow the doors off the regular-season scoring race. But the expectation is that he can rise to the occasion when the puck drops on the NHL playoffs.
Oilers Hoping Another Top Playoff Performer Will Thrive in Oil Country
Another one of the Oilers’ offseason signings was goaltender Frederik Andersen. The veteran netminder had one heck of a postseason for the Stanley Cup-winning Carolina Hurricanes.
The 36-year-old signed a one-year, $1 million deal with Edmonton on July 1. The move clearly intends to shore up the Oilers’ iffy situation in the crease. But beyond that, the organization is also banking on Andersen’s clutch playoff performance to pay off for the team.
Rotowire’s Surprise Score showed that Andersen registered a +1.79 increase in his performance, ranking him fourth among the top playoff performances this past offseason. That’s something the Oilers will be looking for, as goaltending has been a pain point for the team in the past.
The numbers showed that Andersen’s save percentage jumped by .036 and goal saved above expected skyrocketed by +2.5.
If Andersen can replicate his incredible postseason play in Edmonton, the club may just have a good chance of finally getting over the hump next spring.
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Oil Country Looking Towards a Revival
There’s no question that this past spring’s playoff exit was a massive disappointment for Oilers fans. But that’s in the past. The organization is looking towards a revival that could launch the team back into Stanley Cup contention.
That’s why signing playoff performers like Kapanen and Andersen provides hope that the team can have the right pieces to contend beyond the first round of the NHL playoffs.
With the 2026-27 season about three months away, there will be plenty of time to determine just how well the Oilers can stack up against their Western Conference rivals.
Oilers Banking on Playoff Performer Coming Through Again