Newly appointed Edmonton Oilers GM Stan Bowman recently opened up about the challenges of building a championship-caliber team around superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, as well as young defenseman Evan Bouchard. In an interview with The Athletic’s Thomas Drance on September 15, Bowman expressed both optimism and concern about the team’s future, particularly with salary cap constraints looming large.
“The fortunate thing is that Leon, Connor, and even Bouchard are either in or entering the prime of their careers,” Bowman said. “Their performance will remain at the top, but managing the salary cap will be a major challenge in the coming years.”
Bowman is no stranger to navigating such challenges. During his time as GM of the Chicago Blackhawks, he successfully built a dynasty around stars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane while managing similar cap pressures. However, he acknowledged that maintaining a contending roster over time becomes increasingly difficult.
“Our goal isn’t just to find star players—we already have those—but to build the right supporting cast around them,” Bowman emphasized. “There are several ways to do that: through the draft, trades, free agent signings, and even undrafted players.”
The Oilers face the task of keeping their core players, including McDavid and Draisaitl, while ensuring they have enough depth to compete. Bowman stressed the importance of finding hidden gems in later rounds of the draft to maximize value, especially with much of the salary cap tied up in their top players.
“We need to do a solid job of drafting well in the later rounds,” Bowman explained. “The goal is to develop players quickly and shorten the natural development curve to make an impact on the roster sooner.”
As Bowman looks to navigate the financial and roster-building hurdles ahead, his approach will be crucial to ensuring the Oilers can consistently compete for championships while keeping their stars in Edmonton.
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