The Edmonton Oilers are heading into an offseason of change—and General Manager Stan Bowman isn't hiding it. After a disappointing first-round playoff exit in six games, Bowman acknowledged that next season's roster "will not be the same group as today."

Speaking just two days after the Oilers were bounced from the postseason, Bowman balanced optimism about young talent like Matt Savoie, Josh Samanski, and Vasily Podkolzin with a clear message: changes are coming.

"We do need some new players," Bowman told reporters. "I don't know if we're going to have a dramatically different roster next year. We don't need to rewrite everything, but we do need adjustments."

The GM didn't shy away from accountability, admitting that key acquisitions this season—including goaltender Tristan Jarry and forward Andrew Mangiapane—"did not work out." That leaves Bowman with tough decisions this summer, as he navigates free agency while trying to shore up goaltending and address defensive weaknesses that plagued the team.

Head coach Kris Knoblauch identified the defensive issues as more mental than technical. "It's the mentality of wanting to play good defensive hockey," he explained. "We were trending in the right direction the last few weeks of the regular season, but in the playoffs we got away from that."

Both Bowman and Knoblauch agreed with captain Connor McDavid's blunt assessment that the Oilers were an "average team" this season. "That was an accurate portrayal," Bowman said. "We were not able to get any momentum during the season."

Injuries played a significant role in the team's struggles, but Bowman stopped short of saying the core is in decline. For a team with championship aspirations, this offseason will be about retooling—not rebuilding—to get back in the hunt.