The Edmonton Oilers are right where many expected them to be in the standings - locked in a tight race with the Vegas Golden Knights for the top spot in the Pacific Division. But don’t let that positioning fool you into thinking this team is firing on all cylinders. Because when you zoom out and look at the Western Conference as a whole - or even compare them to teams out East - the picture gets a lot murkier.
Through 58 games, the Oilers sit at 28-22-8 with 64 points. Respectable on the surface, but that total puts them 13 points behind the Dallas Stars, who are third in the Central Division.
Over in the Atlantic, the Detroit Red Wings are holding down third with 72 points. The New York Islanders?
They’ve got 67 in the Metro. If the Oilers were in the Eastern Conference, they’d be five points behind the Boston Bruins for the final wild-card spot.
So while they’re in a decent divisional spot, it’s not exactly a dominant campaign.
This year’s Pacific Division hasn’t been the gauntlet it’s been in seasons past. Vegas has had its ups and downs.
The Kings and Flames have been inconsistent. And that’s part of the story here - Edmonton’s place in the standings says “contender,” but their play against the league’s top teams says otherwise.
Struggles Against the West’s Elite
Coming into the season, the Oilers were grouped with the Avalanche, Stars, and Golden Knights as the powerhouses of the West. That core four has mostly held true, but a new name has entered the conversation: the Minnesota Wild.
After years of being stuck in the middle, the Wild made a serious statement in December by trading for defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks. That move signaled that GM Bill Guerin was all-in, and the results have followed. Minnesota has elevated its game and now sits comfortably among the conference’s elite - and they’ve been a nightmare matchup for Edmonton.
Across seven games this season against the Avalanche, Stars, Golden Knights, and Wild, the Oilers have managed just one win and three total points. That’s a tough pill to swallow.
Even tougher is the goal differential in those games: 37-16 against. That’s not just losing - that’s getting run out of the building.
Their lone win came against Vegas, and they’ve only played the Golden Knights once. Against the Wild?
Three games, three losses, and a combined score of 13-5. That includes a 7-3 beating last Saturday that felt like a gut check moment.
What’s Next for the Oilers?
The silver lining here is that Edmonton is still in a strong position to finish top three in the Pacific. That likely means a favorable first-round matchup against a lesser opponent - a chance to build some momentum and maybe exorcise a few demons.
But if they make it out of the opening round, it’s almost inevitable that they’ll run into one of the big dogs. And right now, it’s hard to see them stacking up in a seven-game series against the Avalanche, Stars, or Wild.
Vegas? Maybe.
But the rest? It’s a tall order unless something changes.
Trade Deadline Could Be the Turning Point
That “something” could come at the trade deadline. The Oilers don’t have much cap room to work with, but there’s talk of an Andrew Mangiapane trade on the horizon that would free up some space. They’re not in the market for a superstar - that’s not realistic given the financial constraints - but even a solid middle-six winger or a dependable third-line center could move the needle.
This team doesn’t need a full overhaul. They’ve got the top-end talent.
What they need is depth - players who can win puck battles, chip in offensively, and hold the line when the stars aren’t on the ice. If they can find that at the deadline, it might be enough to give them a fighting chance against the West’s best.
But as it stands, the Oilers are a team that looks good on paper and in the standings - just not so much when the puck drops against elite competition. The next few weeks will be critical. Because if they don’t make the right moves, this could be another season where potential meets a hard playoff wall.