For all the noise around the Edmonton Oilers, the standings tell a pretty simple story: they’re still sitting near the top of the Canadian pack.
Edmonton is 12-3-3 through 18 games, which puts the club first in the Pacific Division, fourth in the NHL, and ahead of every other Canadian team with 27 points and a .750 points percentage. The Oilers are also leading the seven Canadian teams in scoring, averaging 4.17 goals per game.
Connor McDavid has piled up 47 points in 18 games, and Leon Draisaitl has added 16 goals. Those two have carried most of the load offensively, but Mike Babcock has also been getting encouraging contributions from players lower in the lineup.
That production has come despite a few obvious problems. Edmonton has dealt with injuries to its goaltenders, a bottom six that has at times struggled to chip in, and defensive outings that have drawn plenty of criticism. The 6-2 loss to Toronto was one of those nights.
The Maple Leafs came into Rogers Place and completely outworked Edmonton, leaving Babcock with plenty to pick apart afterward. Toronto has not exactly built on that result, either, and now sits seventh in the Atlantic Division with 18 points.
Montreal has been the closest challenger to Edmonton among Canadian clubs. The Canadiens are 11-3-3 with 25 points, and they’ve been rolling lately, going 8-0-2 over their last 10 games. Their .735 points percentage is just behind Edmonton’s among Canadian teams, and they’ve been strong at five-on-five with a 52.8 per cent share of shot attempts.
Ottawa has also put together a solid start. The Senators are 11-6-1 with 23 points, good for fourth in the Atlantic and a playoff spot right now. They’ve won five of their last 10 games, which gives Canada three teams that can make an early case as some of the league’s better clubs.
After that, the picture gets much rougher. Toronto is 8-9-2, Calgary is 8-9-1, Winnipeg is 7-8-3, and Vancouver sits at the bottom of the entire NHL with only three wins in 19 games.
Edmonton has managed its strong start while battling plenty of issues, but in the standings, the Oilers are still the standard for Canadian teams.
In Other News...
Oilers Win Came With A Bench Blunder Fans Will Debate
A win is a win, but Edmonton left the kind of side note that tends to linger with a fan base. The Oilers controlled enough of the night to bank two points, yet a blown power play sequence turned a comfortable edge into a little more stress than it needed to be, and it was the sort of bench detail that can get replayed long after the final horn.
Head coach Mike Babcock said the issue came down to a miscommunication behind the bench, which delayed the timeout call at a moment when Edmonton could have steadied things. He also pointed to the teams lighthearted rule for coach mistakes, with a donation going to the Childrens Cancer Society when the bench gets it wrong, a reminder that even in a victory, there was still a small penalty attached to the mess. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Made A Connor Hellebuyck Call Fans Wont Love
The goaltending market keeps getting a little more interesting around the Oilers, even if one of the names that had been floating around is not currently in play. With Edmonton always under a microscope when it comes to crease help, any hint of movement tends to draw attention, especially when the conversation is being fed by league chatter and speculation from outside the organization.
For now, the more immediate reminder is how quickly a goalie storyline can turn into a referendum on trust and timing. The Devils drew plenty of attention for their decision in Connor Hellebuycks return game against Winnipeg, and the reaction around that call showed how sensitive these situations can be for both players and fans. Edmonton will keep watching the market, but the latest noise only reinforces how much uncertainty still hangs over it. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers May Have A Jake Walman Problem They Didn't Expect
Jake Walmans first stretch with the Oilers has not gone the way either side likely imagined. He has been a healthy scratch five times in the last seven games, and when he has dressed, his ice time has been limited enough to suggest the coaching staff is still searching for a fit. For a player brought in to help stabilize the blue line, that is not the kind of early-season usage anyone wants to see.
Mike Babcock has made it clear the issue goes beyond just missed chances or uneven puck movement. The concern is Walmans play away from the puck, where the staff believes he is not meeting the standard the team needs. If that does not change, Edmonton may eventually have to weigh a difficult decision on a player with trade protection and a long-term contract, which makes the next few weeks worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]