The Edmonton Oilers have spent the first month of the 2026-27 season proving they can survive a lot. What they’re also learning, after a shootout loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night and a collapse against the Toronto Maple Leafs two nights earlier, is that they do not have the same margin for error without Mattias Ekholm.
That’s the thread running through these last two losses. The Oilers have let multiple leads slip away, and while neither defeat erases the strong work they’ve done early in the season, the defensive shape that looked so solid in the first half of the month has started to loosen.
The timing points straight back to Ekholm. He left the third period against the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, and since then the Oilers’ best defensive defenseman has been out, the group in front of him has looked different, and not in a good way.
Ekholm may not get the Norris attention that Evan Bouchard gets, but Bouchard’s offensive freedom depends on having Ekholm alongside him doing the hard, stabilizing work. If Ekholm’s health is in doubt, the Oilers’ championship ceiling starts to look less certain too.
That matters because Edmonton’s forwards can absorb an injury in a way the blue line cannot. The roster up front is deep enough in the Connor McDavid era that one absence, even from McDavid or Leon Draisaitl, doesn’t automatically sink the whole operation. The team already showed that last season when Draisaitl missed time; despite real uncertainty around their playoff fate, they still put together enough of a run to make the postseason with room to spare.
On defense, the safety net just isn’t the same. There are too many new pieces, and not enough established voices.
Ryan Shea, Shakir Mukhamadullin and Connor Murphy haven’t been around long enough for everyone to instinctively fall in behind them. Jake Walman has yet to fully hit the next level despite being paid like a top-four defenseman, and Darnell Nurse’s departure left its own gap.
That is why Ekholm’s absence lands differently than injuries to players such as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or Zach Hyman did. The Oilers can manage a lot of things.
Right now, they’re finding out they miss the one defenseman who makes the rest of it work. Ekholm’s 21 minutes a night have become more important than ever.
In Other News...
Oilers May Be Finding Goalie Stability At Exactly The Right Time
Tristan Jarry gave the Oilers exactly what they needed in a 4-0 win over Calgary, turning aside 24 shots and delivering a composed, timely shutout. It was the kind of performance Edmonton has been hoping to find amid a shaky stretch in goal, and one that fit neatly with the rest of the clubs work in front of him.
Jarrys strong night comes at a critical moment for Edmonton, which is leaning on him more heavily than it planned to because of injuries and absences elsewhere in the crease. Head coach Mike Babcock and Connor McDavid both praised the effort, and if the Oilers can keep getting that kind of stability from Jarry, it could buy them some much-needed breathing room while they wait for their depth to return. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Crease Picture Gets More Uncertain As Devon Levi Waits
The Oilers goaltending picture remains a little murkier than they would like as Devon Levi continues to work back from an undisclosed injury he picked up last week. Edmonton has not had much clarity on when hell be ready to return, and the timing matters with the club still sorting out its crease usage as the schedule keeps moving.
Matt Tomkins traveling with the team on the three-game road trip suggests the Oilers are preparing for the possibility Levi needs a bit more time. For a team trying to keep its rotation stable, that kind of uncertainty is hardly ideal, especially when a quick return is not yet guaranteed. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Trade Theory Has Fans Wondering What Team USA Stars Know
Mike Babcock has been sending a message from the bench as well as behind the microphone, and it has little to do with salary. The Oilers coach has already shown he is willing to sit Jake Walman when the mistakes keep showing up on video, a reminder that a bigger contract does not buy automatic ice time. For a team trying to keep standards tight, that kind of hard line matters almost as much as the results on the scoreboard.
The same sort of blunt roster reality is making the rounds elsewhere in the league, where Vancouver is said to be weighing veteran trade possibilities after a rough skid and New Jersey has suddenly become the center of some unusual Olympic-era chatter. The Devils recent move for Connor Hellebuyck has only fueled speculation that Team USA names like Dylan Larkin and Quinn Hughes could be looking at the same destination, though nothing has been confirmed. For Edmonton fans, it is another reminder that the leagues rumor mill can turn fast, even when the real answer is still sitting a long way from public view. [Read more 🡒]