Evan Bouchard set the tone and the Edmonton Oilers looked sharp in their first pre-season test, rolling past the Winnipeg Jets 5-2 on Saturday night.
The Oilers had already arrived with momentum after a 6-1 win in the NextGen game earlier this week against Calgary Flames prospects, and they carried that edge into this one. Winnipeg opened the scoring just two minutes in, but Edmonton answered quickly and then took control for good.
The Jets grabbed the first goal after Max Jones couldn’t keep the puck in the zone, opening the door to an odd-man rush. Parker Ford slipped in on the weak side, took the pass and tapped it past Tristan Jarry for the 1-0 lead.
Edmonton needed only five minutes to respond. Around the seven-minute mark of the first period, Ryan Shea got the puck at the point, sold a shot, beat his man and snapped one past the Winnipeg goaltender for his first goal in orange and blue.
Less than three minutes later, the Oilers moved in front for good. Connor McDavid carried the puck around the net and tried to feed it into the crease, but the puck caromed off a Jet and into the goal for a fortunate Edmonton bounce.
The scoring slowed after that in the opening frame, but the Oilers kept pushing. About 12 minutes into the second period, Leon Draisaitl released a floating wrister from the point after sustained zone time, and the puck found its way through for his first pre-season goal. Alex Formenton followed with another Edmonton goal about two and a half minutes later.
Winnipeg didn’t score again until nearly 16 minutes into the third, when Jacob Julien pulled the Jets within one. That prompted the goalie pull, and Colton Dach quickly made it 5-2 by burying the empty-netter.
Bouchard was everywhere for Edmonton. He assisted on four of the five goals, finished plus-four and logged a game-high 25:09 of ice time.
With Mattias Ekholm scratched, Bouchard spent most of his five-on-five time with Ryan Shea, and that pairing stood out. Shea not only scored but also added two assists.
McDavid and Draisaitl were both plus-four as well. They played 19:13 and 19:11, respectively, which was still the most ice time among Oilers forwards. Skating with Vasily Podkolzin, they formed Edmonton’s best line of the night.
Jarry also gave the Oilers a solid start in goal. He stopped 15 of 16 shots over two periods for a .938 save percentage, and the Jets’ opening goal wasn’t really on him.
These two teams meet again Tuesday in Winnipeg at 6:00 p.m. MT.
In Other News...
Oilers Roster Crunch Could Force Tough Waiver Calls Before Opening Night
With opening night on Sept. 29 still ahead, the roster math in Edmonton has already turned into one of the early chores of camp. The Oilers are carrying 29 players, six over the limit, which means a busy round of trimming is coming before the season begins. For a team with serious depth aspirations, that kind of squeeze is part planning exercise and part hard reality, especially when the back end is crowded and every spot matters.
Puckpedias waiver watch has six names sitting closest to the edge, and another group hovering just behind them as the staff sorts out who can be kept, exposed, or risked elsewhere. Alex Formenton, Colton Dach, Shakir Mukhamadullin, Spencer Stastney, and Ty Emberson are among the bubble players trying to hold their ground, with the defensive depth chart creating the main pressure point. The next few roster moves should tell a lot about how the Oilers value experience, upside, and the short-term need to get under the limit without losing too much of what they have built. [Read more 🡒]
Darnell Nurse Just Reframed How His Oilers Exit Really Ended
Darnell Nurse wasted little time putting his Edmonton departure into perspective after landing with the San Jose Sharks, telling local media that the move was less about any deeper change in his relationship with the game and more about timing. After years in Edmonton, where his time carried real value, the defenseman framed the trade as an opportunity to reset and step into a new situation with a different kind of energy.
For Oilers fans, there is still a familiar mix of appreciation and finality in hearing Nurse describe the switch this way. He made clear that he has always loved hockey and welcomed the trade as a fresh start, while also acknowledging that his run in Edmonton had simply reached the point where a change made sense. Now the focus shifts to how he settles into San Jose and whether he can turn that new beginning into something lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Veterans Get First Chance To Set The Tone In Roster Battle
The preseason gets a little more serious for Edmonton on Friday night, with the Oilers opening against the Winnipeg Jets in a lineup that blends established NHL talent with players trying to force their way into the picture. Mike Babcock has made the early emphasis clear: puck care, detail and the kind of disciplined play that can separate a veteran from a bubble player when roster decisions start to loom.
Winnipeg is expected to counter with a younger group carrying limited NHL experience, which gives Edmonton a useful test of pace and habits as much as results. The Oilers will get their first real look at how some of the competition for spots handles a more demanding setting, and the tone set by the regulars should matter just as much as the final score. [Read more 🡒]