The Edmonton Oilers are getting healthier, and the timing is starting to swing their way.
After beginning the season without their full lineup through the first eight games, Edmonton has still ripped off a 6-1-1 start and at times looked dominant. Zach Hyman is already back in the fold after returning Saturday against the Utah Mammoth and scoring his first goal of the season. Now the focus has shifted to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who appears close to making his season debut.
General manager Stan Bowman offered the clearest update yet on Monday during a conversation with 880 CHED’s Bob Stauffer.
“I think both Dickinson and Nugent-Hopkins are gonna play on the home-stand, whether it be the first game or two, or towards the end, I don’t know yet,” Bowman said. “They’re both trending well, looking good, and we’d love to get them back.”
Bowman added that Jason Dickinson is expected to be available during the five-game home stand, which begins Tuesday night against the Minnesota Wild and runs through Oct. 28 against the Calgary Flames.
Nugent-Hopkins had looked ready for the season after playing two preseason games and collecting three assists, and he took part in training camp in full. But he was suddenly unavailable for the home opener against the Vancouver Canucks, and the exact issue keeping the veteran forward out has not been disclosed. Whatever it is, it has kept him sidelined through the first eight games.
The absence of Nugent-Hopkins and Dickinson has thinned out Edmonton’s centre depth, especially with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the same line. That has created some depth-scoring issues, but it hasn’t slowed the Oilers’ results.
When Nugent-Hopkins does return, he is expected to take over the Oilers’ second-line centre role and could skate with Hyman, while the top line remains unchanged. He was rotating through that 2C spot at Monday’s practice alongside Hyman and Kasperi Kapanen.
The @EdmontonOilers practice today:
Podkolzin-McDavid-Draisaitl
Hyman-Dach/RNH-Kapanen
Formenton-Michaels-Joseph
Hallander/Jones-Frederic-Howard
Ekholm-Bouchard
Shea-Murphy
Walman-Emberson
Mukhamadullin
Levi
Jarry
- Bob Stauffer (@Bob_Stauffer) October 19, 2026
There’s still some wait time on the longer-term injury front. Bowman said Matt Savoie is still “a couple weeks away,” while Frederik Andersen is even farther off.
“Matt Savoie is still a couple weeks away, whether it’s two weeks or four weeks, I don’t know that,” Bowman said. “Freddy Andersen, he’s further away than Savoie. Don’t really have a timeline on him.”
Edmonton has taken hits early, but the team has kept winning anyway. And as more bodies come back, the Oilers look set up to stay right where they are near the top of the NHL standings.
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Nugent-Hopkins Return Creates A Big Oilers Top-Six Decision
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The biggest question now is where Nugent-Hopkins fits once the puck drops. Edmonton is expected to use him in a prominent second-line role, and the ripple effect could be felt throughout the forward group as the staff sorts out the best mix around him. With the Oilers trying to settle into a rhythm early, his return adds needed stability, but it also forces a lineup decision that could reshape the balance of the entire top six. [Read more 🡒]