We’re only two games into this Edmonton Oilers season, and the picture is still blurry. Three points in those two games is a solid start, though, and if that pace holds through October, the Oilers would be sitting on 21 points by the end of the month.
The biggest thing to monitor tonight is speed, especially up front. Leon Draisaitl’s number doesn’t need to set off alarms yet; he was in the 92nd percentile a year ago and probably hasn’t really opened up.
This is still early, and with NHL Edge updating every day, those numbers can change fast. Vasily Podkolzin was at the 88th percentile last season, so that line looks fine for now.
Check back daily.
There are only two forwards below NHL average at the moment, and Joseph was in the 77th percentile a year ago. Josh Samanski, meanwhile, was also below 50th percentile last season, which may be part of why Mike Babcock is leaning away from him. Still, the tracking data could look very different tonight, and that would give everyone a fresh read on the young center.
Speed alone doesn’t make a player useful. Max Jones is the obvious example, and Kasperi Kapanen can fall into that category too when he’s away from Leon Draisaitl.
One possible answer would be to let Ike Howard skate with Leon and Kapanen, which would free McDavid to work with Podkolzin full time. That may be where the coaching staff ends up tonight.
There are a few other skaters worth watching closely. Colton Dach has stood out enough to make you think he’ll end up on the wing and matter when he gets there.
Owen Michaels has also shown enough to be treated as a real prospect. Trent Frederic had the legs in Game 2, and that needs to keep showing up.
Connor Murphy is another name that jumps off the page, though for a different reason. What’s going on there?
He was below the 50th percentile last season, and when a defenseman improves sharply, it always raises the question of whether something nagging is still in the background. Murphy has looked slow at times, but unsure might be the better way to describe it.
Mattias Ekholm, by contrast, was at the 72nd percentile last season, so his skating is not a concern unless there’s an injury issue. If that’s not the case, that number should rise over the next few games.
Evan Bouchard continues to shine when it comes to holding the blue line and getting back on retrievals. He’s excellent in that part of the game, and it suggests he still has plenty of torque left.
As for what to expect against the Seattle Kraken, that’s less clear. Seattle looks like a team with some depth, which should mean McDavid and Draisaitl get separated, but Babcock is a stubborn coach who trusts his own read on the game.
That can work in his favor, and it can also make things complicated. We’ll see.
There are also several players to keep an eye on in Game 1: the four centers, though only three are obvious right now unless Pitlick ends up in the middle or Kopacka does; plus camp hopefuls Tomas Cibulka, Damien Carfagna, Viljami Marjala, and Eduards Tralmaks. Quinn Hutson is another one to watch, since he needs to push for NHL work this season.
In Other News...
Oilers Roster Crunch Could Force A Move Sooner Than Expected
Edmontons early-season roster picture has already started to look a little crowded on the blue line and a little thin up front. With several forwards banged up, the Oilers are reportedly weighing their options for a roster move that would bring in more help at forward, even if the injuries themselves are not expected to linger.
Sportsnets Elliotte Friedman said during a game broadcast that the club is exploring a lateral trade to rebalance the group, and the pressure point is clear: Edmonton has a pile of defensemen who could be exposed to waivers if the team keeps carrying them all. The situation does not sound like a long-term crisis, but it could still force the Oilers into making a move sooner than they would prefer. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Face Another McDavid Question They Cannot Ignore Early
The NHLs early 2026-27 season has already produced a run of unusually high-scoring games, and some of that has been pinned on a shortened preseason that left teams with less time to get their structure in place. For Edmonton, though, the bigger conversation keeps circling back to Connor McDavid, because every national drift toward leaguewide turbulence seems to invite fresh questions about the Oilers long-term footing around their franchise center.
Sid Seixeiro has once again fueled the speculation that McDavid could eventually leave Edmonton, even though there has been nothing from McDavid to suggest dissatisfaction or a desire to move on. He has stayed invested through the Oilers recent rough patches, which is exactly why the renewed chatter lands as more noise than evidence, even as the leagues cap outlook and team-building strategies start to shift around the edges. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Finally Found A Different Way To Win Against Seattle
For a team that has often needed a little flash to separate itself from Seattle, Wednesdays 3-1 win at Rogers Place looked a bit different. Owen Michaels got the Oilers on the board, Leon Draisaitl kept the pressure on, and Edmonton leaned into a physical, penalty-filled game that felt more like a grind than a showcase. Devon Levi handled his end cleanly enough, turning aside 19 shots as the Oilers improved to 2-0-1 and kept their strong home run against the Kraken rolling.
The part Edmonton will likely like most is that it did not have to chase the game the way it sometimes has against Seattle. The Oilers stayed patient through a tight third period, with Draisaitl and Connor McDavid eventually supplying the separation and finishing touch when the margin was still there to be claimed. It was the kind of result teams talk about wanting in the fall, a different route to the same two points, even if there was still plenty of bite in the game along the way. [Read more 🡒]