The Oilers are still sitting on top of the Pacific Division, but the latest power rankings took a bite out of their standing after a week that was more uneven than dominant.
Edmonton went 1-1-1 over three games, opening with a 4-3 shootout loss to the New Jersey Devils and following that with a 5-4 defeat against the Anaheim Ducks despite a late push. They steadied things with a 4-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night, bringing their record to 12-3-3. That gives them 27 points, which keeps them first in the division and tied for third in the NHL.
Even with that position in the standings, the Oilers slid from second to fifth in Monday’s Daily Faceoff power rankings. Carolina, New Jersey, Minnesota, and Boston all moved ahead of them.
“The Oilers had an okay week, going 1-1-1 against the Devils, Ducks, and Canucks while continuing to get staggering production from Connor McDavid.” wrote Daily Faceoff’s Mike Gould. “This team’s secondary forwards are as weak as they’ve ever been, and the less said about their defensive depth, the better, but it won’t matter as long as McDavid keeps doing his best 2001 Pavel Bure impression.”
The schedule doesn’t get any lighter from here. Edmonton hosts the New York Rangers on Monday at 7:00 PM MT, then welcomes the Philadelphia Flyers to Rogers Place on Wednesday. After that, the Oilers head east for games against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday and the Flyers again on Sunday.
Elsewhere around the league, the Devils announced on Sunday evening that Connor Hellebuyck will not start Tuesday’s game in Manitoba.
The Devils’ general manager said Hellebuyck wanted to play, but that him “playing in the game would potentially give [the Devils] a reduction in [their] expected win probability”. Jake Allen will get the nod instead, and he carries a 9-11-3 record with an .884 save percentage all-time against the Jets.
Hellebuyck was traded from Winnipeg to New Jersey earlier this season after the Hart Trophy winner asked for a deal over the summer. He missed training camp and was suspended by the team, and once that suspension ended, the Devils sent a package that included Dawson Mercer, the 2026 12th overall pick, and Alexander Command to the Jets.
Since joining New Jersey, Hellebuyck has been sharp. He has a .913 save percentage and 1.96 goals against average in five games, and he is 5-0-0.
The Hockey Hall of Fame also had its latest class over the weekend, with six people officially inducted. The group includes Patrice Bergeron, Cindy Curley, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne, Keith Tkachuk, and builder honoree Brian Burke.
Curley’s resume goes back to her four seasons at Providence College in the early 1980s, when she scored 110 goals and 225 points. She also played for Team USA at several events and helped the women’s national team win silver medals at three straight IIHF Women’s World Championships in the early 1990s.
Tkachuk is the other male player in the class. Across 18 NHL seasons, he scored 538 goals and 1,065 points in 1,201 games with the original Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, St.
Louis Blues, and Atlanta Thrashers. He was a five-time All-Star and led the NHL with 52 goals in 1996-97, becoming the first American-born player to do it.
Price, Rinne, and Bergeron all played into the 2020s. Price’s final season came in 2021-22, when he appeared in just five games after helping the Montréal Canadiens reach the Stanley Cup Finals in 2020-21.
In 15 NHL seasons, he posted a .917 save percentage and 2.51 goals against average in 712 games, with a 361-261-79 record. He also won the Vezina Trophy, Hart Trophy, Jennings Trophy, and Ted Lindsay Award in 2014-15.
Rinne’s last season was 2020-21. Over 15 years with the Nashville Predators, he finished with a .917 save percentage and 2.43 goals against average in 683 games, along with a 369-213-75 record. He won the Vezina Trophy in 2017-18 and was a finalist three other times.
Bergeron spent his entire career with the Boston Bruins, piling up 427 goals and 1,040 points over 19 seasons. He won the Stanley Cup in 2011 and reached the Final again in 2013 and 2019, while building a reputation as one of the league’s premier two-way centers. He won six Selke Trophies.
Burke’s Hall of Fame case was built on a career that stretched across five decades. He worked as a general manager, president of hockey operations, director of hockey operations, scout, Canadian Hockey League franchise owner, and senior advisor. His most recent NHL job was as president of hockey operations for the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2020-21 through 2022-23, and he now serves as senior advisor to the Ontario Hockey League’s Brantford Bulldogs.
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 🡒]