The Edmonton Oilers are sitting on a four-point cushion over the Vegas Golden Knights, with a game in hand, and Vegas is the only team that looks like a real threat to catch them in the division. Edmonton hasn’t finished first in a division since 1987.
Through 15 games, the Oilers have blown past the pace they were expected to set. The projection had them at 8-5-2 for 18 points. Instead, they’re 11-2-2 with 24 points.
That surge has come while Edmonton has been working through a stretch of games that included road trips to New York and New Jersey, home dates against Anaheim, Vancouver, New York, and Philadelphia, and a tougher road run through Toronto, Philadelphia, Florida, Tampa Bay, Carolina, and St. Louis. The schedule also includes home games against Vegas and Seattle, plus one more trip to Seattle.
The roster picture is starting to brighten, too. Edmonton is getting healthy, and there’s a real chance three scoring lines can emerge, though the group still probably needs another scoring winger.
The top nine forwards by five-on-five points per 60 so far this season are leading the way, but the numbers are unlikely to stay exactly where they are. The top five names probably won’t finish the year with those totals, while Colton Dach at 0.86, Kasperi Kapanen at 0.6 and Trent Frederic at 0.51 could all trend upward in a good way.
Add Zach Hyman and Matt Savoie into the mix, and there’s a path to three scoring lines. The next step is getting three lines that can outscore opponents.
The ideal version, as laid out here, would keep the Glimmer Twins together and spread speed, size, skill and two-way play across every line. It would also leave room for some youth to keep growing year over year, with names like Dach, Podkolzin and Savoie in the picture. Michaels would get time in Bakersfield, while Howard would thrive in Nashville.
On the Lowdown, Shawn Belle is the feature guest at 1 p.m., and the round table returns from noon to 2 p.m. on Sports 1440 and YouTube.
In Other News...
Oilers Just Saw Why The Rangers Could Be In Real Trouble
The Rangers finally snapped a four-game skid with a win over the Blues at Madison Square Garden, but the larger picture around the club still looks uneasy. New York has been able to lean on its home ice to stay afloat, yet the season has taken a hit since Igor Shesterkins season-ending injury forced Dylan Garand into the crease and changed the feel of the roster almost overnight.
Now comes the part that will test whether that bounce-back was real or just a brief reset. The Rangers are headed into a difficult road trip against several Pacific Division teams, and their margin for error is thin if the scoring from key players does not pick up and the defensive support in front of the goalies does not tighten up. For a team trying to steady itself, the next stretch could say a lot about how much trouble this group is really in. [Read more 🡒]
Former Oilers Forward Evander Kane Nears A Surprising Career Turn
Evander Kane is heading toward a notable new chapter after his NHL run, with his agent Dan Milstein saying the former Oilers forward will be signing with a KHL team and playing the upcoming season in Russia. Kane, who last suited up in the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks, has bounced around the league over the course of his career, including a stint in Edmonton that made him a familiar name to Oilers fans.
The move marks a sharp turn for a player who has spent years in the NHL spotlight, and it now appears his next stop will come far from North America. An official announcement is expected in the next few days, which should finally settle where Kane is headed as he prepares for a season overseas. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Babcock Just Added To The Oilers' Early-Season Swagger
The Oilers strong start has created the kind of mood where even a late morning-skate arrival can turn into a lighthearted moment. Mike Babcock addressed the delay in a media session and, in doing so, only added to the sense that Edmonton is carrying itself with confidence early in the season.
Sitting atop the Western Conference with 25 points through 16 games, the Oilers have given themselves plenty of room to smile, and Babcocks remarks fit right into that atmosphere. It was a small exchange, but it underscored how steady and upbeat things feel around the club right now, even when the details of a routine skate become part of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]