The 2026-27 schedule gives the Edmonton Oilers a break in a place that usually punishes them: the road.
As the NHL’s northernmost team, Edmonton is built to log serious miles every season. This time, though, the league’s schedule makers have at least softened the blow.
The Oilers are set to travel 45,872 miles over the course of the regular season and cross 36 time zones from their first puck drop to the final whistle in Game 84. That’s a hefty trip, but it still lands well short of the league’s worst case.
That distinction belongs to the Seattle Kraken, who will cover 6000 more miles and cross almost twice as many time zones, with 60.
Distance matters in a league where every edge counts. Travel drains the body, and not just because players are sitting on a plane. The constant micromovements take a toll, and the recovery time that gets shaved away can add up over a long season.
For Edmonton, the good news goes beyond the raw mileage. The Oilers’ travel load ranks 14th in the NHL, and five Pacific Division opponents will actually cover more ground than they will.
Anaheim sits just behind them at 15th, while the Vegas Golden Knights are dealing with the third-worst travel schedule in the league. That matters for a team that has spent Connor McDavid’s entire career chasing a divisional title and trying to stay ahead of a familiar rival for the top seed.
Another useful wrinkle: Edmonton’s schedule isn’t being helped by a pile of back-to-backs. The Oilers have just 8 back-to-back series, and some of those are matinee-then-evening situations that still leave more than 24 hours between games. That’s also near the bottom of the league, which makes the travel break stand out even more.
New head coach Mike Babcock will have to make use of it. Against tired divisional opponents, especially later in the season, a fast, aggressive pace could force mistakes and open up chances for Edmonton’s offense. That kind of pressure could be especially useful against older players or rookies still adjusting to the NHL grind.
There’s also the health angle. If the Oilers can get to the postseason with their stars intact, they could put themselves in position to finish off a Round 1 opponent quickly and buy extra rest while other teams are grinding through longer series. The path is there for Edmonton to arrive fresh, play fast, and let its top players do what they do best.
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What makes the chatter worth watching is the price tag and the timing, because this is the kind of deal that would force Edmonton to part with real assets while also depending on Nashvilles willingness to reshape its own direction. The Predators have been linked to a broader reset, and if they decide to lean into that next chapter, the Oilers could find themselves in the middle of one of the summers most consequential trade discussions. [Read more 🡒]