The Edmonton Oilers have a chance to show exactly what kind of team they are over the next few nights.
They come into the week after a big win over the Utah Mammoth on Saturday evening, and now they’ve got a little breathing room before a brutal stretch begins. Edmonton has only one regulation loss so far this season, and if that number still holds after this run, it will say plenty about where this team stands.
The week starts Tuesday, October 20th, at 7pm against the Minnesota Wild in Edmonton. Then the Carolina Hurricanes come in on Thursday, October 22nd, also at 7pm. The week wraps up Saturday, October 24th, at 5pm when the Toronto Maple Leafs visit.
Minnesota is the first test, and it’s a sharp one. The Oilers lost every meeting with the Wild last season, and some of those results in Minnesota were lopsided.
Edmonton will be looking to bring that same kind of edge it showed in the rematch against Utah, when it piled up an early lead and never let go. The Oilers do sit above the Wild in the Western Conference standings, but Minnesota has already notched wins against the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers.
The matchup also brings a star-on-star feel. Kirill Kaprizov leads the league in goals, while Quinn Hughes has opened the season strong after being a recent Norris Trophy nominee.
Edmonton can answer with firepower of its own. Connor McDavid is outscoring every other forward in the league, and Evan Bouchard is doing the same among defensemen.
There’s a good chance this one turns on goaltending, which has quietly become a strength for the Oilers lately.
The Carolina game is a different kind of challenge. The Hurricanes were the best team in the league last season, and they arrive in Edmonton with two Stanley Cup banners already hanging in their rafters, while the Oilers haven’t added one since 1990.
The connection between these two franchises has run deep since 2006, but this one will still serve as a real barometer. Even a close loss would tell you something about Edmonton’s standing.
Then comes Toronto on Saturday, a familiar stop on the schedule and a prime-time Hockey Night in Canada stage. The Maple Leafs haven’t had everything break their way despite the addition of young Gavin McKenna, but there’s still a long season ahead and plenty of offense on that roster.
For the Oilers, the goal is simple: avoid a run-and-gun mess like the one they got into in the season-opening doubleheader against the Vancouver Canucks. Edmonton can win that kind of game, but Toronto can too, and the cleaner, tighter style leans in the Oilers’ direction.
October is already looking like a success because of the start Edmonton has put together. If they handle this week well, that opening hot streak starts to mean even more.
In Other News...
Oilers Finally Get Help Back As One Lineup Question Looms
The Oilers are finally getting some reinforcements back into the fold, with Zach Hyman, Colton Dach and Jake Walman all set to rejoin the lineup for the upcoming game against Utah. Its a welcome development for a team that has been juggling injuries and trying to keep the roster afloat while key pieces were missing.
Edmonton is still not close to being fully healthy, but the next stretch could bring even more relief. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is nearing his season debut, and Jason Dickinson is expected back soon after, giving the club a chance to steady its lines and sort out a lineup picture that has been in flux for weeks. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Trade Radar Just Raised One Big Penguins Deadline Question
The Penguins have made it clear they are willing to move veteran pieces if it helps open the door for younger players, and that has put a familiar deadline name back on Edmontons radar. Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, Erik Karlsson and even Evgeni Malkin have all been mentioned as possible trade candidates, but from the Oilers side the fit question is really about which of those players best complements a contender already built around elite center depth.
Rust is the name drawing the most interest for a reason, with his pace and puck pursuit making him a natural fit in a top-six role alongside Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. Any serious pursuit would almost certainly have to come with meaningful futures attached, though, and the frameworks floating around center on draft picks and prospects rather than a simple rental-style swap. No deal is done yet, but the line between speculative deadline chatter and real trade pressure is starting to look thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Tristan Jarry Is Giving The Oilers A Goalie Decision To Make
Tristan Jarry has already forced his way into the early-season conversation for the Oilers after getting two starts in 2026-27. He opened with a 19-save effort against the San Jose Sharks, then followed it up with another solid outing against the Utah Mammoth as Edmonton continues to sort through a position that has too often been a problem area for this team.
The latest start only added to the sense that the Oilers have options now, which is a very different place for this group to be. Jarry did allow two goals against Utah, but he still came up with timely stops and helped Edmonton come away with the win, leaving the coaching staff with a real decision to make as multiple goalies are performing well. [Read more 🡒]