The Edmonton Oilers have spent the opening stretch of the season living on the edge.
Through two games, they’ve scored 14 goals, given up 13 and managed three of a possible four points. That kind of production usually sounds like a team rolling. In Edmonton’s case, it’s also a reminder that the defensive side is still very much a work in progress.
Tuesday’s 6-5 overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks was followed by a 9-7 win over the same team on Thursday, and the second meeting turned into a wild one fast. The Oilers went into Rogers Arena, strung together five straight goals and built an 8-2 cushion. Then Vancouver scored with one second left in the second period, added three more in the third and suddenly had the gap down to 8-6 with 13 minutes to play.
“Nobody is in here saying ‘Way to go,’” Connor McDavid said. “We understand that the game has to look a little bit different, but I thought the first 40 is what it could look like a lot of the time and what it should look like a lot of the time.
Guys working hard, tracking back, responsible with the puck and just kind of rolling over them. We have to replicate that 40 minutes.”
For a while, that looked like the blueprint. Edmonton was sharp for the first 40 minutes, and the kind of control McDavid described was there in full. But the third period turned into a very different story, with the Oilers looking far too much like the version of themselves they were trying to leave behind.
“Weird to be excited about the ninth one,” McDavid said. “But it was a big goal at the time.”
That ninth goal came from Leon Draisaitl on the power play, and it gave Edmonton some breathing room after Vancouver had already clawed its way back from a six-goal hole to make things uncomfortable.
The Oilers were also missing Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jason Dickinson and Matt Savoie, so there’s at least some context around the kind of start they’ve had. Even so, the warning signs are obvious.
“I'm happy for the guys, happy for myself, we got three of a possible four points, but we have tons of examples of where we have to get better,” Babcock said.
That line fits what the Oilers have shown so far. They’ve had enough offense to win both games, but they’ve also given up enough to lose both. Vancouver was allowed back into a game Edmonton had every chance to finish off.
“We know we can be way better,” Babcock said. “What I saw tonight was a group that can play right, that knew what they were doing and then I saw a group that didn't do it.”
That’s the story of Edmonton’s first two nights: 40 minutes of order, then chaos.
And if that kind of game can get away from them against Vancouver, what happens when Florida comes to town?
The Oilers are not going to score nine goals every night. McDavid is not going to pile up five points every night. And an 8-2 lead should never need one more goal just to make everyone feel safe.
Babcock wanted structure. Through two games, he’s gotten it in bursts.
That was enough to leave Vancouver with two points on a Thursday in October. It won’t be enough forever.
In Other News...
Oilers Suddenly Have A Goalie Opportunity Fans Did Not Expect
The rematch with Vancouver comes quickly for Edmonton, and it arrives with a different look in net than many fans expected. After the season-opening loss, the Oilers are turning to Devon Levi, who is set to make his debut and earn his first start of the 2026-27 season as the club tries to steady itself against the same Canucks team that handed it the opening-night setback.
The crease change comes amid a longer injury shuffle for Edmonton, with Tristan Jarry having struggled and Frederik Andersen sidelined, while the forward group is also taking hits. Zach Hyman will miss the game, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has been moved to injured reserve, forcing the Oilers to call up Josh Samanski from the AHL to help fill out the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Huge Night Still Left Fans Worried About One Problem
The goals came fast and the points piled up in a wild 9-7 win over the Vancouver Canucks in Edmontons second game of the 2026-27 season, the kind of night that showed why this roster can still overwhelm opponents when its best players are rolling. Connor McDavid finished with five points, Leon Draisaitl added two goals and Evan Bouchard kept driving the attack from the back end, giving the Oilers the sort of offensive burst that can make almost any early-season concern feel secondary.
Still, the unease around this start is hard to miss when the scoreline gets that messy. The Oilers were asked to win a track meet, and while they did it, the kind of defensive and goaltending stability this group usually needs never really settled in, leaving fans with plenty to celebrate and one lingering question about how sustainable nights like this can be. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Suddenly Have A Real Chance To Test Josh Samanski
Josh Samanski has quietly become one of the more interesting depth bets in the Oilers system. The 24-year-old German centre signed a two-year entry-level deal ahead of the 2025-26 season after moving from the DEL to Bakersfield, and he already got a taste of the NHL last season when he appeared in 24 games. For a player who profiles as a potential bottom-six or middle-six centre, the next step is less about flash and more about whether his defensive game can translate when the pace tightens.
Now, the Oilers suddenly have a real opening to see what Samanski can handle under pressure. An emergency recall put him back on the NHL roster because of injuries, giving Edmonton a chance to evaluate whether his blend of size, structure and limited offense can hold up against bigger responsibilities. For a team always searching for affordable depth down the middle, his ability to survive this stretch may tell them a lot about how quickly he can move from promising call-up to something more permanent. [Read more 🡒]