The Oilers took a tumble in Daily Faceoff’s latest power rankings, sliding three spots to ninth after a week that started with promise and ended with a thud.
Edmonton opened by beating the Minnesota Wild 4-3 in overtime and the Carolina Hurricanes 6-5 in overtime, but the week closed with a rough 7-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. Even with the drop, Connor McDavid’s production kept the conversation pointed straight at Edmonton’s top end.
“[Connor] McDavid is on pace for over 200 points,” wrote Daily Faceoff’s Mike Gould. “I’ve taken more than my fair share of shots at the Oilers over the years - I still think they’re still a fundamentally broken team in so many ways - but it’s almost impossible against a guy who’s scoring at that rate.”
Scott Maxwell took a more cautious view of Edmonton’s place in the league hierarchy.
“I’ll admit that my model is a bit bearish on the Oilers. But I also don’t know if I’m ready to anoint them as the second-best team in the league like Mike is,” Daily Faceoff’s Scott Maxwell noted. “Sure, if this was NHL 27 and you turned off line changes and stamina, and only ran out Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard with two other players and they played the whole game, the Oilers would be unstoppable.
“But this team does struggle when they aren’t on the ice, and any early signs of an improved defence have since faded. Their three-headed monster has been insane to start the year and they’re carrying the load so far, but they won’t be record-breaking good forever, and when that happens, I’d expect a bit more struggles.”
Edmonton now turns to a busy finish at home before hitting the road. The Oilers host the Detroit Red Wings on Monday and the Calgary Flames on Wednesday to finish their five-game homestand. After that, they head east to close October against the New York Islanders on Saturday, then open November with a game against the New York Rangers on Sunday.
Elsewhere in the NHL, one notable absence continues to hang over Carolina’s start. The left-shot defenceman from Russia missed the team’s first 13 games after entering the 2026-27 season unsigned.
Last year, the 25-year-old rookie scored 11 goals and 33 points in 81 games, and added just one assist in 17 playoff games. Before that, he had played only four playoff games shortly after leaving Russia.
Even without him, the Hurricanes have rolled out to a 9-2-2 start, and their .769 point percentage sits third-best in the NHL.
There was also a milestone in Tampa Bay, where Nikita Kucherov rewrote the Lightning’s record book. On Saturday night, he recorded an assist in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Utah Mammoth, giving him 1,138 career points and moving him past Steven Stamkos’ franchise mark of 1,137 points in 1,082 games with the Lightning before he signed with the Nashville Predators.
Selected 58th overall in 2011, Kucherov developed into one of the league’s elite scorers by the end of the 2010s. He has hit 100 points in every season since 2017-18 except the pandemic-affected 2020-21 season. In 890 career games, he has 405 goals and 733 assists.
His résumé already includes three Art Ross Trophies, two Ted Lindsay Trophies and two Hart Trophies, along with the league’s MVP award for 2025-26. He’s also a two-time Stanley Cup champion, having won in 2020 and 2021.
In Other News...
Oilers Suddenly Face A Goaltending Question They Cant Ignore
The Oilers are having to manage the kind of goaltending shuffle that can quietly change a stretch of the schedule. Devon Levi has gone on injured reserve, forcing Edmonton to bring back Matt Tomkins on emergency depth as it tries to keep the crease stable while other clubs around the league work through their own injury issues, from Taylor Halls expected return in Carolina to Rasmus Ristolainens absence in Philadelphia.
What makes the move more awkward is that Levis injury has not been disclosed, and the short-term outlook only adds to the uncertainty. Edmonton now has to navigate at least the next week without a clear timeline for one of its goalies, a reminder that depth charts can get tested fast in the NHL, especially when the margins between a normal week and a problem are so thin. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Hot Start Is Hiding A Lineup Concern Fans Know Too Well
The Oilers have found enough early success to cushion a familiar kind of roster debate, but the start has also revived a question Edmonton keeps circling back to: whether the club is leaning too heavily on Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl together. On the surface, the opening has been encouraging, and theres no reason for panic this early, yet the bigger picture still points to how much the lineup depends on those two driving the offense when theyre on the ice.
Splitting them would be a way to spread the wealth and make the group deeper from top to bottom, which is exactly the kind of adjustment that tends to matter when the schedule tightens and opponents start keying on one pairing. The concern in Edmonton is less about the stars themselves than what happens when theyre not setting the tone, and that is where the conversation around the rest of the forward group gets a lot less comfortable. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Just Sent Trent Frederic A Message He Cant Ignore
Trent Frederic found himself on the outside looking in against the Carolina Hurricanes after Mike Babcock chose to send a message to Edmontons bottom six. The Oilers coach made it clear the standard for those depth forwards goes beyond simply being around the puck, with a heavier emphasis on work rate, winning battles and creating more pressure in the offensive zone.
Babcock also acknowledged Frederics willingness to mix it up, but said the physical side alone is not enough to secure a regular spot. Frederic appeared to take the decision in stride, saying he understood the move and was focused on improving his game and earning his way back into the lineup. [Read more 🡒]