The Edmonton Oilers are climbing fast in Daily Faceoff’s latest weekly NHL power rankings, moving up to third after sitting seventh last week.
That jump comes on the heels of a 2-0 week for Edmonton. The Oilers beat the Anaheim Ducks 5-2 on Wednesday and followed that up with a 3-1 win over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.
“Edmonton’s play at 5v5 compared to their special teams has been a polar opposite in the early going,” wrote Daily Faceoff’s Scott Maxwell. “Their 5v5 chance generation?
Mediocre. Their power play?
Clicking as usual, even without Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers’ 5v5 defense?
(sic) Elite. Their penalty kill?
Horrendous.
“They have a few kinks to work out, but it has to be encouraging for fans to see them off to their best start in years, and to see Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard dominating as usual.”
Edmonton now heads into a three-game stretch, starting Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Kings to finish a road trip. The Oilers will then return home to play the Utah Mammoth on Thursday night before visiting Utah again on Saturday night.
Elsewhere, former Oilers defenceman Caleb Jones has been dealt to Buffalo.
Jones was traded by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday along with defenceman Danile Laatsch in exchange for defenceman Ryan Johnson.
Jones, 29, was drafted by Edmonton in the fourth round of the 2015 draft and spent four years in the organization. He played 93 NHL games with the Oilers from the 2018-19 through 2020-21 seasons, scoring five goals and 19 points, and also put up 11 goals and 57 points in 125 AHL games with the Bakersfield Condors.
Edmonton later sent Jones to the Chicago Blackhawks in the July 2021 deal that brought in Duncan Keith. Since then, Jones has had stops in Chicago, Colorado, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh. In total, he has played 255 NHL games and recorded 14 goals and 56 points.
The Chicago Blackhawks may also be getting a key piece back soon, with Connor Bedard considered a game-time decision for Tuesday night’s matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill kept things guarded on Monday, but he did offer this much:
“I would say he’s certainly trending towards being a coach’s decision tomorrow night,” Blashill said. “Certainly trending towards looking like he’s got the possibility to play.”
Bedard, 21, has not yet appeared this season after shoulder surgery in July following an injury suffered during an on-ice training session. He was expected to miss four months.
In 219 career NHL games over three seasons, Bedard has 75 goals and 203 points.
In Other News...
Oilers May Have Pulled Off Two Steals And One Looks Even Bigger
The early returns on Edmontons recent trade work have been hard to ignore, especially with Vasily Podkolzin giving the forward group a burst the Oilers could use. He has scored seven goals in six games and already looks like the kind of addition that can push deeper into the lineup over time, not just fill a spot in the middle six. For a team that has opened the season with a strong record, those kinds of quick returns can make a front office look awfully sharp.
Devon Levi has added a different kind of value in goal, staying undefeated and turning in impressive numbers in his recent starts. His arrival gave Edmonton another option in a position where stability always matters, and the fact that both moves are paying off at once has only raised the profile of the deals. One looks like a timely boost, the other may be starting to feel like a bigger swing altogether, which is exactly the sort of outcome the Oilers were hoping for. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Keep Winning But This Latest Escape Raises A Real Debate
The Oilers kept their unbeaten run rolling with a 4-1 win over the Kings, moving to 5-0-1 and remaining the NHLs only team without a regulation loss. Leon Draisaitl helped drive the offense, Vasily Podkolzin scored twice, and Connor McDavid piled up four assists in his 800th game, another reminder that Edmonton can still tilt a night its way even when the shot totals say otherwise.
Devon Levi may have been the biggest reason it all held together. He turned aside 39 of 40 shots while Edmonton spent long stretches defending rather than dictating, which only sharpened the conversation around how sustainable this start really is. The wins are piling up, but the formula has looked different enough each night that the Oilers early-season success now comes with a lingering question about what happens when the margin for error finally shrinks. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Face A Goaltending Decision That Could Define Their Season
Early in the season, the Oilers are already staring at a familiar but urgent problem in net, with Tristan Jarry, Frederik Andersen and Devon Levi all under scrutiny as the club tries to steady the position. It is the kind of issue that can quietly shape everything around it, from the way Edmonton manages its games to how much pressure lands on the skaters in front of the crease.
The market for a fix looks complicated. Connor Hellebuyck, Sam Montembeault, Jordan Binnington and Adin Hill all surface as possible answers, but each comes with real obstacles tied to contract status, performance concerns or the sheer difficulty of prying a goalie loose. For now, Edmonton may be left weighing whether the cleanest move is no move at all, and simply hoping one of its current options settles in before the season gets away from it. [Read more 🡒]