The Oilers got exactly the kind of wild opening-night performance that leaves you with a dozen talking points and no shortage of second-guessing. Leon Draisaitl had several prime looks and didn’t bury them, but that felt more like bad luck and strong goaltending than a real issue with his line. Vasily Podkolzin, meanwhile, scored twice, including a beauty to knot the game, and that group doesn’t deserve to be blamed for the outcome.
Connor McDavid finished with two assists, with the wingers adding one each, and Zach Hyman piled up four HDSC’s. Still, there were stretches where McDavid looked like he was trying to take over every shift, and that can make him easier to contain when Vancouver loads up on the entry and takes away the pass.
It’s the kind of thing that makes the best player in the world vulnerable. The line wasn’t the problem so much as the lack of depth around it.
That depth issue showed up elsewhere, too. One trio was outshot and outscored, with Max Jones collecting the group’s only high-danger chance.
The line did bring 14 hits, which fits Mike Babcock’s preferences, but there wasn’t much offensive punch there. Dach at center didn’t look right, and nobody on that unit brought much dynamism.
There’s also a roster puzzle Babcock has to sort through. The line choices felt uneven, and the mix of Dach, Howard, Formenton, Jones, and Samanski-Joseph left things looking a little scrambled.
One obvious adjustment would be to move Dach onto that line, shift Howard to McDavid’s group, and swap Formenton in for Jones on a Samanski-Joseph trio. It’s the kind of fix Babcock could make right away, even if it takes time to settle the whole lineup.
The brightest star of the night was Evan Bouchard, who put up a ridiculous 3-2-5 and somehow looks like he’s on a 250-goal pace. That was an opening night for the ages.
It also serves as a reminder of how valuable that 2018 draft pick has become, especially since Dave Tippett didn’t want to use him in 2020-21. Mattias Ekholm also had a strong night and drew an important penalty on a play that had little going on until his stick broke and he reacted with a memorable “this is outrageous!”
moment.
Overall, the Oilers played well enough, but there are still concerns, including Connor Murphy’s boots. Ryan Shea got beat in overtime, though some support would have helped him there.
The biggest issue was in net. Tristan Jarry had a Red Light Racicot kind of night, and the Oilers still won despite only subpar goaltending.
He stopped 17 of 23 for a .739 save percentage, which is brutal. He faced just seven high-danger chances and allowed four of them.
That’s not good enough. Nobody is burying him for it, but the position remains wide open, and Devon Levi can annonce his presence with authority tomorrow night.
OWEN MICHELS
On the Lowdown today, Kevin McCurdy is our feature guest at 1. We will talk about last night’s Oilers game and the NHL results across the league.
MLB playoffs, NFL and CFL, too. Noon to 2pm, Sports 1440 and You TUbe.
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 🡒]