The Edmonton Oilers have given themselves plenty to like through the first stretch of the season, even after a rough 7-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs in their most recent game. That defeat stood out because it came after back-to-back overtime wins against the Minnesota Wild and the Carolina Hurricanes, and it left Edmonton needing a sharper response as the week of Oct. 25 through Oct. 31 unfolds.
One of the biggest bright spots came with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ return on Oct. 22 against Carolina. He had been out since getting hurt near the end of training camp and missed the first nine games of the season.
The veteran stepped right back in and looked like he had never left. He reclaimed his spot on the top power-play unit and scored in the first period, then lined up as the second-line centre with Zach Hyman and Kasperi Kapanen.
In his first game back, he posted one goal, two points, four shots, and one blocked shot in 20:58 of ice time. He also delivered the only shootout goal to seal the win.
But the injury luck didn’t turn all the way around. Mattias Ekholm took a hard route into the boards Thursday against the Hurricanes and then slammed his head on the ice.
He remained down before getting back to his feet, though he was unsteady and needed help off the ice. After the game, head coach Mike Babcock said, “It didn’t look very pretty.
His head looked like it slammed on the ice, you know, he’s a bit of a Viking anyway, so he’ll be okay in a couple weeks, or a week or 10 days. Someone else gets a chance,” and Ekholm is now expected to miss time with a concussion.
That opening led to Shakir Mukhamadullin drawing into the lineup against Toronto after sitting out the previous three games.
The hits kept coming Friday, when Devon Levi was placed on injured reserve after an undisclosed injury suffered in the 6-5 shootout win over Carolina. Levi played the full game and made 22 saves, but the injury is expected to keep him out for a few weeks, according to Jason Gregor.
Edmonton responded by recalling Matt Tomkins from the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis. Tomkins has a 2.40 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage in three games with Bakersfield, and with him backing up, Tristan Jarry will be expected to shoulder the load while Levi is out.
While the lineup keeps taking damage, Connor McDavid keeps piling up points at a ridiculous pace. He opened the season with eight goals and 31 points in his first 10 games, becoming only the fifth player in NHL history to reach 31 or more points in any 10-game span.
The others are Kent Nilsson, Mike Bossy, Mario Lemieux, and Wayne Gretzky. McDavid also passed Gretzky for the Oilers’ franchise record with 30 points in the first 10 games.
Jason Gregor noted that the mark belonged to Kent Nilsson in 1980-81, saying, “The answer was…. The Magic Man, Kent Nilsson in 1980-81.
He was first ever player to score 31+ points in 10 games.” McDavid added two more points against the Maple Leafs, pushing him to 33 points in 11 games.
Leon Draisaitl summed up the reaction to McDavid’s start by saying, “What do you want me to say? It’s just not real.
He’s maybe the greatest player ever, in my books. It’s a pleasure to share the ice with him, and a pleasure to learn from him every day.
He deserves everything,” after the win over Carolina.
Edmonton now finishes a five-game homestand before heading out for its first Eastern Conference road trip of the season. The week ahead brings a home date with the Detroit Red Wings on Monday, Oct. 26 at 7:30 PM MT, another home game against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 6:30 PM MT, and then a trip to face the New York Islanders on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 12:00 PM MT at UBS Arena.
In Other News...
Leafs Make A Surprising Lineup Call Against A Brutal Oilers Test
The Maple Leafs are making some early adjustments ahead of a tough test against Edmonton, with the blue line still a work in progress as injuries continue to shape the roster. Dakota Mermis has been recalled from the Toronto Marlies and will make his season debut on defense, giving Toronto another body to lean on while it navigates a patched-together group on the back end.
In goal, Anthony Stolarz gets the nod against the Oilers, with Sergei Bobrovsky listed as the backup, according to coach Jim Hiller. It is the kind of lineup call that speaks to how carefully Toronto is trying to manage the night, especially with Chris Tanev, Nick Blankenburg and Marshall Rifai all among the defensemen whose availability has been in question. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Blue-Line Need Makes One Dream Trade Worth Watching
Torontos search for help on the blue line naturally leads to bigger names, and Roman Josi is the kind of target that immediately changes the conversation. A defender of his caliber would give the Maple Leafs a very different look on the back end, which is why the fit keeps coming up whenever the roster is weighed against the teams need for more stability and punch from defense.
The complication is that this is the sort of idea that only becomes realistic if Nashvilles season goes off track enough to force hard decisions. Even then, Toronto would not be shopping from the bargain bin, and any serious push would almost certainly require a painful move in return, the sort of asset outlay that would test how badly the Maple Leafs want to chase a major upgrade. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Face A Goalie Debate This Trade Idea Just Exposed
The Utah Mammoths uncertainty in goal has created an intriguing little ripple that reaches all the way to Toronto, where the Maple Leafs are once again part of a goalie conversation they did not exactly invite. Utah had been exploring its options before Connor Hellebuyck landed in New Jersey, and the search for a longer-term answer has kept Karel Vejmelkas name in the mix as teams around the league monitor what the Mammoth might do next.
For Toronto, the idea is interesting mostly because Anthony Stolarz has drawn enough attention to surface in trade speculation, but the fit is far from simple. John Chayka has already pointed to the hurdles, and between the contract math and the performance picture, this feels more like a rumor that exposes how hard it is to find a clean goalie solution than a deal that is actually gaining steam. [Read more 🡒]