The Canucks open a four-game season series with the Oilers tonight in Edmonton, and the matchup comes with plenty of recent history already baked in.
This is the first of four meetings between the teams this season, with the rest of the schedule set for Oct. 1 in Vancouver, Nov. 7 in Edmonton and Mar. 21 back in Vancouver. The Canucks have had a tough time in this matchup overall, carrying a 115-127-19-15 record against Edmonton all-time and a 51-72-7-8 mark on the road. More recently, Vancouver has gone 3-7-0 in its last 10 games against the Oilers and 1-4-0 in the last five.
Brock Boeser remains the active Canuck who has done the most damage against Edmonton, piling up 34 points in 37 career games. Elias Pettersson has also produced well in the matchup with 22 points in 29 games. Brendan Gallagher has 15 points in 25 career games against the Oilers, while Filip Hronek has 11 points in 17 games.
Between the pipes, the numbers have tilted Edmonton’s way in recent meetings. Kevin Lankinen is 1-5-0 in seven career games against the Oilers with a 4.62 goals-against average and an .854 save percentage. Leevi Meriläinen has one career appearance against Edmonton, finishing 0-1-0 with a 3.27 goals-against average and an .857 save percentage.
There are also a few individual numbers worth keeping an eye on from last season. Zeev Buium finished third among NHL rookie defencemen in points in 2025.26 with 26, while Linus Karlsson ranked seventh among rookies in even-strength goals with 13 and tied for seventh in even-strength points with 31. Jake DeBrusk’s 19 power play goals in 2025.26 tied for third among all skaters.
The most recent meeting between these teams came on Apr. 16/26, when Edmonton beat Vancouver 6-1. Josh Samanski got the Oilers started 1:58 into the first period, and Matt Savoie followed 5:50 later.
Ty Mueller answered with his first career NHL goal at 12:10 of the opening frame, with Curtis Douglas and Kevin Lankinen picking up the assists, but Savoie added two more to complete a hat trick. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also scored for Edmonton, and Colton Dach finished the scoring in the third.
Aatu Räty, Jake DeBrusk and Linus Karlsson each had two shots on goal in that game. Nils Höglander, D Elias Pettersson, Elias Pettersson and Räty each finished with two hits, while Zeev Buium and Liam Öhgren blocked three shots apiece. Lankinen stopped 29 shots in the loss.
In Other News...
Canucks Send A Clear Leadership Message With Unusual Captaincy Call
The Canucks are taking an unusual route with their leadership group this season, opting not to name a captain at all while spreading the alternate captain duties across six players. Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson and Zeev Buium will wear the "A" on the road, while Filip Hronek, Linus Karlsson and Drew OConnor will handle those responsibilities at home, giving the team a rotating set of voices depending on where it is playing.
It is a clear message from management about shared accountability, but it also leaves a familiar question hanging over the room: who, if anyone, will eventually emerge as the singular face of the leadership group? For now, the Canucks are choosing breadth over hierarchy, and that decision says plenty about how they want this season to feel from the inside out. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Opening Win Already Put One Lineup Decision Under Scrutiny
The Canucks opening win gave them a useful early cushion in the standings, but it also put a roster choice under the microscope almost immediately. With Thatcher Demko out because of injury, Kevin Lankinen has been asked to steady the crease while the team leans on a defensive approach that has to hold up against elite talent, especially after recent meetings with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl served as another reminder of how quickly things can tilt against Vancouver.
The bigger question now is whether the lineup the Canucks used in that opener will stay intact, or whether one of the more interesting decisions from game one will get revisited sooner rather than later. Aatu Raty being made a healthy scratch stood out because of how well he has handled faceoffs, and with Marco Rossi back to full health and making his presence felt elsewhere, Vancouvers choices down the middle are already drawing attention at a point in the season when every early decision can shape the next few weeks. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Just Sent A Clear Message With Their New Leadership Group
The Canucks have settled on a new leadership setup for the 2026-27 NHL season, and it says plenty about the mix they want in the room. Vancouver named six alternate captains, splitting the duties between home and away games, with Filip Hronek, Linus Karlsson and Drew OConnor wearing the letters at home and Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson and Zeev Buium handling that role on the road.
It is a group that blends established voices with players whose influence has grown in different ways, from veteran presence to emerging responsibility. OConnors place in the group is especially notable given his contract situation, while the split design itself hints at a team looking for flexibility in how it manages leadership day to day. The bigger question now is how this arrangement will look once the games start and the Canucks have to turn a carefully chosen hierarchy into actual results. [Read more 🡒]