The Edmonton Oilers didn’t waste time making their preseason opener look like a real hockey game.
On Saturday at Rogers Place, Edmonton skated past the Winnipeg Jets 5-2 to kick off its 2026 exhibition schedule, and the Oilers did it with a lineup that leaned heavily on established names. Colton Dach, Leon Draisaitl, Alex Formenton, Connor McDavid and Ryan Shea all found the net, while Winnipeg’s scoring came from Parker Ford and Jacob Julien. Evan Bouchard piled up four assists in a busy night from the blue line.
The game opened with the Jets jumping ahead early, but Edmonton answered with four straight goals and carried a 4-1 lead into the second intermission. Tristan Jarry handled the first two periods in net for the Oilers, stopping 15 of 16 shots, before Matt Tomkins took over in the third and gave up one goal on five shots. At the other end, Thomas Milic allowed four goals on 23 shots, with Edmonton’s fifth goal going into an empty net.
What made the result stand out wasn’t just the score. It was the way the Oilers approached a preseason game that looked a lot sharper than the usual September tune-up.
With the NHL’s preseason now trimmed down, Edmonton only has four exhibition games to get ready, and that urgency showed right away. Saturday also offered a rare opening-night look at stars like Bouchard, Draisaitl and McDavid.
Formenton was one of the more eye-catching players on the ice. The winger, who signed a one-year, $850,000 contract with Edmonton on Sept. 9, had plenty of attention on him before puck drop.
He was one of five former members of Canada’s 2018 World Juniors team who were charged with sexual assault and later acquitted following a 2025 trial. On the ice, though, he looked fast and dangerous, creating three breakaways and finishing one of them into Edmonton’s fourth goal.
He played 16:47, put four shots on goal, added two hits and earned the game’s third star.
Ryan Shea also made a strong first impression in Oilers colors. Signed to a five-year, $20-million deal on July 1, the defenceman skated beside Bouchard and quickly made his presence felt.
Shea scored Edmonton’s first goal at 6:58 of the opening period, then added two assists to finish with a plus-4 rating in 22:31. He was named the game’s first star.
The goal itself showed a side of his game that isn’t always the first thing people mention: he cut through multiple defenders, moved into the slot and beat Milic with a shot under the arm.
Jarry’s night also gave Edmonton something to build on in a position that figures to stay under the microscope all season. Frederik Andersen, Jarry and Devon Levi are in the mix for starts, and Jarry is the only one of the three who was with the Oilers last season.
Acquired in a midseason trade with Pittsburgh last December, he struggled to find consistency after arriving. Saturday was a more encouraging step.
Ford’s early odd-man rush goal beat him just 118 seconds into the game, but after that Jarry settled in and stopped the next 14 shots he saw before handing things over to Tomkins.
Levi should get his first chance in goal when Edmonton visits Canada Life Centre on Tuesday. Puck drop is set for 6 p.m. MDT.
In Other News...
Jets Face An Early Crease Test As Roster Chances Open
A shortened preseason has already pushed the Jets into a more revealing kind of evaluation, with roster spots up for grabs and the first games arriving before the picture has fully settled. Winnipeg has trimmed away some junior-eligible players and is lining up more cuts as it moves toward exhibition meetings with Colorado and Edmonton, giving the coaching staff a better look at the young names trying to make noise early.
In goal, the opening look came from Thomas Milic, who was in the net for the preseason opener as Winnipeg works through the early absence of its established starter. Up front, the competition is just as active, with Cole Perfetti and Brayden Yager among the young forwards trying to position themselves for top-six roles while the Jets keep sorting out which players fit best in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Hit Serious Hellebuyck Trade Roadblock Over One Roster Concern
Buffalos pursuit of Connor Hellebuyck apparently ran into a serious snag before it could get anywhere, and for Winnipeg, the wrinkle centered on a roster concern the Sabres were not eager to paper over. The talks had been part of the broader offseason speculation around the Jets cornerstone goalie, but reports now suggest the discussion never advanced cleanly because of questions about a centers health, with Josh Norris viewed as the most likely source of the concern.
For the Jets, that matters because it changes the shape of any possible future conversation with Buffalo. The original offseason framework is no longer in play, and if the Sabres circle back, the structure would have to look very different to get Winnipegs attention. It leaves Hellebuyck squarely where he has been, while the door to a Sabres deal looks much less open than it did when the idea first surfaced. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Camp Already Has Early Questions This Team Must Answer
The Oilers are already dealing with a preseason that has felt a little unfinished, with several players sidelined before camp has really settled in. Matt Savoie, Frederik Andersen, Alec Regula and Mattias Janmark are among the names working back, and general manager Stan Bowman has been offering updates on recovery timelines while coach Mike Babcock pushes a detailed, structured approach in practice. For a team trying to sort out roles early, the injuries make every rep matter a little more.
Even in the first exhibition game, there were signs Edmonton is willing to tinker while it waits for pieces to return. The win over Winnipeg came with useful contributions from multiple players, but the more interesting part for the Oilers may be how they are testing different looks as camp moves along. That includes some lineup shuffling that could tell a lot about where the staff sees certain forwards fitting once the roster starts to get healthier. [Read more 🡒]