The first Canadian snapshot of the season has a familiar name at the top, but the way the Edmonton Oilers are getting there looks different.
With Mike Babcock behind the bench, Edmonton has opened 11-2-2 and landed second overall in the first Power Rankings of the year. The Oilers are the top-ranked Canadian club, and the early evidence points to a team that has tightened up without losing its bite. Connor McDavid is still driving the offense, but the bigger surprise is how much sturdier the group has looked away from the puck.
McDavid has already put together a 15-game assist streak, an NHL record, and has piled up 39 points in 15 games. At the same time, Edmonton is allowing the fewest rush chances in the league and sits in the top 10 in slot shots, expected goals, and goals against. That’s a very different profile from the Oilers teams that fell short against the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final twice.
Montreal is the next Canadian team in the mix, checking in seventh after a 9-3-2 start. The Canadiens have won five in a row, and they’ve done it without captain Nick Suzuki, who is out with an injury.
A big reason for the Habs’ rise has been the play of rookie goaltender Jacob Fowler. He’s 7-1-1, ranks second in save percentage at .932, and his 8.61 goals saved above expected trails only Jesper Wallstedt of the Minnesota Wild when shot quality is factored in.
Toronto sits 13th at 8-6-2, and the ranking feels generous when the underlying numbers are pulled apart. The Maple Leafs own the eighth-best per-game goal differential, but their expected goal differential is 24th.
Auston Matthews has been the bright spot, sitting top five in both goals and points and looking much closer to the vintage version of himself that made 50 goals seem routine. Sergei Bobrovsky, meanwhile, has struggled to keep the puck out of the net.
Ottawa dropped to 16th after blowing a three-goal lead in Anaheim on Sunday night. Linus Ullmark had the Senators looking like one of the East’s better teams before a lower-body injury, but the goaltending since then has been below average. Even so, the Sens remain one of the tougher teams to play against, and when healthy, they can be expected to move into the top 10.
Calgary comes in at 26th with a 6-8-0 record, but the Flames have stayed in the neighborhood of .500 thanks to strong special teams. Their power play is scoring on one out of every three chances, which ranks third in the league, and the penalty kill is 12th. Joel Farabee is tied for the team lead with five goals and leads all players with six breakaways.
Winnipeg has fallen all the way to 30th and is winless in nine straight. The Jets are 4-8-3 and are coming off a 7-0 loss to the Hurricanes as they finish a grueling four-game road trip in Montreal on Tuesday night. They’ve given up five or more goals in four straight games, and the questions are piling up fast.
At the bottom of the board, Vancouver sits last in both the standings and the rankings at 3-12-1. The Canucks are deep into a rebuild and are likely headed for a lottery finish. Still, Elias Pettersson has given them something to hang onto, averaging a point per game with four goals and 12 assists in 16 games.
In Other News...
Jets Unveil A New Look Built Around Winnipeg Pride
The Jets have added another layer to their identity with a new Hometown Remix uniform that leans hard into Winnipeg and Manitoba pride. Working with the NHL and Fanatics, the club unveiled a look inspired by the Aurora Borealis and the provinces night skies, a design built around a dark base with blue and green accents that ties the teams image to the landscape around it.
It is the kind of alternate that feels rooted in place rather than just style, with the club framing it as a nod to local culture and hockey history. The jerseys are set to appear in eight regular-season games in 2026-27, giving fans a chance to see the new look in action as part of the teams next chapter. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Morrissey Return Suddenly Looks Much Closer For The Jets
Josh Morrissey took a meaningful step toward getting back into the Winnipeg lineup on Monday, skating in a non-contact practice jersey as he edges closer to a return from injury. For a club that leans heavily on its top defenseman in all situations, seeing Morrissey back on the ice at least changes the feel around the blue line, even if the final hurdle is still ahead.
Head coach Scott Arniel said the timeline is moving in the right direction, and the next checkpoint is simple enough: Morrissey needs to shed the yellow jersey before he can be considered fully ready. Elsewhere on the injury front, Dawson Mercer sat out practice after getting nicked up and will be evaluated before the next game, while Cole Koepke was able to skate and may be in line to help the Jets soon. [Read more 🡒]
Jets And Moose Turn November Games Into A Cause Fans Can Join
November in Winnipeg will carry more than the usual hockey energy, with the Jets and Manitoba Moose both taking part in the NHL and AHLs Hockey Fights Cancer initiative all month long. The teams are lining up special games at the end of November, and the focus goes beyond the ice, with fundraising efforts designed to support local organizations that help youth facing cancer.
Fans will have several ways to get involved, from raffles and auctions to 50/50 draws and autographed items, while minor hockey teams can also join in by staging their own games and fundraisers. It is the kind of community-wide push that gives the campaign some real reach, and the late-November events should give supporters a chance to turn a pair of games into something bigger than a routine night at the rink. [Read more 🡒]