Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is set to make his season debut for the Edmonton Oilers Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes after missing the opener with an injury.
Real Life Podcast: Tyler’s birthday getaway, fantasy football, and Senators fans vs. Brady Tkachuk
The Real Life crew touched on Leon Draisaitl’s sharp response to a question about whether the Oilers change their style during games. It sparked debate over how much tactical detail players should be expected to provide in interviews—another day at the rink, another referendum on asking hockey players hockey questions.
Nugent-Hopkins’ return should mean more scoring up and down the lineup
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is back in the Oilers’ lineup, giving Edmonton a versatile forward who can help the power play and provide more scoring depth. His return also pushes Colton Dach down the lineup, strengthening the overall forward group while allowing Nuge to ease back in without penalty-killing duties initially.
The Oilers head into a proper early-season measuring stick against Carolina at 7-1-1, with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins back to add some much-needed balance and Evan Bouchard looking like a different defenceman than the one who struggled last year. The show’s throughline is that Mike Babcock’s tougher habits—better net-front defending, smarter puck decisions and more consistent shift work—are taking hold, even if the machinery still has a few loose bolts. Around that, there’s plenty of optimism about Edmonton’s depth, young centres and improving prospects, while Carolina’s Eric Tulsky offers a reminder that roster building is as much about people and competitiveness as spreadsheets and measurements. Expansion talk and injury notes round out the hour, but the main question is simple: can the Oilers match Carolina’s pace and wall work when the game gets greasy?
9 stats that stand out in the first 9 games of the Oilers season
The Oilers are 7-1-1 through nine games under Mike Babcock, and the encouraging part is that the results aren’t just riding on a hot shooting percentage. Edmonton is defending far better at five-on-five, allowing 2.2 expected goals against per hour, while Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Vasily Podkolzin have driven a dominant top line. The 106.7 PDO will come back to earth, but improved structure and a healthier forward group could soften the landing.
Edmonton Oilers Prospects Roundup: Dayln Wakely is off to a scorching hot start
Dalyn Wakely is off to a promising start at UMass-Lowell, riding a four-game point streak while taking on a bigger top-six and power-play role. The 22-year-old remains a gritty two-way forward, but his puck skills and willingness to create have taken a step forward; skating is still the obvious chore on the list. Meanwhile, Bakersfield sits 2–3–0, though Aku Raty has five points in five games and Quinn Hutson remains among the AHL’s goal-scoring leaders.
Each Western Conference Team's Biggest Concern Early in 2026-27
The Oilers are fourth in the NHL with 37 goals through eight games, but the offence is running hotter than the chance generation suggests: they rank 27th in high-danger chances. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard and Vasily Podkolzin account for roughly 66 percent of the goals, with Podkolzin and Bouchard both shooting 22.2 percent, so some regression looks likely; Zach Hyman’s return from injury could be important, though his health remains a question mark.
Dylan Larkin may be throwing shade at the Edmonton Oilers
Dylan Larkin has reportedly expanded his trade list to 10 teams, adding New Jersey, Colorado, Dallas, Washington, Carolina, Tampa Bay and Utah to Vegas, Minnesota and Florida. The Oilers remain a notable omission, despite the obvious appeal of adding a top centre to Edmonton’s already loaded middle.
Edmonton opened its five-game homestand with a 4-3 overtime win over Minnesota, getting two power-play goals from Leon Draisaitl, three assists from Connor McDavid, a perfect penalty kill and Evan Bouchard’s birthday winner, while McDavid became the fastest player in NHL history to reach 20 assists in a season’s first nine games.
Devon Levi stopped 27 of 30 shots and kept Edmonton alive in a tight game, giving the Oilers five wins from his first six starts and a legitimate crease decision when Frederik Andersen returns from injury.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is expected to make his season debut Thursday against Carolina, giving Edmonton more options at centre and on the power play as the club tries to balance a 7-1-1 start built on improved defensive structure, scorching shooting and a penalty kill that still sits at 70.83 percent.
NHL Rumors: Dylan Larkin New List, Nugent-Hopkins Return, Brady Tkachuk Explains Trade
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is set to make his season debut Thursday against the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes after missing the start of the season with a lower-body injury. His return gives Edmonton a needed boost down the middle and on the power play, while giving the Oilers more flexibility to spread their top players around.
