Edmonton Oilers News, Stats & Fan Discussion

Jake Walman is expected to be a healthy scratch against Calgary after falling out of Edmonton’s regular defensive pairings. Mike Babcock said the decision is strictly about putting the lineup in position to win, while Walman’s five-on-five results have been the worst among Oilers defencemen with more than 100 minutes. He is in the first year of a seven-year contract carrying a $7 million annual cap hit and a full no-movement clause.

Leon Draisaitl was named the NHL’s First Star of the Week after piling up six goals and three assists in three games, including two goals in each outing. The run pushed his season point total to 24 and has him charging toward Rocket Richard contention, with a Battle of Alberta against Devin Cooley next on the docket.

The Oilers’ first loss to the Islanders in 1983 exposed a young, high-flying team that needed more than elite skill to win the Stanley Cup. They added grit and committed to a stronger two-hundred-foot game, then beat the Islanders the next year and won four more Cups in six seasons. The lesson for today’s club under Babcock is pretty plain: talent gets you noticed, but consistent defensive work gets you through May.

The Oilers may be without Zach Hyman for at least a week after he left Monday’s game against Detroit following a head-first collision with the boards. There’s no official update yet, but concussion concerns are hanging over a team already short on wing options, with Colton Dach and Isaac Howard the obvious candidates to move up.

Devon Levi is expected to miss a few weeks, leaving the Oilers to lean heavily on Tristan Jarry while Matt Tomkins serves as the veteran backup option. Edmonton is also dealing with injuries to key forwards, including Zach Hyman, Jason Dickinson, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Matthew Savoie, which has put the club’s depth under the microscope. Ivan Miroshnichenko is an intriguing possibility, but the Oilers have not been specifically linked to the young Washington winger.

The Oilers are 8-2-2 through 12 games, still tracking close to the expected 9-3-2 start, but their early scoring heater has cooled over the past four games. The top line remains productive, while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is showing well and Tristan Jarry steadied the crease; the clearest lineup question is whether Ike Howard should get more opportunity at Alex Formenton’s expense.