Edmonton Oilers Best Carolina Hurricanes In Overtime

One of the big stories early in the 2025-26 campaign was the lack of scoring from Connor McDavid, but that narrative is as good as dead thanks to his performance Saturday night. The Oilers captain scored twice and assisted on the game-winning goal by long-time teammate Leon Draisaitl, a stat line impressive enough to earn his first star honors. 

McDavid now has 30 points in 20 games played this season, good for the second-most across the NHL. His play is proving a lot to the people who were concerned about his goal-scoring ability through the first few games of this season. It’s understandable, considering he didn’t find the back of the net until his seventh game, but he’s turned it around in a big way now that the season is in full swing.

Leon Draisaitl Proving Contract Extension Worth It With Overtime Heroics

Draisaitl has found a lot of success over the last few seasons, and his performance in overtime is one of the headlining features of his play. The German native scored his 20th regular-season overtime goal to become the fourth player in NHL history to reach the mark Saturday, much to the celebration of his teammates. Draisaitl has been a cornerstone for Edmonton for a long time now, and he keeps proving why the team extended him to a long-term deal over and over again. 

The longtime Oiler is in the first year of an eight-year, $112 million extension, a contract that has paid off for Edmonton so far. In light of captain Connor McDavid also choosing to remain an Oiler for at least the next two seasons after 2025-26, the Oilers have rightfully paid their most consistent and competitive players. 

Draisaitl’s three points (one goal, two assists) marked the seventh time this season he has posted a multi-point performance, earning his second-star honors. His overtime goal also marked his 412th career regular-season goal, putting the 12-year veteran just five away from tying Oilers great Glenn Anderson (417) for the third-most in franchise history.

Jack Roslovic Shines In Return To Carolina 

While not the headline of the night, former Hurricane Roslovic made his return to Raleigh a good one with his fourth multi-point performance of the season. He opened the scoring within the first four minutes of gameplay to give the Oilers an early 1-0 lead before assisting McDavid just a few minutes later. Roslovic only played one season with the Hurricanes, but they were probably wishing it was more, considering his involvement against them Saturday. 

End Of My Edmonton Oilers Rant

The Oilers have been a challenging team to predict this season. Their early struggles had people counting them out for a third straight Stanley Cup appearance, and even though they’ve improved, it may not be enough. They’re currently sitting in third place in a rather weak Pacific Division, and it hasn’t been the easiest road for them so far. 

I will say that you can never count out the duo of McDavid and Draisaitl. I understand that they can carry a team if they have to, but their teammates have to start producing if they’re going to win. The team did get a huge scoring boost with the recent return of Zach Hyman, but three goal scorers aren’t enough to keep the winning spirit alive long term. 

Teams know that the best way to beat the Oilers is getting to McDavid and Draisaitl early, and having that target on the backs of your best players is a tough road to travel for Edmonton. The season is a marathon rather than a sprint and it’s still early, but players have to step up if the Oilers want to lift the Stanley Cup any time soon.