Must-watch Oilers games: October edition

With the new season upon us, let’s look ahead to the first slate of games for the Edmonton Oilers.

They’ve opened their season with a 6-5 overtime loss to the Canucks and will look to get back at them tonight.

But after that, they have 13 more games scheduled for October, with seven at home and six on the road. Slow starts have plagued the team in the last couple of years, with the Oilers going 5-4-3 for 13 points and a .542 points percentage in October 2025, and 5-5-1 for 11 points and a .500 points percentage in October 2024. The team will look to improve on these results to start the 2026-27 season. While some fans never miss a game, they should all have a few other games circled on their calendars for October.

Oilers at Ducks – Oct. 7, 8 p.m.

Opponent	Head-to-Head Record	Goals For	Goals Against	Powerplay %	Penalty Kill %
Anaheim Ducks (Regular Season)	2-1-0	16	12	22.2% (2/9)	55.6% (5/9)
Anaheim Ducks (Playoffs)	2-4-0	21	26	27.8% (5/18)	52.4% (11/21)

Revenge game. Well, sort of. The Oilers have bounced enough teams from the playoffs recently to know that only so much revenge can be exacted in the regular season tilts that follow a playoff series. So, will this make everything from the end of last season better? No. But, there should be a bit of extra juice for this matchup – a key one early in the season against an opponent who promises to challenge the Oilers for positioning in the Pacific Division.

Many have the Anaheim Ducks regressing a bit this season – despite Cutter Gauthier and Leo Carlsson signing massive deals, the Ducks’ defence has gotten thinner. Outside of Jackson Lacombe, who gave the Oilers fits last year, the Ducks’ back-end will give up some chances. They do have some firepower up front that can outscore some of these chances, and their powerplay was deadly in the playoffs. The Ducks’ depth played a massive role in last year’s series win as well, largely shutting down the Oilers’ talent. while goaltender Lukas Dostal seems to bring his best when he plays the Oilers. Getting into his kitchen will be important to set the tone early in this season series. The Honda Center was a raucous environment during the playoffs last season and, while the regular season is sometimes a different story in Anaheim, the Oilers will be in tough in this early-season Pacific Division clash.

Oilers at Sharks – Oct. 10, 2 p.m.

Opponent	Head-to-Head Record	Goals For	Goals Against	Powerplay %	Penalty Kill %
San Jose Sharks	3-1-0	18	13	41.7% (5/12)	81.8% (9/11)

The California road trip continues with an afternoon game in San Jose. While this trip isn’t quite the gauntlet that it was in the early 2010s, the Sharks are on the upswing following some very lean years.

This game is circled for a couple of reasons – it’s the first game against long-time Oiler Darnell Nurse and the first meeting of the season between Connor McDavid and young superstar Macklin Celebrini. Both parties agreed that a change of scenery was in Nurse’s best interest but seeing him in a Sharks jersey will still take some getting used to. It’ll be interesting to see who he matches up against and if any insider information proves helpful. Celebrini, on the other hand, is the main piece of the Sharks’ youth movement. He’s coming off a massive 2025-26 campaign of 115 points and seems to continuously be raising his game. He’s surrounded by other young players who also will look to take steps this season. Offseason addition Mason Marchment and, potentially, 2026 second overall pick Ivar Stenberg add further depth. The Sharks’ forward group promises to bring some serious goal-scoring ability.

The back end has also been bolstered. The Sharks added Jacob Trouba and former Oilers draft pick Michael Kesslering in the offseason. Yaroslav Askarov came to the Sharks in the summer of 2024 to be the goalie of the future and will look for a step this season. All of this has the Sharks wielding a much-improved lineup from last season where the Oilers came away with six of a possible eight points against them. With their young, offensive core, this game could turn into a track meet and as will be the case with the Ducks, the Oilers will need to make sure they limit chances to come away with points in this game.

Oilers vs. Wild – Oct. 20, 7 p.m.

Opponent	Head-to-Head Record	Goals For	Goals Against	Powerplay %	Penalty Kill %
Minnesota Wild	0-3-0	5	13	14.3% (1/7)	66.7% (6/9)

Following a back-to-back set of games against the Utah Mammoth, the Oilers return home to play perennial Oiler Killers, the Minnesota Wild. Minnesota may have been the most troublesome opponent for the Oilers last year, as they came away from the 3-game set without a point, with too many goals against, and with special teams that were well below average. Both teams will look to improve on their positioning within their respective divisions this season, and this matchup will be a good early-season measuring stick.

Minnesota’s top-end players are just that. Top-end. Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy both finished with over 40 goals last season, while top pairing defencemen Quinn Hughes and Brock Faber seem to never leave the ice. Goaltender Filip Gustavsson starts the season on the injured list, so the Oilers are likely to see the Wall of St. Paul, Jesper Wallstedt, in this matchup. Wallstedt was excellent against the Oilers last year, winning both games he played and finishing with a sparkling save percentage of .960. Overall, Minnesota’s top talent matches up with Edmonton’s very well. Veteran goaltender Calvin Pickard will also make his return to Edmonton in this game, likely in a backup role.

This early-season clash will be a good test to see how the Oilers’ game can tailor to certain opponents. Minnesota has been criticized for depth down the middle that doesn’t compare with some of the other heavyweights in the Western Conference. The Oilers should have the edge on the Wild in this category, so this matchup will be an opportunity to see if they can exploit this weakness.

Oilers vs. Hurricanes – Oct. 22, 7 p.m.

Opponent	Head-to-Head Record	Goals For	Goals Against	Powerplay %	Penalty Kill %
Carolina Hurricanes	1-1-0	7	9	25.0% (1/4)	100% (4/4)

No rest for the wicked. Two nights later, another measuring stick game against the reigning Stanley Cup Champions. The Oilers played the Hurricanes hard last season, splitting the season series and having a bit of success on special teams. Carolina’s game focuses on puck possession, shots from everywhere, and depth contributions, a bit different from what the Oilers will see from the Wild the night before. Winning this game will mean the Oilers weather the storm of the Canes controlling the puck and capitalize when opportunities arise.

The Canes will field largely the same squad that won the Stanley Cup last year but for a couple of changes. Of course, Frederik Andersen is with the Oilers now, so the Canes will rely on 2025-26 standout Brandon Bussi between the pipes. Pyotr Kochetkov is a serviceable backup, which might be key considering Bussi is still relatively new to the NHL. Being that it will be early in the season, either of these goalies could be between the pipes for the game against the Oilers. Alexander Nikishin is the one major change on the back end from last season with the Canes, as he remains unsigned and won’t be attending training camp. Aside from Nikishin, the defence and forward groups remain intact and, barring any early-season Stanley Cup hangover, should provide the Canes with the same relentless forecheck and puck control that helped them win last year. They get contributions from up and down the lineup on a regular basis – on any given night, it could be Seth Jarvis, Sebastian Aho, Logan Stankoven, or even former Oiler Taylor Hall driving the bus. Jaccob Slavin leads a D-core that prides itself on shutting down the opponent’s best players.

Teams seem to get up to play the defending champions, and the Oilers should be eager to prove themselves against a very worthy opponent early in the season.

Oilers vs. Maple Leafs – Oct. 24, 5 p.m.

Opponent	Head-to-Head Record	Goals For	Goals Against	Powerplay %	Penalty Kill %
Toronto Maple Leafs	1-1-0	8	8	0.0% (0/1)	0.0% (0/2)

No better way to spend a Saturday night than watching Hockey Night in Canada. While the 5 p.m. start time is a frustrating concession to Eastern Time Zone viewers, the matchup will provide an opportunity to see first-overall pick Gavin McKenna make his debut against Connor McDavid and the Oilers. The teams split the season series last year, playing a couple of exciting affairs. The first game had the Oilers score six even-strength goals in a game that had no power plays. Special teams were the difference in the second game, however. Toronto went two-for-two on the man-advantage, and the Oilers were unable to capitalize on their one opportunity, losing 5-2.

While there’s always intrigue when they come to town, this game is circled because of the uncertainty around the Leafs this season. Toronto had a tough season last year, coming off the loss of their former superstar, Mitch Marner, and missing the playoffs. Some expect the Leafs to bounce back this year and be in contention in the East, while others have them regressing even further from last season’s result. What we do know is that they come with flash – outside of McKenna, Auston Matthews’ two-way game and lethal shot, along with the flash of William Nylander, provide potential for a back-and-forth, star-studded affair against the Oilers big guns. Jack Roslovic will also make his return to Edmonton in this matchup following a solid offensive season with the Oilers in 2025-26.

To send the Edmonton faithful out for a late dinner in a good mood (and displaced Leafs fans on their way without any progress in the standings), the Oilers will need to find a way to contain Matthews and Nylander before they can turn the game into a highlight reel of their own.

Many fans will notice that the Oct. 28 Battle of Alberta isn’t on the list – the BOA is always ‘must-watch’ TV but doesn’t carry quite the same lustre this season. The Flames and Oilers are at very different stages in their teams’ development. Calgary’s youth will look to take a step this year as the team continues its rebuild but, with the team expected to finish out of the playoff picture this year, games against the Flames represent valuable opportunities for the Oilers to stack up some points against a divisional opponent. The Flames stuck the Oilers with a losing record last season, something that surely requires improvement this year.

The first month of the season provides the Oilers with a wide variety of games – some stronger opponents and some nights where two points are a must to keep pace in their division.