Oilers Playing on a Different Level This Season

I don’t know if Edmonton Oilers fans are feeling it, but something has shifted in Oil Country in the 2026-27 season. This version of the Oilers seems like they are never out of a game; they don’t panic like they have in previous seasons, and if they fall behind, they know how to stop the bleeding before it overwhelms them. The only exception being the 7-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 24. That loss seems like an anomaly. This Oilers team is playing with purpose, and if they continue to trend upwards, who knows where it could lead them.

Oilers Take 5 Out of 6 Points on Recent New York Road Trip

When the Oilers fell behind 3-1 to the New Jersey Devils on Nov. 3, the old team would fold and start thinking about the plane ride back to Edmonton. Not this team. Not this season. They mounted a strong third-period comeback to tie the game, send it into overtime and eventually lost 4-3 in a shootout.

The Devils are elite and grabbing a point in New Jersey is a small moral victory, especially after Mike Babcock mentioned that the Devils were better than his team that night. Combine the strong Jersey showing with the dominant 4-0 performance against the New York Islanders on Halloween and the 4-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Nov. 1, and you have to believe the Oilers are serious about trying to win the Pacific Division crown this season.

What Brought This On?

This season, the coaching philosophy of Babcock and D.J. Smith has obviously made a big difference. The Oilers are winning battles, they’re competing for every puck, and they’re protecting their goaltenders from too many high-danger scoring chances. For the last two or three seasons, when you looked at the standings at this time of year, the Oilers would be playing around .500 – middle-of-the-pack hockey. They always had to exert extra energy and go on a run at the end of the season in order to secure a playoff spot. That trend looks like it’s changed under Babcock and Smith.

McDavid, Draisaitl & Bouchard Look Re-Energized

Connor McDavid is obviously a man on a mission. He set the NHL record for the most assists in a single October with 27 this past month. His season-opening assist streak now stands at 17 games, surpassing the previous NHL record of 12 held by Sebastian Aho, Ken Linseman, and Wayne Gretzky. He’s also leading the NHL in points with 44.