Projecting the Oilers’ Important Early-Season Homestand

Under the direction of new head coach Mike Babcock, Edmonton has shot out of the gates this season, picking up 13 points in their first 8 games, thanks largely to an incredible 5-0-0 record on the road.

Home, however, hasn’t been quite so sweet to the Oilers, who are 1-1-1 at Rogers Place thus far. What’s more, Edmonton’s last home game drew its lowest regular season attendance in nearly four years, with just 16,176 fans on hand to watch the Oilers lose 4-2 to the Utah Mammoth on Oct. 15.

As they look to keep pace with the defending Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights in the Pacific Division standings, it’s important that the Oilers establish Rogers Place as a difficult arena for opponents to play. This upcoming homestand presents them with just such an opportunity. Here’s a look at the five match-ups:

Oct. 20 vs Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild are off to a strong start this season, going 6-2-1 to sit second place in the Central Division with 13 points.

While they have a perfect record in four home games, the Wild are more beatable on the road, with a record of 2-2-1. Minnesota’s visit to Rogers Place marks the beginning of a five-game road trip for the Wild.

Edmonton went 0-3-0 against the Wild last season, getting outscored 13-5 over the three games. Minnesota currently has a four-game winning streak at Rogers Place, dating back to the 2023-24 season.

Projection: shootout loss

Oct. 22 vs Carolina Hurricanes

The defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes have picked up where they left off, going 7-2-1 over their first 10 games to sit atop the Eastern Conference standings.

They won their first four contests on the road, outscoring the opposition by 2.25 goals per game, before falling to the Calgary Flames by a score of 3-2 at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Sunday (Oct. 18). This will be Carolina’s fourth stop on a five-game trip.

Edmonton and Carolina have split their two meetings in each of the last four seasons. The Oilers won by a score of 4-3 in overtime at Raleigh’s Lenovo Center last November, before falling 6-3 at home in March.

Projection: win

Oct. 24 vs Toronto Maple Leafs

One of the most electric atmospheres at Rogers Place each season is when the Toronto Maple Leafs make their annual visit, bringing out many fans clad in blue and white.

After a disappointing campaign 2025-26, Toronto has given its supporters reason for optimism this fall, with 10 points through 10 games and only one loss by more than one goal. Toronto only played three times on the road thus far, going 1-1-1.

The Oilers and Maple Leafs each won in the other’s barn last season, with Edmonton prevailing by a score of 6-3 at Scotiabank Arena last December before Toronto won 5-2 at Rogers Place in February.

Projection: overtime loss

Oct. 26 vs Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings are currently at the bottom of the Atlantic Division standings with 8 points from a record of 3-3-2.

This will the final stop on a four-game road trip for the Detroit Red Wings, which begins Tuesday when they visit the Seattle Kraken. Prior to departing for this trip, Detroit has played just one away game this season, a 1-0 shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre on Oct. 10.

Edmonton has dominated the Red Wings during the Connor McDavid era, with a 12-5-3 record against Detroit since drafting McDavid first overall in 2015. The teams played twice last season, with the Oilers winning 4-1 at home and losing 4-2 in the Motor City.

Projection: regulation win

Oct. 28 vs Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames had a dreadful start to the season, going 0-5-0 while being outscored a whopping 27-18 over their first five games. Since then, however, Calgary has won two of last three, including its inspired victory over the Hurricanes.

Their visit to Rogers Place will be just the fifth away game of the season for the Flames, who have a 1-3-0 road record thus far.

The Oilers were 1-2-1 against Calgary in 2025-26, losing the season series to their provincial rivals for the first time in six years. Edmonton and Calgary faced off just a few weeks ago during the preseason, with the Oilers winning 4-1 at Rogers Place on Sept. 26.

Projection: regulation win

Considering the Oilers begins their homestand with 13 points, reaching at least 20 points by the end of these five games is a very reasonable target.

Vegas currently has 16 points, and its upcoming schedule isn’t that difficult, so the Oilers may need four wins on their homestand to stay within three points of the Golden Knights.