In the Pressbox

The Hockey Show - Episode 737

Thu, 05 Nov 2026 09:33:41 -0500

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, returns tonight with all three members of the show in place and ready to discuss all that needs attention! There has been lots of news on the international hockey front so you know that will have the hosts stirring, but there was more that happened in hockey that needs some discussion as well. Of course, there's a big tournament happening locally next week that we'll promote, so make sure you're ready to roll tonight for The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Teebz, Jason, and Sophie will take a hard look at the CAS ruling, the IIHF's conundrum, and the host cities and countries making decisions on allowing Russia back into IIHF events. This will likely be a large segment on tonight's show, but the IIHF also made a little news in denying Canada to wear its newly-designed jerseys at the Women's World Championship, the NHL decided to introduce the Hometown Remix jerseys to very mixed reactions, the Female World Sport School Challenge starts next Thursday, and they'll jump into any other stories that cross their desks. It should be a good show with lots of abuse for Russia and international sports bodies in it, so get your "Denied" passport stamps ready for The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The UMFM website's streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store.

If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz, Jason, and Sophie discuss big mistakes, dumb rulings, passive adherence, strong leaders, money matters, clothing problems, local tourneys, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Pre-Scout: Oilers begin homestand against quack-tastic Ducks power play

Thu, 05 Nov 2026 08:00:47 -0500

It was transit day: the Edmonton Oilers travelled back from New Jersey on Wednesday instead of late Tuesday night, taking five of a possible six points from the quick three-game trip.

Considering how tilted the ice was in the second period, coming away with a point against the Devils in the eventual 4-3 shootout loss is a win in my books. I’m not a fan of moral victories, but I thought the Oilers showed a lot of resilience, especially given New Jersey’s significant rest advantage entering the night.

In the micro-view, you can’t be too upset about that one. In the macro-view, obvious excitement about the Oilers’ terrific 11-2-3 start and first in the NHL in points percentage when their plane took off. But there are areas of their game that I’d label as trends.

The long-change second periods aren’t even lulls — sometimes they go 10-20 minutes deep — but they are a sore spot.

Although they’ve outscored the enemy 23-18 in the second period, compared to 22-20 in the third period, the game is in the balance in those second periods, so the contrast is more defined. Especially because their starts have been so good.

Tuesday’s contest versus New Jersey, as well as the Detroit game the week prior, both shootout losses, featured prolonged periods with very few shots (or even zero shots), and a lack of offensive zone time. When they did wrestle control of the puck, they were gaining the red line, chipping and changing.

On the other hand, Edmonton is winning 20-7 in first periods. Pretty damn good.

The Devils game was just the second time they’ve lost after scoring the first goal of the game, the other being opening night against Vancouver.

Oilers record when scoring first goal: 9-0-2
Oilers record when allowing first goal: 2-2-1.

It’s been noticeable: the Oilers start on time.

And because of how well they’re playing in the first period, the Oilers rarely enter the second frame trailing. Just a quarter of the Oilers games are they trailing after the second period, and they actually improved their record to 1-2-1 with the Devils result.

Interestingly, the Oilers are 1-0-2 when tied after two periods, and a perfect 9-0-0 when leading through 40 minutes. Similarly, in nine out of 16 games, the Oilers have never trailed.

Lineup changes

Mike Babcock did decide to tinker with the lineup and get Jake Walman back into the fold, as well as Max Jones, who’d been out for three games and four games, respectively.

Jones provided energy with his fresh legs on a fourth line with Filip Hallander and Owen Michaels that banged and crashed effectively.

But if you’re looking for warts in Walman’s games, there is some to be found. He’s being kept on a short leash and played a season-low 11:46 of ice time. Some of that could be attributed to the amount of special teams in the second and third periods, but it’s also a sign of how the coaching staff views his game.

It’s his lowest ice time since being benched in the third period and overtime against Ottawa back in March, and second-fewest minutes (excluding leaving a game due to injury) dating back to March 2022, his final games with St. Louis before being traded to Detroit.

We’ll keep an eye on whether either will stay in the lineup against the Ducks, or whether Ty Emberson draws back in. This starts a four-game homestand, and the pace of games doesn’t let up until next week, with the team in action every other night. I don’t blame the coaching staff for trying to sprinkle in fresh bodies.

Ducks power play on historic heater

It didn’t take an expert to see the Anaheim Ducks blueline entering the season and thinking there would be struggles. Get beyond the obviously talented Jackson LaCombe, suddenly Tristan Luneau must be a capable second of third defenceman, and any injury would feel significant.

That’s played out in the early going.

Over the weekend, coach Joel Quenneville sent a message and started third goaltender Laurent Brossoit in search of saves. Before their Sunday game against Ottawa, Anaheim had won just once in their last eight, surrendering a three-goal lead to Vancouver, then giving up a touchdown to Buffalo.

The old man had a hunch. Although not beauties in giving up seven goals across those games, it’s back-to-back wins, surviving a late charge on Tuesday night in Vancouver to win 5-4.

Part of that has been Cutter Gauthier awakening from his early-season slumber. Fresh off getting 15 sheets in the off-season, he’d been quiet on the scoresheet. Now he’s rocking back-to-back hat tricks, eight goals in his last three games, and a five-game point streak.

“We have a lot of high-level guys who have a lot of poise and are able to see plays a step ahead of the game,” said Gauthier.

“Our power-play (and assistant) coach Jay Woodcroft has done an amazing job identifying a ‘PK’s’ weaknesses before games and giving us a good pre-scout of knowing how to hit them.”

Their power play is downright scary at the moment. First in the NHL at 38 per cent, they’re on the best three-game heater in nearly 20 years, going 10-for-12 in that stretch. You’d have to go back to the 2008-09 Minnesota Wild to find a team that scored that many PP goals in a three-game span.

“As a group, every time we go out there, we think we’re going to score,” said Beckett Sennecke. “We’re rolling pretty hot right now.”

To say this will be top of mind for the Oilers, who went 3-for-5 vs. the Devils, and who’ve struggled against this unit dating back to last year, is an understatement.

In the previous matchup back on Oct. 7, the Ducks opened the game by scoring on their first two man-advantage chances, but the Oilers rallied to give the last five. Combining the regular season and playoffs, the Ducks went 12-for-28 on the PP vs. the Oilers in 2025-26. Edmonton’s PK fell to 21st in the league and sits at 73.9 per cent on the season.

There’s one easy key to the game.

Notes:

Since the ultra-elite start by Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Vasily Podkolzin five-on-five, those numbers have come back to reality. Since the Oct. 17 game against the Utah Mammoth, that line has been outscored 6-4 over the last eight games, but continues to outshoot the opposition 53-39, according to Natural Stat Trick.
For context, overall this season that line is 18-6 in goals, outshooting 102-74, and ahead 55-35 in high-danger chances. However, the fancies are less kind from where they stood, with a 55.97 per cent expected goal percentage.
Fresh off being the franchise’s games-played leader, Nugent-Hopkins registered his fourth multi-point game of the season vs. New Jersey, and his third in his last four games. That’s nine points in seven games to be tied fifth on the team. Tonight, expect a video tribute, along with the Oilers donning the Hometown Remix jerseys for the first time.
Closing the book on the road trip, Bouchard extended his season-opening road point streak to eight games. He becomes just the third defenseman in the past decade to record a run of that length. Bouchard remains third in the league in points, one greater than Nathan MacKinnon and six clear of the next defenceman in Quinn Hughes.
If the Oilers make roster changes tonight, you would have to consider Alex Formenton. His line with Jason Dickinson and Mathieu Joseph struggled mightily, outshot 5-2, with shot attempts 14-3. Formenton was noticeably out-battled by Arseny Gritsyuk in the second period, which led to a chance that rang off the post. He hasn’t missed a game yet. The question is whether Mike Babcock and DJ Smith will scratch a forward penalty-killer considering the hyper-aggressive style. Jason Dickinson is still ramping up with his PK ice-time.
Kasperi Kapanen already has half of last season’s goal total, in which he played 41 games, four compared to eight. His nine points are just eight shy of last year’s numbers as well.
There has been little buzz about Zach Hyman and his neck injury. Meanwhile, Babcock did mention that Levi is skating before Tuesday’s game. Isaac Howard is out “a couple weeks.”
Tristan Jarry’s shutout streak lasted 153:59, an impressive mark, and the sixth longest (regular season and playoffs combined) in franchise history. Tommy Salo holds that mark, not allowing a goal in 192:52 back in 2000-01.
The only other Duck to record three straight multi-goal games, as Cutter Gauthier has done, is Paul Kariya. No one else has recorded back-to-back hat-tricks.
Jackson LaCombe could tie a team record tonight held by Scott Niedermayer for the longest assist streak. LaCombe has helpers in eight straight games.
Pavel Mintyukov returned to the lineup Sunday and played a season-high 23:07 against the Canucks.
Anaheim is hopeful to get Troy Terry and Ian Moore off IR sooner rather than later, but it likely won’t happen tonight. Neither has played a game this season.
AJ Greer was placed on IR after he was hit in the head by Dylan Cozens on Sunday. Ryan Poehling hasn’t played for nearly a month and is still considered week-to-week.
Beckett Sennecke is the youngest player in Ducks history to record a four-assist game at 20 years, 279 days old, beating out Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. Just be careful with those macaroons on Instagram, young fella…
After the offer sheet that changed the world, Leo Carlsson was ninth in league scoring before Wednesday’s game, with five goals and 22 points. His career-high is 67 points.
Games like these can be a flat spot for the Oilers. A quick road trip, then right back to action on home ice. Expect a high-scoring game as the Oilers are first in goals per game and the Ducks are sixth, while being third-last in goals against per game.
Edmonton beat Anaheim 5-2 back on Oct. 7, but are 5-5 in their last 10 head-to-head.

Michael Menzies is an Oilersnation columnist and co-host of Pregaming and Postgaming. He’s also been the play-by-play voice of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the AJHL since 2019. With seven years of news experience as the Editor-at-Large of Lakeland Connect in Bonnyville, Menzies collects vinyl, books, and stomach issues. Follow him on X at Menzies_4.

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Winnipeg Jets Morning Papers: Today’s Hockey Headlines | November 5, 2026

Thu, 05 Nov 2026 06:30:11 -0500

A daily roundup of Jets, Moose coverage and all the pro hockey news that matters in Manitoba and beyond.

Global News | John Shannon on the Winnipeg Jets’ Miracle in Montreal, lack of organizational change and Viggo Björck’s future

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 23:03:19 -0500

The veteran journalist shares his insight.

Ex-Oilers winger Evander Kane close to signing contract in KHL

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 21:00:21 -0500

Just 17 months removed from playing in the Stanley Cup Final for the Edmonton Oilers, Evander Kane appears to be taking his talents to the KHL.

This, according to his agent Dan Milstein, who said on Wednesday’s edition of DFO Insider that an announcement of which team he will sign with will come in the next few days.

“We had a couple of things here in North America, but in the end, Evander decided to take his talents to Russia,” said Milstein. “We’re very close to signing a deal with the KHL team. So over the next couple of days or so, we will make an announcement, but he will be playing the season in Russia at the KHL level.”

"Evander Kane decided to take his talents to Russia"

Dan Milstein breaks that his client, Evander Kane will play this season in the KHL.@JeffMarek | @TheFourthPeriod

Presented by @bet365ca #bet365

Ranking the Hometown Remix jerseys for all 32 NHL teams

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 18:00:36 -0500

This week marked the launch of the latest installment of the NHL’s mission to introduce a line of jerseys for teams to wear a handful of times during the 2026-27 season.

In recent years, when the league’s jersey sponsor was Adidas, the league collaborated with them on the Reverse Retro and Reverse Retro 2.0 campaigns. For this project, teams reinvented prior looks. This time, the NHL and new jersey manufacturer Fanatics developed the Hometown Remix series, where each team’s location inspires the sweater.

Some are outlandish, some predictable, and others just plain boring. The best Hometown Remix sweaters nicely merge a classic look with novel elements. Below, they are ranked, from worst to best.

PRESENTING THE NHL HOMETOWN REMIX JERSEYS

Could Colton Dach be another reclamation project home run for the Oilers?

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 17:00:59 -0500

Last season, the Edmonton Oilers and Chicago Blackhawks made two separate trades with each other.

The first one was on March 2, when they sent a second-round pick to Chicago in exchange for defenseman Connor Murphy and then just two days later, they made another move with the Blackhawks for Jason Dickinson.

The headline of the trade was that the Oilers had gotten a strong, defensive third-line centre to play behind Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and that the cost to acquire that player was higher, a first-round pick, because they had to attach Andrew Mangiapane and his contract.

The headline of the trade was not that they also got 23-year-old forward Colton Dach, but flash forward roughly nine months and the Fort Saskatchewan product is making a lot of noise for this hometown team.

The 62nd overall pick from the 2021 NHL Draft was basically just spinning his tires in Chicago. He was in and out of the lineup and had produced just five goals in 78 career games.

He was physical, but at times bordered on undisciplined and appeared to be a player in danger of getting lost in the shuffle with a young, rebuilding Blackhawks team.

In Edmonton, he’s found new life and appears to be another classic case of a young player who really just needed a change of scenery to jumpstart his NHL career and maybe we shouldn’t be too surprised that it’s working in Edmonton.

Stan Bowman was the Blackhawks GM when the team selected Dach, and he’d nailed a few reclamation projects already during his time as the Oilers GM, acquiring Vasiliy Podkolzin for a mid-round pick and claiming Kasperi Kapanen off waivers from the St. Louis Blues.

There are plenty of ways to critique Bowman’s tenure as the club’s GM, but he has been good at finding these types of players.

I’m sure the hope was that Dach would simply find a way to be an everyday player with the team. Maybe someone who could bring some energy to the team’s bottom-six, which has been quite horrendous for the bulk of the Connor McDavid era.

If that was the initial expectation, I think it’s totally fair to say that Dach has surpassed that.

Like most people who follow this team, I was very intrigued by Dach heading into this season after his very encouraging run of games last season, which were cut short due to injury.

It was a short look, but it appeared as though the Oilers may have found a really useful player.

This season, got off to a rocky start, but ever since getting moved onto Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ wing, the 6’3 winger has been one of the team’s most impactful forwards and has popped home three goals in his last five games.

His physical play hasn’t dropped; he’s continued to be a pain in the other team’s rear end, and now that he’s playing with skill, he’s got some offence to show for it.

The goals have been great, but there have also been a few great plays that he’s made that, while they haven’t resulted in goals, they’ve shown just how much skill he has.

The first came against the Rangers when he was pressed in tight against the net and found a way to drag the puck through his legs and turn what looked like a fairly innocent play into a quality scoring chance.

The second was on Tuesday night against New Jersey when he took off up the ice in overtime and used his size and speed to cut past a pair of Devils, almost scoring the game-winner to end the road trip.

He’s also not being gifted any sort of easy minutes. He and Nugent-Hopkins start 54 per cent of their shifts in the offensive zone, which isn’t low, but it’s also not like Babcock isn’t trusting them anywhere else.

They’re outsourcing the opposition 5-2 in their 53 minutes together, and sure, maybe some of the fancy numbers don’t look great, but I still think this duo has some real promise, and I think the numbers will get better once one of Zach Hyman or Matt Savoie is added to the line.

Last season, the hope was that Dach could just be an everyday player.

Now, some people like myself are dreaming of a world where Stan Bowman may have hit another reclamation project home run, as he did with Podkolzin.

If you think that’s an overreaction, let’s compare a few basic notes.

Through 20 regular season games as an Oiler, Dach has five goals. That’s a 20-goal pace.

It took Vasiliy Podkolzin 21 games just to score his first goal as an Oiler, and he needed 41 games before he got to five goals.

Podkolzin’s first season with the Oilers was his 23-year-old season, and he scored eight times in 82 games. He then put in the work to become a better scorer and learned how to play a style that would complement McDavid and Draisaitl.

The next season, his goal total ballooned to 19 and this season, it’s safe to say that it’s going to be much higher.

Dach is going to turn 24 in January, and if he can learn from Podkolzin and put in the work, he’s likely going to be an Oiler for a very long time.

Letters to the Editor

Daily Faceoff Edmonton wants to hear from you, the reader, in our new weekly “Letters to the Editor” segment. Letters can be emailed to Daily Faceoff Edmonton’s managing editor Zach Laing (zach.laing@bettercollective.com), titled “Letters to the Editor.” Please include a letter up to 200 words, including your name and place of residence (city, town, province, or state). Your letters may be edited for length and/or clarity. Letters must be submitted by Sunday morning to be considered for that week’s edition.

Connor Hellebuyck releases letter to Winnipeg Jets fans following trade to New Jersey Devils

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 17:00:04 -0500

The former Jets netminder acknowledges the frustration surrounding his departure, references private family circumstances and thanks Winnipeg for its support over the years.

Brad Lambert clears waivers and can be assigned to the Manitoba Moose

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 14:04:05 -0500

For the first time in his career he clears waivers.

One glaring Oilers weakness: Analyzing Edmonton’s 5-on-5 second period struggles

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 14:00:41 -0500

The Edmonton Oilers are off to a great start at 11-2-3. Many facets of their game are strong, but there is one specific area that has been a concern. Their five-on-five play in the second period.

Through 16 games, Edmonton has outscored their opponents 37-29 at five-on-five. If you prorate that over 84 games, they’d finish the season 194-152 in goals for/goals against at five-on-five, which would be plus-42. A very good number, but of course prorating 19 per cent of the season and expecting it to remain the same is far from accurate. It is simply a projection, but it does illustrate that overall, outscoring the opposition by eight goals at five-on-five every 16 games is good.

Last season only Colorado (+88) and Tampa Bay (+43) finished the season with a plus-40 GF-GA differential at five-on-five. The 2024 Oilers were plus-40 en route to making the Stanley Cup Final. In terms of outscoring the opponents five-on-five, Edmonton has been good early on. Goals are the ultimate decider in the outcome of games, and I always value them more than shots or scoring chances, however, the latter two do have value.

I’ve noticed some concern regarding the Oilers’ five-on-five play due to their expected goal percentage (xGF%). I don’t love that stat, mainly because how it is tracked on publicly available sites. There isn’t video used, and if you look at Natural Stat Trick, right now they have Edmonton expected to score nine fewer goals than they have and allowing 5.5 more. So, Edmonton is plus-8 in actual goals but would be minus -5 in expected. That doesn’t jive with what I’ve watched in most games.

I wanted to dig a bit deeper on the Oilers’ five-on-five play. To me, their main struggles have come in the second period. And a few lopsided second periods can really impact the overall shot totals and expected goal totals. Here’s a look at the Oilers’ shots for/against by period in their 16 games from Natural Stat Trick. Periods that have a seven-shot differential are in green (Oilers outshooting) or red (Oilers outshot). Keep in mind some of their five-on-five shot totals aren’t 100 per cent.

In the first period, the Oilers have outshot their opponents seven times, been outshot four times and been tied five times at five-on-five.

In the middle frame, Edmonton outshot the opposition four times and was outshot 10 times and tied twice. In six of those periods, they were outshot by seven, eight, nine, nine, 10 and 11 shots.

In the final period, Edmonton outshot their opponent six times, were outshot six times and tied four times.

The far-right column had games that were blowouts after the first or second period, and that often can lead to a team sitting back or relaxing, as we saw against Vancouver, Anaheim, Los Angeles and Utah when Edmonton had a comfortable lead and didn’t attack. Edmonton was outshot 34-8 in those four third periods and outscored 5-1. Score effects are real, especially in the third period when a team has a big lead. Not always, but often.

Here are the Oilers’ five-on-five shots on goal for/against by period, their five-on-five goals for/against, as well as their total shots for/against and goals for/against in each period.

Look at the second period. The Oilers have been outshot at five-on-five to the tune of 146-87, and they are -55 in six periods against Los Angeles, Carolina, Toronto, Detroit, New York and New Jersey. Those six middle frames were ugly five-on-five, and have played a big role in their shots for/against ratio as well as their expected goals. However, despite being outshot, Edmonton is even in goals for/against at 13.

Overall, Edmonton has played well at five-on-five, but when they have a bad stretch, it seems to last for almost the entire second period. I do wonder how much it has to do with them outscoring teams 15-2 in the first period. The opposition is fired up to start the second, and we can’t overlook the emotional swings of a game. The main issue I’ve noticed in the second period is that they are passive and spend too much time in their own zone, and even though they often aren’t giving up multiple high-danger scoring chances, the time they spend defending really limits their ability to attack.

Yesterday, New Jersey overwhelmed them in the second period. Maybe playing their third game in four days was a factor, but that middle frame was dominated by the Devils, and if New Jersey didn’t take three penalties in a span of 1:48 in the final two minutes of the period, Edmonton likely didn’t push that game to overtime.

The Oilers’ five-on-five play in the second period needs to improve, and really, when you look at those six second periods, that is where the Oilers’ 290-340 shot differential at five-on-five is most glaring. They are -55 in shots for/against in those six periods, but they are plus-5 in their other 42 periods. So, are they really that bad overall at five-on-five, or is it that when they struggle, it is significant and lasts the entire period? I think it is more the latter, which is still an area Mike Babcock will want to address.

However, even with those struggles, the Oilers have been quite good at limiting high-danger chances off the rush. Courtesy of Clear Sight Analytics, the Oilers rank 1st in the NHL in limiting high-danger chances off the rush. A big improvement from last year when they were 23rd. The Oilers are limiting high-danger chances off the rush similar to how they did in 2024 en route to the Stanley Cup Final.

MORE TO GAME THAN JUST 5×5…

We can’t overlook special teams or four-on-four play in regulation. Edmonton is currently plus-8 on special teams. They’ve scored 19 power play goals and two shorthanded goals, while allowing 12 power play goals and one shorthanded goal. The majority of the game is played at five-on-five where Edmonton has outscored teams 37-29 in 775 minutes of play, and they’ve outscored teams 29-17 in 205 minutes of special teams, 4×4, 3×3, 6×5 and 5×6. The Oilers have scored four empty net goals and allowed two.

The number of goals scored in those minutes is infinitely higher than the number of goals scored in five-on-five minutes, and that’s why we always need to look at all sequences of play when evaluating a team. Close to 80 per cent of the game is played at five-on-five, but so far 58 per cent of the goals have come at five-on-five.

Edmonton has been very good on the power play again, no surprise, while their penalty kill is slowly improving, but still has room to grow. They allowed five goals on 14 kills in their first four games (64.2 per cent), but they are up to 78.1 per cent in their last 12 games, allowing seven goals on 32 kills. It still needs to improve. The uber-aggressive style can look really bad at times, like it did last night on Jack Hughes’ power play goal, when the Devils had two forwards left all alone in front of Tristan Jarry. The coaching staff wants to stick with this aggressive kill, which has the D-men attacking high in the offensive zone at times, as they believe once the players get more comfortable, it will work consistently. We’ll see.

I believe the angst regarding the Oilers’ xGF% is a tad overblown, especially when you consider they are the best team in the NHL at limiting high-danger rush chances right now. I find it odd that their expected goals against at NST has them ranked 21st. Those six second periods haven’t been good, but when you look at their goals for/against and how great they’ve been at limiting scoring chances off the rush, I just have a hard time believing they are 21st in xGA at five-on-five.

THE ODD SHOOTOUT STRUGGLE…

This issue isn’t just from this season. Over the past 180 games, the Edmonton Oilers are the worst shootout team in the NHL. Thankfully, for them, they don’t go to the shootout very often. The Oilers are 1-7 in the shootout, for an ugly 0.125 winning percentage, which is the worst in the NHL. Vegas is 31st at a 0.176 win percentage, going 3-14.

The Oilers have struggled with scoring and getting saves in the shootout.

They have six goals on 29 attempts, and their 20.7 scoring percentage ranks 28th in the league.

They have allowed 13 goals on 27 shots, and their 51.9 save percentage ranks 30th.

Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are 2-for-8, while Leon Draisaitl is 2-for-6. Kasperi Kapanen is 0-for-2, while Jack Roslovic, Evan Bouchard, Matt Savoie, Isaac Howard and David Tomasek are each 0-for-1.
In goal, Connor Ingram allowed four goals on five shots, Tristan Jarry allowed three goals on six attempts, Stuart Skinner allowed six goals on 13 shots, and Devon Levi has stopped all three attempts.

Levi has the only shootout win, and he needed to be perfect, as RNH was the only goal scorer in that victory over Carolina earlier this year.

The Oilers’ shooters are a combined 2-for-10 this season, which is basically the same 20 per cent as the previous two seasons. However, I don’t think there is anything I’d change. I’d still send out RNH, McDavid and Draisaitl each game, but it is odd how much they’ve struggled over the past 25 months.

Letters to the Editor

Daily Faceoff Edmonton wants to hear from you, the reader, in our new weekly “Letters to the Editor” segment. Letters can be emailed to Daily Faceoff Edmonton’s managing editor Zach Laing (zach.laing@bettercollective.com), titled “Letters to the Editor.” Please include a letter up to 200 words, including your name and place of residence (city, town, province, or state). Your letters may be edited for length and/or clarity. Letters must be submitted by Sunday morning to be considered for that week’s edition.

Manitoba Moose Practice Report

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:56:22 -0500

Another day on the ice as they prepare to face the defending champs this weekend in Winnipeg.

Winnipeg Jets loan D prospect Garrett Brown to Moose; speaks to media for first time since injury ahead of training camp

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:37:13 -0500

The young blueliner joins Manitoba and shares his thoughts during his media availability.

Oilers Prospect Update: Condors early season struggles continue

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:27 -0500

It was another disappointing weekend for the depleted Bakersfield Condors.

With losses against the Abbotsford Canucks and San Jose Barracuda this past weekend, the Condors now sit at the bottom of the Pacific Division with a 0.389% win percentage. The early part of the season hasn’t been easy for the Condors. With Matt Tomkins up with the Oilers and Connor Ungar out with an injury, they are forced to run two goalies with limited AHL experience. Nathan Day and Samuel Jonsson have each given the club a good game, but Day struggled against Abbotsford and handed the crease to Jonsson, who has looked good in his limited time. Both Beau Akey and Aku Raty haven’t played since Oct. 24 due to injuries; Connor Clattenburg hasn’t suited up since Oct. 11. Atro Leppanen hasn’t played a game this season. The final cherry on top is that Damien Carfagna was injured against Abbotsford and didn’t suit up against the Barracuda. Injuries in Edmonton have forced them to call up players like Max Jones, who would be a great addition to this Condors lineup.

Injuries have played a big role in why the Condors are at the bottom of the division, but the roster itself is struggling to generate any offence. In the contest against Abbotsford, the Condors had one shot with four minutes left in the first. During the game versus the Barracuda, Bakersfield had nine shots halfway through the game. Bakersfield’s 23 goals rank them second-lowest in the AHL, but they only allowed 28 goals. Special teams have been an issue, too. The power play is sitting at 15.8 per cent, and the penalty kill is a league worst at 71.1 per cent. The Condors have a five-man unit that is capable of having a 20 per cent power-play conversion rate at minimum; I expect that number to climb. As for the penalty kill, the team needs to trust the young centreman, William Nicholl. I think the former London Knight has been excellent as a defensive forward in his young professional career.

Quinn Hutson is in a dry spell

The Condors have four players with two goals or more; this is worrisome. However, Quinn Hutson continues to put up good numbers; he has five goals in nine games. But the former AHL All-Star hasn’t scored in his past five games and has managed only two assists during that span. Bakersfield doesn’t have many shooters who can beat a goalie clean from far out; Isaac Howard, graduating from the AHL, left the Boston Terriers as the rare shooter on the team. Hutson still looks above his peers in the AHL, even when the puck isn’t going in.

It’s a power-play chance, but I love how Hutson doesn’t stand still after making his pass. The right winger stops up to put the puck on his forehand, and as soon as he lets the pass go, Hutson sprints past his check right to the open space. The sniper has always been great at offensive zone routing, and even when the puck isn’t going in, the little details remain the same.

You don’t stuff the net like Hutson without getting shots off quickly, and even if the puck is rolling, the undrafted free agent still has the confidence in his shot to let it go instantly. There isn’t a lot of unnecessary puck handling when Hutson is in a shooting position. I thought Hutson was one of the better forwards for the Condors during the weekend; even though he wasn’t scoring, he was still trying to get the puck into the right areas.

Even though the puck didn’t get cleanly through, the Condors generated a chance because somebody was willing to send the puck to the slot. While on the point of his playmaking ability, I thought his vision has opened up a bit more this year compared to last.

Unfortunately, the pass isn’t received, and the potential chance is gone. However, it was an excellent look cross-ice. Hutson won’t be in this scoring drought for much longer; he’s a natural goal scorer, and a puck will find the back of the net. Even without scoring, I have continued to be impressed by the amount of offence the American product creates.

Tomas Cibulka scores his first as a Condor

With only a goal and one assist in nine games played, you wouldn’t expect the tape to be as impressive as it is, but I can’t help but fall more in love with the Czech defenceman’s game. The skating ability is great, and Cibulka tries to use it to the best of his ability, no matter the situation. Not a lot of defencemen are willing to suck forwards in and shake them off with their feet; the left-shot (playing the right-side) defender is constantly trying to beat his man, and if he can start finishing off these plays… oh my.

Of course, his first goal would be after shaking a forward and creating a shooting lane. I hope they let the 22-year-old continue to play how he is playing; I love the confidence, and he doesn’t give up much on the defensive end either. I feel like, down the line, with a bit more weight on his frame and some extra refinement in his skills, Cibulka can get some NHL games in.

Cibulka is great at separating his lower body and his upper body. The mobile defender knows his range extremely well and can keep pucks in his hip pocket, making it hard to get possession away from him. In the first clip above, the first-year AHL player helps confuse the San Jose forwards trying to cover up top. It creates an open passing lane, and if Cibulka gets a harder pass off, there is open ice for Viljami Marjala.

I love the pairing of Damien Carfagna and Tomas Cibulka. I thought it might be time to break them up because they can both help create offence from different pairs; unfortunately, as I said earlier, Carfagna was injured in the 5-1 loss to the Canucks and didn’t dress in the San Jose game. Cibulka will continue to run the power play while the former Ohio State Buckeye is out. I haven’t seen an update on the Condors ‘ top-scoring defender, but I hope he sat as a precaution.

It was an ugly set of games this past weekend, to be honest. Samuel Jonsson has shown well in his short time as an AHL goaltender, and it will be interesting to see who gets the start on Friday. Bakersfield will play a back-to-back against the Barracuda, making it three straight games against San Jose. Let’s wait and see who is healthy and available for the game before we make any predictions. But I’m quite down on this Condors roster at the moment with all the injuries; however, once they get healthy, I think they’ll start filling the net, but will it be too late by then? Although it was a tough weekend, Hutson and Cibulka continue to try to create offence even when the well might be a little dry.

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The Miracle in Montreal and its place among the most remarkable regular season games in Winnipeg Jets history

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 11:03:50 -0500

From improbable comebacks to unforgettable individual performances, we look back at some of the craziest nights since the NHL returned to Winnipeg in 2011.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is the oiliest Oiler of all, Jake Walman in the lineup, and stealing a point in New Jersey

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 10:00:27 -0500

After sweeping their back-to-back weekend against the Islanders and Rangers, the Edmonton Oilers rolled into New Jersey in pursuit of a clean road trip and fourth consecutive win overall. Unfortunately, that is not the result we got. As much as it was fun to watch the Oilers battle their way back from a 3-1 deficit with just over a period to play, they ultimately fell short by a goal in the shootout. A tough second period nearly sunk the ship, but you have to love that the Oilers still managed to snag a point anyway.

RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS, THE OILIEST OILER EVER

5 times a player had a monster year, then was traded during the following season

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 09:16:12 -0500

Nikita Kucherov’s stunning trade request got me thinking: Just how often has something like this happened in NHL history? After all, Kucherov won the MVP last season after racking up 130 points. Guys like that just don’t get dealt.

Or do they? A star player being traded, especially after a big season, is unusual in the NHL, certainly. But it’s not all that rare. No reigning MVP has ever been traded, but we saw a Vezina winner dealt just a few years ago. We came very close to seeing the Norris winner traded just this past summer. In fact, there are enough examples of star players being moved in the offseason that we were able to invent a fake award for just that situation.

So sure, maybe it’s not all that unheard of for a superstar to be dealt in the summer following a big season. But that’s not what’s happening here. Kucherov made it through the offseason without any hint of a move, only to drop his trade request bomb after a dozen games were in the books. That means that if he gets his wish, it will be by a midseason trade.

That’s far more rare. In fact, it’s almost unheard of. Almost.

So today, let’s look back at five time where a player had a monster year, only to be traded during the following season. These aren’t necessarily the five best players to meet those criteria, but hopefully they make for some interesting stories which may be new to some of you kids out there.

>> Read the full post for free at The Athletic

The Day After 16.0: As Nugent-Hopkins sets Oilers games played record, team falls in shootout

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 08:00:06 -0500

On a night when Ryan Nugent-Hopkins set the Edmonton Oilers franchise record for games played, it’s only fitting that he was one of the best players on the ice.

As he has for 16 years and counting, the outstanding play that has turned him into one of, if not the most beloved players in franchise history was on full display against the New Jersey Devils Tuesday night.

He helped set up Evan Bouchard for the Oilers’ opening goal of the game 8:29 in, grabbing a loose puck, calmly sending it back to the point as Mattias Ekholm set up a Bouch bomb.

He scored Edmonton’s second goal of the game late in a frantic second period, with a patented snap shot that careened off some defenders and in.

And in overtime, with under 10 seconds left, he stole a puck from the Devils in Edmonton’s zone, weathering a quick storm and giving the Oilers a chance to score in the final seconds. Close, but no cigar. Don’t overlook Nugent-Hopkins’ 55.5 per cent expected goal share, either, leading all Oilers by a staggering 14 per cent.

Ultimately, despite good first and third periods, the Oilers couldn’t overcome their second-period woes, falling 4-3 in a shootout.

“I thought we were fine in the first,” said Oilers head coach Mike Babcock. “I thought in the second, I don’t know what was going on there, but they were way better than us, way faster than us.

“We just kept coming down, turning it over, changing, and yell ‘here we come again.’ We feel fortunate to get a point here tonight. They were better than us.”

For the Oilers, it capped off a nearly perfect road trip. Had they pulled out a victory, it would’ve been the first time in franchise history they swept three games in California and New York in the same season, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be.

Still, walking out of the state with points in five of six games is nothing to scoff at.

The second period, though? Scoff away.

After Bouchard gave the Oilers the first-period lead, they came out more than flat in the second, getting outshot a whopping 15-3. Ex-Oiler Connor Brown scored on the power play 7:42 into the frame, then in a span of 45 seconds, Jack Hughes scored twice, building a 3-1 lead with less than five minutes in the period.

Nugent-Hopkins’ goal gave the Oilers some life that carried over into the third, thanks to a five-on-three advantage, where Leon Draisaitl would find the back of the net to tie the game. The Oilers held their breath to earn a point, but there’s work to be done.

“I think we’ve made progress for sure,” said Babcock when asked to reflect on what he’s seen from his team this season, and on the road trip. “I didn’t think tonight in the second period was progress, but we’ve made a lot of progress and we’re finding more and more players.”

Now, the Oilers turn their eye to an important homestand to hold their spot atop the Western Conference. They welcome the Anaheim Ducks Thursday night, debuting the contentious Hometown Remix jersey, before the Vancouver Canucks come to town Saturday, the New York Rangers next Monday and the Philadelphia Flyers a week from today. Save for the Rangers, the three other teams are on the outside looking in on playoff spots today.

Zach Laing is the managing editor at Daily Faceoff Edmonton and news director at The Nation Network. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.

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Winnipeg Jets Morning Papers: Today’s Hockey Headlines | November 4, 2026

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 06:30:43 -0500

A daily roundup of Jets, Moose coverage and all the pro hockey news that matters in Manitoba and beyond.

Team of the Week: Army

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 05:00:00 -0500

Army has been one of Atlantic Hockey’s strongest teams through the opening month, entering November at 5-1 overall and 4-0 in conference play. Since dropping its season opener to Union, the Black Knights have won five straight, including a road sweep of Holy Cross, an overtime victory over Quinnipiac and this past weekend’s sweep of RIT.The early success has come with a clear identity. Army has...

CCHA Suspends Lake Superior's Boilard 4 Games

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 05:00:00 -0500

The CCHA announced today that Lake Superior State freshman Raoul Boilard has been suspended four games for a check from behind during his team's game against Minnesota State on Oct. 31.The hit came at 19:01 of the second period. Minnesota State junior defenseman Sam Court fell into the boards, and was taken to a hospital as the result of the hit. He still has not been released as of Wednesday afternoon...

Winnipeg Jets mount historic four-goal comeback late in 3rd to stun Canadiens, win 5-4 in OT

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 23:22:58 -0500

Recap of the game.

Instant Reaction: Oilers close road trip with shootout loss to Devils

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 22:37:04 -0500

The Edmonton Oilers continue to rack up points.

On Tuesday evening, the Oilers played the final game of three on the road, taking on the New Jersey Devils. Unfortunately, their three-game winning streak was snapped thanks to a 4-3 shootout loss, though they’ve managed to pick up at least a point in 14 of their 16 games as they now have an 11-2-3 record. Let’s take a look at what went on in this one.

The Oilers opened the scoring eight and a half minutes into the first period. After some sustained zone time, Mattias Ekholm set up long-time defence partner Evan Bouchard for a one-timer. The right-shot defenceman ripped it past Connor Hellebuyck to give the Oilers a 1-0 lead.

That puck was moving

Howard out ‘a couple weeks’ with injury after getting kneed against Islanders

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 20:00:33 -0500

The Edmonton Oilers will be without winger Isaac Howard for the next couple of weeks, head coach Mike Babcock revealed Tuesday.

Howard, 22, was injured early in Saturday’s matinee against the New York Islanders, when, just 2:22 into the game, he went knee-on-knee with Emil Heineman. Howard stayed down on the ice and needed to be helped off, and didn’t return, while Heineman was issued a five-minute major penalty and was ejected from the game.

Babcock said after the game the injury wasn’t as serious as it looked, which brought some optimism that it wouldn’t be a long-term injury for the winger.

Tuesday morning, he provided a clearer timeline.

“Howie is good,” said Babcock. “He’s going to be out a couple weeks, I think, but it’s nothing. It’s not a big deal.”

Howard had appeared in 12 games prior to the injury, scoring one goal and three points, averaging 10 minutes and 35 seconds of ice time.

The Oilers are about to enter a busy stretch of their schedule. Assuming Howard misses two weeks of play, that would keep him out of roughly eight games. After Tuesday’s game against the New Jersey Devils, the Oilers will return home for a four-game homestand, where they will face the Anaheim Ducks, Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers between Nov. 5 and Nov. 11. Then, the Oilers hit the road for a five-game road trip, which will include two sets of back-to-back games.

With Howard out of the lineup, forward Filip Hallander, whom the Oilers acquired earlier this year from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Spencer Stastney, has stepped in to replace him.

Zach Laing is the managing editor at Daily Faceoff Edmonton and news director at The Nation Network. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.

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Put Politics Into Sports

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 18:14:13 -0500

I'm not here to celebrate Canada being one of the first countries to speak out against decision made by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to have the IIHF reinstate Russia into its sanctioned events and tournaments. As I stated on Saturday, "It's never wrong to stand up for what's right," and that seems to be the prevailing message that European countries are now sending to the IIHF and, to a lesser extent, Russia in their responses to the CAS ruling. Having one "superpower" in Russia miss tournaments while they enegaged in war was something that the IIHF could overcome, but having multiple countries and sponsors make it clear that Russia's participation is neither welcome nor wanted was made clear over the last few days.

The countries shown in black above are Russia and Belarus who are currently banned from IIHF-sanctioned games and events outside of the CAS ruling. The countries shown in red - Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Czechia, and Latvia - have all released statements indicating that they would boycott all tournament games involving Russia if those countries were to meet them. The countries in yellow - Germany and Finland - have indicated they may engage in those boycotts or abandon hosting duties of IIHF events in those countries.

Clearly, the pressure being put on the IIHF will make things more difficult for the IIHF to hold tournaments with any legitimacy if countries boycott playing against Russia. If Russia doesn't play any games, how can they advance to a medal round? If they are found to have qualified for that medal round due to forfeits, how can that make any hardware they may win legitimate in the eyes of IIHF?

What may make this harder for the IIHF is the hit that they'll take when it comes to the bottom lines of future tournaments. Swedish furniture company AJ Producter is pulling its sponsorship of the IIHF Men's World Hockey Championship after a 37-year run, and Czech sportsbook TipSport said it won't advertise nor offer betting odds for any games involving Russia or Belarus. I imagine other companies may also follow suit, so this could just be the tip of the financial-ruin iceberg for the IIHF's most lucrative events. That's not good.

Finland is also putting pressure on the IIHF by announcing that the city of Turku, Finland would withdraw as co-host of the 2028 IIHF World Junior Championship if Russia participates while there are growing numbers, including from inside the country, for Germany to withdraw its hosting duties for the 2027 IIHF Men's World Hockey Championship in Düsseldorf and Mannheim in May. Needless to say, the IIHF's plans could be thrown into turmoil by these developments.

And just because the IIHF needs another layer of pressure from its membership to do the right thing, the Finnish Ice Hockey Association is looking to form an alliance with other hockey federations to keep Russia from returning to international hockey tournaments while the invasion of Ukraine continues. While nothing formal has been proposed or introduced at this time, Heikki Hietanen, chairman of Finland's hockey association, said on Monday, "We are currently gathering as many countries as possible to form a common front to tell the IIHF that none of us will play against Russia in this situation."

It's funny how a three-person panel comprised of Mr. Giulio Palermo (Italy), Mr. Ismail Selim (Egypt) and Mr. Mark Hovell (UK) can tell the hockey world that Russia's exclusion has no basis, but multiple hockey federations and countries have no power to tell the Court of Arbitration for Sport to kick rocks because there are bigger things happening in the world than a few hockey tournaments into which Russia desperately wants. Stuck in the middle is the IIHF who will likely comply, but should it considering the above? It seems like a fairly easy decision for the IIHF, but I don't run the organization.

It should be fairly obvious that none of Ukraine, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Czechia, nor Latvia will ice a team against Russia at any upcoming IIHF tournament, and the likelihood of Ukraine attending the 2027 IIHF Men's World Ice Hockey Championship in Germany is zero if Russia is allowed to compete there. If Canada sticks to its guns, none of the Russian players will be granted visas nor entry into Canada to compete at the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship in Alberta, and I am begging the government to stick to that plan.

If Finland gets their hockey alliance going where countries like Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Czechia, and Latvia along with Ukraine, Slovakia, Italy, France, and Germany all sign on, that basically seals the deal for the IIHF that Russia's inclusion in tournaments will be impossible. If Canada sets the precedent of denying visas for hockey players, Russia's participation goes back to zero as countries hosting events can follow Canada's lead by simply denying Russians entry.

The IIHF is a business, so they won't take these threats lightly if there's some weight behind them. Like most businesses, they need their biggest tournaments to generate as much revenue as possible to subsidize, fund, and support lower-revenue tournaments and global hockey development programs. Having Russia involved in those high-profile tournaments will hurt the bottom line, so the IIHF would be wise to listen to the majority of its top-tier member countries.

Look, this doesn't need a lot of debate from either side. The countries named above have every political right to prevent Russians from participating in events inside their borders by denying those athletes and staff entry, the IIHF can "comply" passively with the CAS decision in order to keep everyone happy, and the various hockey federations can still attended IIHF events while maintaining their allegiances with the athletes from Ukraine. I know no one likes politics in sports, but this is one time where politics can actually help hockey be better because visas don't fall under CAS jurisdiction.

Based on the calendar, Canada has a chance to be the first country to prevent Russia from participating IIHF events with the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship in Alberta, and I'm hoping the Canadian government will set the precedent that other countries can follow. If it keeps Russia out of Germany for the IIHF Men's World Ice Hockey Championship, out of Quebec City for the IIHF Women's World Ice Hockey Championship, and out of Czechia for the IIHF U18 Women's World Ice Hockey Championship, the end justifies the means.

You might be wondering about the IIHF U18 Men's World Ice Hockey Championship that's set to be played in Duluth, Minnesota at the end of April, and that might be one where teams are forced to boycott games because I doubt the leader of the United States will want to anger one of his closest allies. But, of course, that's how cowards act.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

ONR: The Ryan Nugent-Hopkins appreciation episode

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 18:00:24 -0500

It’s Tuesday afternoon, which means a fresh episode of ONR is ready to massage your eardrums with an hour of off-season Oilers talk. On today’s podcast, the fellas discussed the Oilers sweeping New York, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins breaking Edmonton’s all-time games played record, looked at Tuesday’s matchup against the Devils, line combinations, and more.

We kicked off the Tuesday episode of ONR with a delicious debate about Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ best moments as an Edmonton Oilers, as he is set to break the franchise’s all-time games played record tonight in New Jersey. As you’ll hear, the boys had plenty of moments from RNH’s 16-year career to talk about and highlight ahead of Tuesday’s matchup. From specific playoff performances to fights he’s had in his career to the way he scores the same goal almost every single time, the boys spent the first chunk of the podcast reminiscing.

Shifting gears, the guys turned the podcast to the NHL releasing their Hometown Remix jerseys on Monday, and walked through some of the winners from around the league. While some teams certainly understood the assignment, the boys also agreed that there were a handful of teams that really mailed it in. Changing gears, the guys spent the next few minutes talking about some of the awards the Oilers players and coaches won this past week after a run of fantastic performances.

Finally, we wrapped up the Tuesday episode of ONR with another round of betting talk before wrapping up the podcast with a Nuge-related edition of Baggedmilk’s Trivia and score predictions ahead of Tuesday’s matchup with the Devils. With a very successful October in the books, the boys had plenty to talk about after what was a wild ride for the Edmonton Oilers. Either way, the NHL season is cruising along and there is nothing better than the start of a fresh hockey season.

Listen to the Tuesday episode of Oilersnation Radio below:

Subscribe to Oilersnation Radio for FREE on Soundcloud here, on Apple Podcasts, or wherever else you get your podcasts from!

Standing Up For What's Right

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 14:25:35 -0500

The man to the left may not look like an athlete in his suit, but that's Olympic gold medallist Adam Van Koeverden standing in the Canadian House of Commons where he operates as the Secretary of State for Sport while serving his constituents in the district of Burlington North-Milton West in Ontario. The former Olympic sprint kayaker jumped into the political ring in 2018 where he was elected in his riding in 2019 and has served ever since. Van Koeverden, it should be noted, was very vocal in standing up for and standing behind Ukraine after Russia invaded the country, and he hasn't backed down in the wake of recent announcements in sports.

The invasion of Ukraine sparked a number of reactions from countries across the world who condemned Russia's attack on its sovereign neighbour. I spoke out about how Russia's hockey programs should suffer after they invaded Ukraine, and the IIHF finally came around five days later when they banned both Russia and Belarus from all IIHF-sanctioned events. Frankly, it shouldn't have taken that long.

Van Koeverden, for his part, spoke out in support of Ukraine by condemning Russia's actions as well in 2022, and his efforts got him banned from entering Russia as per Russian Foreign Ministry's website. Granted, most Canadian politicans were banned after the country threw its support behind Ukraine defending its sovereignty, but Van Koeverden has maintained his stance in keeping Russia out of all sporting events until they abandon their Ukrainian takeover idea.

Frankly, I haven't missed seeing Russia in IIHF events and having Belarus as as an also-ran hasn't been missed. We've seen some other countries rise to the occasion by advancing to tournaments they may not have participated in and we've seen stronger countries find paths back to prominence. Removing a country led by a war-mongering tyrant from the IIHF's roster of countries really hasn't made hockey worse in any way despite some insisting Russia's inclusion is needed.

Yes, you're certainly wrong if you believe that. No one is perfect.

That's why the decision on Friday by Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to allow the Russian Ice Hockey Federation to return to all IIHF Championships with immediate effect is so disappointing. CAS found that "IIHF arguments citing safety, security and other concerns were not supported by sufficient evidence" and "unanimously concluded that, in the light of the applicable IIHF regulations, only substantiated security concerns could outweigh athletes of a particular nationality to participate in competitions."

In short, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said Russia was back in as the evidence that any safety concerns were overblown since nothing happened since Russia's ban had began. Forget the fact that having a clean disaster record is proof that being overcautious was the right choice, but CAS just looking at the words of the IIHF's ban and excluding any moral or ethical foundation in their findings is insane.

Of course, the IIHF immediately released a statement expressing their disappointment in the ruling, but Canada - specifically Van Koeverden - used a little politicking to throw a wrench into the CAS decision thanks to Canadian government funding of events, stating,

"Canada maintains, as it has since 2022, that Russia should not be represented in international sport competitions while Russia's illegal and unjustifiable full-scale invasion against Ukraine continues. Canada will maintain restrictions on the participation of Russian athletes at events hosted in Canada that receive funding from the Government of Canada and explore further options to ensure that the Russian government is held accountable."

Van Koeverden's statement was echoed by Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand who told CBC's Power & Politics television program, "This is a very unwelcome decision given the geopolitical situation, given the actions of Russia. All options are on the table and I will say, again, I greet this decision with great disappointment."

That doesn't even begin to consider what other countries' sports bodies feel about the decision, but it seems the world stands in agreement with the IIHF and Canada. The Ukrainian Hockey Federation said it disagreed with the ruling and argued that security concerns had only intensified since 2022 without indicating how it would approach the IIHF Men's Hockey World Championship while more countries initially expressed disappointment in CAS's ruling.

Further actions could be taken by these nations including boycotting IIHF tournaments where Russia participates, but the hockey world is making one thing abundantly clear: Russia is not welcome back. I hope Canada follows through in making that a reality in banning Russian athletes from the IIHF World Junior Championship in Alberta.

Playing hockey for any athlete at any level is a privilege, and Russia needs to be reminded of that. Allowing Ukrainians to live in their own sovereign territory under their own flag and laws are human rights, and those rights need to be enforced long before a puck is dropped on any hockey game. Ukraine is a proud nation of incredible people and unique culture. They are not just random statistics or civilian casualties on a spreadsheet for a power-hungry tyrant hellbent on recreating the Communist Soviet Union map of the 1980s.

Because sports achievements are used to prop up the government's success in Russia, denying them that crutch only continues to ensure that all of Putin's efforts aren't validated. Canada seems to be developing a reputation for standing up to power-hungry bullies on a number of fronts, so exercising their political rights in the world of hockey to defend human rights only reinforces that reputation and, if lucky, will embolden other nations to do the same in this situation.

It's never wrong to stand up for what's right. Elbows up, Russia.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Winnipeg Jets place Brad Lambert on waivers

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 14:12:32 -0500

The 2022 1st rounder is on waivers for the first time in his career.

GDB 16.0: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins set to break Oilers franchise record for games played (6:30 pm, SN+)

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 13:30:10 -0500

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins made his NHL debut on Oct. 9, 2011, against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He scored the tying goal in the third period, and the Edmonton Oilers won 2-1 in a shootout. Fifteen years and 24 days later, Nugent-Hopkins will pass Kevin Lowe for the most games played as an Edmonton Oiler with 1,038.

Oilers fans have watched “The Nuge” grow up in the NHL. On his way to 1,038 regular-season games, he became a husband and father while remaining the steady, reliable player coaches love and his teammates respect. Here’s a quick breakdown of his time with the Oilers.

He has scored 294 goals, 517 assists and 811 points.
He’s had 132 forward teammates, with Leon Draisaitl playing the most games (870) and Bogdan Yakimov, Seth Griffith, Curtis Hamilton and Milan Kytnar playing one each.
He’s had 80 defencemen teammates, ranging from Darnell Nurse’s 798 games down to Bryan Rodney, Jason Demers, Dmitri Samorukov and Phil Kemp playing once.
He’s had 26 goalie teammates, with Cam Talbot playing the most (227 games) down to Tyler Bunz, Matt Tomkins and Matt Berlin playing once.
He has had 11 different head coaches in order from Tom Renney (164 games), Ralph Krueger (48), Dallas Eakins (113), Craig MacTavish (five), Todd Nelson (46), Todd McLellan (266), Ken Hitchcock (62), Dave Tippett (161), Jay Woodcroft (133), Kris Knoblauch (233) and Mike Babcock (15 games and counting).
He’s had 24 assistant coaches.
He’s scored a point in 555 of his 811 games.
He’s had 191 multi-point games. He’s had two five-point games, while scoring four points nine times, three points 41 times and two points 139 times.

He’s entered midway through the Decade of Darkness. He missed the playoffs his first five seasons, before making it in 2017, then missed in 2018 and 2019, but he’s now tied for 11th with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the Oilers playoff games played list with 102. If the Oilers have a deep playoff run this season (18 GP), that trio will pass Wayne Gretzky for seventh

Jan 17, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (93) during a stop in play against the Vancouver Canucks in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images

MR. RELIABLE…

RNH has never been the best player on the team, but he’s been steady. He has flashes of brilliance and his patented snapshot, but he rarely wows you with speed or physicality. His best asset is his hockey sense and how he sees the game, and during the 2024 playoff run, Leon Draisaitl shared his opinion of RNH.

“He’s just so valuable in every facet of the game, said Draisaitl. “He touches every part of the game. Have you guys ever seen him make a mistake? I really haven’t.

“He is a such a smart, good hockey player, and I think he is probably the coach’s (Knoblauch) favourite player in the world.”

Later, when Knoblauch was asked if RNH is indeed his favourite player, he joked, “I’ve always got a favourite player, it just depends on the day. But Ryan brings a lot to our team, whether it is five-on-five, transporting the puck, making plays, scoring goals and he’s a big part of the power play. He is a great facilitator to help make the power play work.”

His current coach, Mike Babcock, has only coached him for a few weeks, but he’s also a big fan.

“He’s a real hockey player,” said Babcock. “He’s beyond smart, he makes the right plays all the time. He knows how to play, and we are really lucky to have him.

“I’ve been excited to watch him play and he’s just going to get better and better as he gets in better shape.”

Every coach who has had him plays him in key situations, because he’s reliable. He isn’t flashy. He isn’t the best player, but he’s very reliable and thinks the game very well. It is great to see him earn this milestone and sit atop the Oilers list in games played.

SNAPSHOTS…

— One aspect that makes RNH a fan favourite and respected by his teammates is his versatility, but also his unexpected willingness to drop the gloves at times. He’s only fought five times in his career, but each tilt has been pretty spirited.

1. His first NHL fight came in Vancouver, in the third period, while the Oilers were shorthanded and leading 4-3, and he fought veteran Dan Hamhuis.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins vs. Dan Hamhuis, October 11, 2014 – Edmonton Oilers vs. Vancouver Canucks | HockeyFights

2. Two and a half years later, he accepted Vinnie Hinostroza’s challenge and fought him in Edmonton.

Vinnie Hinostroza vs. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, February 11, 2017 – Chicago Blackhawks vs. Edmonton Oilers | HockeyFights

3. Three years later, on a night when everyone was waiting for Matthew Tkachuk and Zack Kassian to fight, RNH dropped the gloves first and fought Sean Monahan. Both guys lost their helmets and were tossing haymakers. The crowd and players from both teams loved it.

Sean Monahan vs. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, January 29, 2020 – Calgary Flames vs. Edmonton Oilers | HockeyFights

4. His fourth fight was the one most fans remember. On March 1st, 2023, RNH played the big brother after Kailer Yamamoto got hit by Justin Holl, and with the Oilers leading 5-2, RNH skated over and said let’s go and then beat up Holl.

Justin Holl vs. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, March 1, 2023 – Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Edmonton Oilers | HockeyFights

5. His latest tilt came last December when he got angry with Neil Pionk after he hammered RNH from behind. It was another entertaining scrap.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins vs. Neal Pionk, December 29, 2025 – Edmonton Oilers vs. Winnipeg Jets | HockeyFights

— RNH currently ranks 255th all time in regular-season goals with 294; he sits 170th in assists with 517, and he’s 189th on the NHL’s all-time scoring list with 811 points. He is on pace to surpass 1000 points before he retires. There are currently 103 players with 1000 points and likely 9-10 active players who could reach 1000 before RNH, which would still put him in a small group of 115 players at 1000 points. He’s had a remarkable career to this point, and with two more years on his existing contract, he should surpass 1200 games played as an Oiler.

— When he takes his first shift in his 1,038th game tonight, he will have played the 67th most games by a player for one franchise. The only active players with more games played for a franchise are Steven Stamkos (1082 with Tampa), Brad Marchand (1,090 with Boston) and John Carlsson (1,143 with Washington), but they are on different teams now, while Patrick Kane (1,176 with Chicago), Mikael Backland (1,161 with Calgary), Viktor Hedman (1,176 with Tampa Bay), Kris Letang (1,249 with Pittsburgh), Jamie Benn (1,266 with Dallas), Evgeni Malkin (1,282 with Pittsburgh), Drew Doughty (1,291 with Los Angeles), Sidney Crosby (1,434 with Pittsburgh) and Alex Ovechkin (1,586 with Washington) are still adding to their totals. Essentially, there are only nine NHL players who are still with their first NHL team and have played more games than RNH.

— Edmonton has found ways to win games when Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid don’t score a goal. They are 3-0-2 so far this season when neither scores a goal, compared to the past two seasons when the Oilers were 8-22-3.

— Evan Bouchard needs six points in his next five games to produce the most points by a defenceman in the first 20 games of a season in the 2000s. Quinn Hughes scored 8-23-31 and was plus-15 in 2023-24, Cale Makar has 5-25-30 and plus-18 the same season, and John Carlson scored 8-22-30 and plus-15 in 2019-20. Bouchard has 8-18-26 with a plus-22 through his first 15 games. Bobby Orr holds the record with 39 points in his first 20 games. He did it twice in 1973-74 and 1974-75.

Oct 11, 2014; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Dan Hamhuis (2) and Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (93) fight during the third period at Rogers Arena. The Vancouver Canucks won 5-4 in overtime shoot out. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

LINEUPS…

Oilers…

Podkolzin-McDavid-Draisaitl
Dach-RNH-Kapanen
Formenton-Dickinson-Joseph
Jones-Michaels-Hallander

Ekholm-Bouchard
Shea-Murphy
Mukhamadullin-Walman

Jarry

Jake Walman returns to the lineup after sitting out the past three games. The Oilers need Walman to find his game, and I think DJ Smith and Mike Babcock will need to help him and not just bench him regularly. Rarely does a player come out of a slump by not playing much and not sensing any belief from the coaches.

Trent Frederic was the last forward off the ice after the morning skate and it looks like he will come out of the lineup for Max Jones. I don’t really get this move. Jones has done nothing when he’s played. Frederic hasn’t made one defensive mistake and has looked fine in limited minutes. I don’t see the point in sitting down Frederic to play Jones. They need Frederic going because he offers more, similar to why they needed to get Walman back in the lineup.

In his last six starts, all in October, Tristan Jarry posted a combined .926Sv% and 2.47 GAA. He’s been solid.

Devils…

Meier-Hischier-Evangelista
Gritsyuk-Hughes-Bratt
Mantha-Rodrigues-Boqvist
Lombardi-Glass-Brown

L. Hughes-Pesce
Siegenthaler-Hamilton
Chisholm-Kovacevic

Hellebuyck

Connor Hellebuyck is 2-0 since joining the Devils. He’s only faced 18 and 21 shots, mainly because New Jersey has done a great job possessing the puck. Yesterday on Sports 1440 Kevin Woodley outlined the stylistic fix of Hellebuyck and the Devils and why it should work well. “The Devils have created the most high-danger chances, and that allows them to not give up many chances, because they have spent so much time in the offensive zone. But in two games, their predictable defensive structure has been a great fit for Hellebuyck. Tomorrow against Edmonton will a good test of their structure,” said Woodley.

TONIGHT…

Photoshop by Tom Kostiuk

GAME DAY PREDICTION: The Oilers continue to be road warriors, improve to 8-0 on the road and give RNH a win in his historic night. Oilers win 3-2.

OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: McDavid extends his assist streak to 16 games.

NOT-SO-OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: Kasperi Kapanen scores his first goal in New Jersey since 2019.

ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365

McDavid? Matthews? With Kucherov wanting out, which NHL superstar could be next?

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 12:00:07 -0500

The hockey world was rocked on Friday when news broke that Nikita Kucherov wouldn’t be re-signing with the Tampa Bay Lightning at the end of his current deal and that he wished to be traded somewhere that he could join forces with another superstar.

Kucherov joins a growing list of top-tier NHLers who have requested a change of scenery. It hardly seems like Kucherov will be the last prominent player potentially on the move this season, so who will be next? Furthermore, if players are looking to move to a winning environment and to play with star players, could the Oilers be on the list for some?

Is Auston Matthews on the way out of Toronto?

Things have settled a bit in Toronto this season, as the Leafs are off to a decent start and there is lots of hype around first overall pick Gavin McKenna. With that said, we’re only six months removed from Chris Johnston reporting that Auston Matthews wasn’t certain he would return to Toronto for the 2026-27 season. It was the end of a frustrating season in Toronto, and Matthews had just had his campaign cut short after being run over by Radko Gudas, with little to no immediate response from his teammates. While Matthews is in the lineup and playing well so far this season, crunch time is approaching for the Leafs. Matthews is signed through this season and next, and then could walk away from Toronto, bringing nothing in return, should he not be satisfied with the direction of the organization and results from the past couple of seasons. Matthews has made it past the first round of the playoffs with the Leafs twice in his career, and missing the playoffs altogether last year was definitely cause for concern. New GM John Chayka has reported having positive conversations with Matthews’ camp and reiterated Matthews’ commitment to the organization in September; however, these comments will be tested should Toronto fall off as this season progresses and miss the playoffs again.

The most likely scenario that would have Matthews on the move would be that he notifies Toronto that he doesn’t plan to re-sign with them at the end of this deal. This could happen later this season, during the summer, or next season. The list of potential suitors would be a long one; who isn’t looking for a number one centre who has a lethal shot and can play on both sides of the puck? He’ll always be connected to his Team USA teammates, so a destination where at least a couple are playing seems probable. Matthews commands a high salary, so anyone bringing him in would have their hands full making the money work, but for good reason. He may also want a reprieve from the chaos of playing in a Canadian market like Toronto, meaning a move to the Oilers would be unlikely at best. Matthews has always signed shorter-term deals, meaning his next contract may not be his last either. He’ll have an opportunity to either remain in Toronto or seek out an organization with a chance to win. And, if that doesn’t come to fruition after a shorter deal, he could try his luck elsewhere again.

Will Quinn Hughes re-sign with the Minnesota Wild?

Potentially the most obvious name on this list, rumours about what will happen with Quinn Hughes have been swirling all season. Hughes informed the Vancouver Canucks that he wouldn’t be re-signing with them last season, prompting his move to Minnesota for a haul of players coming back. At this point, another year of Hughes’ contract has been burned, and he now is facing free agency in the summer should a new deal not be signed during this season. Hughes has told fans and reporters that he’s not sure what the future holds for him, and many believe that to be true.

He’s going to continue to be connected to the New Jersey Devils until he makes up his mind — it would be hard to blame him for wanting to join his brothers to push for a Stanley Cup. There are several other teams who likely have interest in Hughes but, New Jersey aside, remaining in Minnesota seems like the next most likely option. The Wild have Stanley Cup aspirations for years to come and have an aggressive GM in Bill Guerin who seems willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done in Minnesota. This situation comes down to what Quinn Hughes wants to do, and that seems no clearer right now than it did at the beginning of the season. Short of saying it’s impossible, Hughes most likely won’t be joining the Oilers, as he doesn’t seem interested in playing in a Canadian market again.

Could Elias Pettersson be on the move from the Vancouver Canucks?

Over to a former teammate of Hughes in Elias Pettersson, who is having a resurgent season on a struggling team. Pettersson’s contract has held him back from being included in more rumours, although the market reset with contract values ballooning in the offseason and Pettersson putting up some points so far this season has added a bit of fuel to the fire. He is signed through the 2031-32 season at an $11.6 million AAV. While that’s steep for a player who put up 45 and 51 points the last two seasons, respectively, Pettersson is working at over a point-per-game pace so far this year. The allure of his past 100-point season and early-season success may be enough for a team to take a chance, especially if they also have someone in need of a change of scenery. The Canucks and LA Kings have recently been linked to a move where Quinton Byfield comes to Vancouver in return for Pettersson. Byfield is almost four years younger than Pettersson, which makes the deal more feasible from Vancouver’s end given they are in a rebuild. For Los Angeles, Byfield might need a change of scenery and, if they’re settled on him not being the number one center of the future there, this move could make sense.

Beyond the Byfield deal, two scenarios seem likely for a Pettersson move: either a contending team would add him with some of his salary retained by the Canucks, or a team with nothing to lose taking a chance on his deal. Again, it doesn’t seem likely; however, a move for Pettersson is something the Oilers could consider. The offensive upside is apparent, and Pettersson has also shown the ability to penalty kill and play well defensively, two things Edmonton definitely wouldn’t say no to. The contract remains a challenge, as Edmonton would need Vancouver to retain salary and would need to send a roster player with a decent cap hit back.

Is Jason Robertson’s future with the Dallas Stars uncertain?

Jason Robertson provides another intriguing story in Dallas. After Robertson reportedly nixed a deal where he was being traded to the Seattle Kraken in the offseason, he signed a one-year extension to avoid arbitration. That deal didn’t provide Stars fans much certainty, as Robertson could become an unrestricted free agent this summer if they aren’t able to work out a new contract this year. Stars GM Jim Nill recently expressed an interest in signing Robertson, saying talks would begin in December. Robertson isn’t eligible to sign until January 1st and has expressed a wish to focus on winning this season. No doubt, the contract talks will be had, but will enough have changed from the summer for Robertson to sign? Robertson’s previous contract talks stalled because he reportedly was looking for a higher AAV than Mikko Rantanen’s $12 million per year. With Tyler Seguin’s cap hit of over $9 million coming off the books this year, Dallas should be in a better position to pay Robertson this offseason, should they want to. With that in mind, they’ll still need to get him at a reasonable number, as they will have other roster spots to fill and need to ensure they have the depth to compete for a Stanley Cup.

If talks with Robertson stall this winter, Dallas may be inclined to move the sniper before potentially losing him for nothing in the summer. Pittsburgh and Chicago have reportedly shown interest in Robertson, and he has been connected to Los Angeles (a sort of homecoming for Robertson) and Detroit as well. None of these teams have as good a chance to win as Dallas. Texas also doesn’t have a state tax, something none of the frontrunners can offer to Robertson. The Oilers would need to complete some similar cap gymnastics to a potential deal for Elias Pettersson in order to fit Robertson in, and it seems unlikely that Dallas would move him to Edmonton given their similar aspirations to challenge for a Stanley Cup this season.

Jan 27, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser (6) and forward Elias Pettersson (40) celebrate PetterssonÕs game winning goal as dejected Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (8) and forward Kent Johnson (91) watch at Rogers Arena. Canucks won 5-4 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports

Will Zach Werenski ask out of Columbus?

Zach Werenski’s situation in Columbus might be even more interesting than Jason Robertson’s. The Blue Jackets’ playoff push ran out of gas last season, leaving the team and coach Rick Bowness frustrated. Werenski expressed uncertainty about his future at the end of the season, and Columbus reportedly had a deal in place to send him to Dallas with Thomas Harley coming back in return. Somewhat surprisingly, Werenski invoked his no-movement clause to stay in Columbus, seemingly betting on the Jackets to improve this season. Things have been off to a rocky start, with Bowness continuing to call his team out for not caring and providing blunt assessments of some performances he called “embarrassing.” With the Jackets in second-to-last in the Eastern Conference, the situation promises to only become more tense, perhaps prompting Werenski to change his tune and ask out of Columbus.

Trade talks with the Stars could be reignited, but the question remains whether Dallas is a destination Werenski would go to. Tampa Bay was reportedly his preferred destination; however, it’s reasonable to wonder if that would change with Nikita Kucherov seemingly on his way out. The Toronto Maple Leafs are also linked to Werenski, with many other teams having interest in the Norris Trophy winner. The Oilers certainly would be on that list, as who wouldn’t have interest in one of the top defencemen in the league? The challenge would be immense, as, to fit him into their cap situation, Edmonton would need to send contracts back Columbus’ way, as well as significant draft capital and prospects for it to make sense. It’s extremely unlikely, but if Edmonton were to learn Werenski was open to coming here and potentially signing another deal after his current contract expires in 2028, the Oilers would have to explore every possible avenue to bring him in.

Could Adam Fox request a trade from the New York Rangers?

From one defenceman to another: Adam Fox. The Rangers star is enjoying a hot start to the season, currently leading his team in points. While he only has one goal this year, Fox is an elite offensive defenceman with the ability to play in all scenarios and would be a great add-on for most teams. Fox has expressed uncertainty about his future in New York following their retool announcement to fans last season. Elliotte Friedman has reported that teams inquired about Fox over the summer, with GM Chris Drury shutting down any sort of deal. His tune would have to change if Fox requests a trade, and that could come sooner rather than later. With the Rangers coming back to earth after a great start, the reality of another non-playoff year may set in for Fox. He is in his last season of a full no-movement clause, which changes over into a 16-team no-trade list next season, meaning this is his last season of full control. The Boston Bruins and Carolina Hurricanes have been linked to Fox should he want to move. The Oilers already have a top-tier offensive defenceman in Evan Bouchard, and while Fox does have some versatility to his game, it’s very unlikely the Oilers would pursue him.

Bringing in a superstar would be a huge challenge for the Oilers, given their current salary cap situation and limited draft picks and talent they would be willing to part with. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it, though – while the team is off to a good start this season, taking a big swing to put the group over the edge in the playoffs might be necessary, something Stan Bowman and crew will certainly be on the lookout for as the season progresses.

What is Connor McDavid’s future with the Edmonton Oilers?

It hurts to write this, but it’s important to remain objective, Oilers fans. Connor McDavid’s short-term contract ends at the end of next season, and there is immense pressure for the team to perform before that time. McDavid has expressed a motivation to win and to win in Edmonton, so it would be a shock to see him move this season, especially considering the start the Oilers are off to. Things could change should Edmonton fizzle out early in the playoffs again this year, however. McDavid signed a two-year contract at a steep discount, seemingly to ensure there was room for a championship to be built around him and Leon Draisaitl. Should things not go according to plan this year and McDavid indicates he won’t re-sign in Edmonton, he could be on the move to another contender.

Through the injuries so far this season, the Oilers have looked like a well-oiled machine. Offseason moves are working right now. Acquisitions such as Ryan Shea and Devon Levi have impressed, and new coach Mike Babcock, whom McDavid had a hand in bringing in, seems to be pushing a lot of the right buttons. It’s clear that Edmonton will do whatever it takes to keep the league’s best player, but it all comes down to results. Let’s hope for another (really) deep playoff run this year.

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Diving into the Oilers’ unsustainable start to the 2026-27 season

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 10:00:05 -0500

There’s a lot to be excited about if you are a fan of the Edmonton Oilers.

They’re off to one of the best starts in franchise history, beginning the season 11-2-2. That includes a 7-0-0 record away from Rogers Place, entering Tuesday’s game atop the Western Conference and just two points behind the Carolina Hurricanes.

We’ve seen great individual performances from Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard. Both players are on record-setting paces. Even their goaltending, a big issue in many years in the McDavid/Leon Draisaitl era, has been solid. Tristan Jarry and Devon Levi have had their duds, but most of the time they’re finishing with a save percentage above .900.

Still, this is a flawed team a little over a month into the season.

The expected goal problem

Hockey games aren’t played on paper (duh, they’re played on ice), but expected goal share tends to be a good predictor of how the season will go. Right now, the Oilers are heavily outperforming their expected goal share through 15 games.

Their goal share, also known as GF%, sits at 56.25 percent during five-on-five play, according to Natural Stat Trick, which ranks sixth-best in the National Hockey League. Goals are goals, and their 11 wins count the same at the end of the season, but they’re due for a heavy regression.

In contrast to their strong GF%, their expected goal share sits at just 46.30 percent during five-on-five action, which ranks 25th in the NHL. That in itself isn’t good, but diving deeper into the underlying numbers shows even more concerning trends.

Through 15 games, the Oilers have been out-shot 664 to 611 during five-on-five play, which is a 47.92 shot share (SF%). Like their xGF%, that sits near the bottom of the league, ranking 26th-best in the league. Other shot stats like Corsi, basically just shot attempts, sit below the 50 percent threshold, as does their Fenwick (unblocked shot attempts).

Quality of shots is always more important, but the Oilers are also getting out-chanced. After 15 games, the Oilers have surrendered 306 scoring chances while generating just 295, a 49.08 SCF%. Like the xGF% and the underlying shooting metrics, this sits near the bottom of the league (11th-worst).

They’ve also been giving up a whole bunch of high-danger shots, more than they’ve been generating. In five-on-five in these 15 games, the Oilers have managed just 125 high-danger unblocked shot attempts, while giving up 136 high-danger unblocked shot attempts, a 47.31 HDCF%.

Here’s where the Oilers rank in the six stats:

Stat	Percentage	Rank
CF% (all shot attempts)	47.92%	23rd
FF% (all unblock shot attempts)	47.80%	22nd
SF% (shot share)	46.62%	26th
SCF% (all scoring chances)	49.08%	22nd
HDCF% (high-danger scoring chances)	47.31%	23rd
xGF% (expected goal share)	46.30%	25th

So why are they 11-2-2? Well, the Oilers are riding an unsustainable shooting percentage and some solid goaltending. After 15 games, the Oilers have a 13.04 shooting percentage during five-on-five action. Their goaltenders have also been solid five-on-five, rocking a .911 save percentage.

That’s good for a 1.042 PDO, a stat that essentially measures how lucky a team is. For context, only the Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, and Seattle Kraken have a higher PDO. It’s worth noting that good teams tend to have good PDO because of better players and better goaltenders.

But this start to the season has clear markers for a regression because again, expected goal share is a good predictor for results over a full season. Take their 2023-24 season.

This is the inverse of the 2023-24 season

The Oilers have been overperforming results this season, but the inverse happened three years ago. Over their first 13 games in 2023-24, the Oilers went 3-9-2, resulting in Jay Woodcroft’s firing and Kris Knoblauch’s hiring.

At the time, the Oilers had just a 41.51 GF%, but all the underlying metrics ranked near the top of the league. Just take a look at this table, all numbers are during five-on-five play and courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.

Stat	Percentage	Rank
CF%	57.91%	2nd
FF%	56.34%	2nd
SF%	54.77%	6th
SCF%	57.69%	1st
HDCF%	62.45%	1st
xGF%	57.86%	1st

This season, the Oilers are rocking a 1.042 PDO, considered lucky. After 13 games in 2023-24, they had just a 0.954 PDO, the complete opposite. The team’s five-on-five save percentage of .889 was bad, but their five-on-five shooting percentage of 6.49% was unsustainable. They were always going to regress to the mean.

They did just that when Knoblauch was hired. Whether it was a new voice in the dressing room or regressing to the mean, the Oilers went on a tear the rest of the season, which included a 16-game winning streak.

Here are the same numbers after Knoblauch was hired, a sample size of 69 games. Again, all stats are five-on-five and courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.

Stat	Percentage	Rank
CF%	54.69%	3rd
FF%	54.60%	3rd
SF%	55.17%	2nd
SCF%	55.74%	2nd
HDCF%	58.61%	1st
xGF%	56.93%	2nd
GF%	58.36%	2nd

The Oilers 46-18-5 record post Woodcroft wasn’t just because of regression to the mean or a new voice in the locker room, but also because of a much-improved penalty kill. This led to the Oilers making the playoffs and coming within two goals of bringing the Stanley Cup back to Canada for the first time since 1993.

So what’s wrong?

The Oilers’ numbers without McDavid, Bouchard, or Draisaitl are even more bleak. Without the trio on the ice, the Oilers have just a 36.35 CF%, 37.16 FF%, 35.52 SF%, 33.51 xGF%, 34.25%, and 34.92 HDCF% during five-on-five play, according to Natural Stat Trick. The PDO is bad, but their other three lines are struggling to produce.

Now, injuries absolutely play a factor into this. The Oilers have been without Matthew Savoie for all 15 games, while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman, and Jason Dickinson have played six games each. Basically, their entire second line and third-line centreman have been out for two-thirds of their game this season. Not many teams can overcome that, so that’s a testament to the Oilers and their 11-2-2 record.

But it makes the decision to keep McDavid and Draisaitl together even more confusing. More so than it already was as the Oilers’ other three lines have struggled to produce over the years when the dynamic duo play together.

The Oilers have been accused of being a “one-line team” throughout the McDavid and Draisaitl era. That was true in the early goings, but from the 2019-20 season until just last year, they mainly played away from each other.

But through 15 games, McDavid has played just 37:31 away from Draisaitl, and Draisaitl 28:28 away from McDavid. When together, the duo are rocking an unsustainable 18.27 shooting percentage. Once they cool down, or I should say if they cool down, the Oilers will be in trouble.

The good news is that changes are simple. Yeah, they’ll need to add another top-six forward, but once this team is fully healthy, splitting up McDavid and Draisaitl shouldn’t be an issue.

Draisaitl has always had great results with Kasperi Kapanen and Vasily Podkolzin as his wingers, while McDavid, Hyman, and Nugent-Hopkins at one point were one of the best lines in the league for several seasons. You also have Savoie, who finished the 2025-26 season in the top six, and Isaac Howard, who deserves a look alongside either Draisaitl or McDavid.

Realistically, the Oilers could run top nine like this, graphic courtesy of PuckPedia’s PuckGM.

This is just a far deeper team with three lines capable of scoring. Sure, the chances of McDavid continuing his record-breaking pace are diminished, but the team as a whole will be much improved, especially with the expected goal share. Add in a couple of trade deadline moves, and it’s a team that can pretty easily win a Stanley Cup.

But the questions are: will the Oilers coaching staff recognize that this start, while good, is unsustainable? Will they be able to adjust when they hit a rough patch, whenever that may be? I guess we’ll see.

Cynthia Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for DFOEdmonton, DFOCalgary, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on X at @CynthiaRDelaney.

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Game 16: Winnipeg Jets vs Montreal Canadiens pre-game report

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 09:30:32 -0500

A look at the projected lineups and latest updates ahead of puck drop.

Ray & Dregs Podcast | Winnipeg Jets struggles, Scott Arniel’s future and whether a coaching change is on the radar

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 08:31:07 -0500

Ray Ferraro and Darren Dreger discuss what's gone wrong after a promising start and what management needs to be watching for.

WST | Winnipeg Jets at a breaking point? Mike McIntyre weighs in on coaching, management and roster

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 08:06:24 -0500

A candid discussion about the team's nine-game losing streak, questionable roster decisions and whether the organization is approaching a crossroads.

Pre-Scout: All hail Nuge becoming Oilers games played leader vs Devils

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 08:00:53 -0500

He’s the lone survivor.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, a pillar of hope for the Edmonton Oilers as the first choice in the 2011 NHL Draft, taking his first shifts in the league at 18 years old, baby-faced and full of optimism, didn’t let the mounting losses in the Decade of Darkness kill his vigour and enthusiasm.

He carried on with his craft and went about his business.

Nuge has seen it all in Edmonton. Some sample names from the past: Tom Renney, Ralph Krueger, Dallas Eakins, Todd Nelson, Todd McLellan, Ken Hitchcock, Dave Tippett, Jay Woodcroft, Kris Knoblauch, and Mike Babcock. Nugent-Hopkins knows a thing or two about a coaching change. He knows a thing or two about helping a historically great power play go. Or the penalty kill. Centre. Wing.

You get the sense that if you asked him to shovel your driveway, he’d reply, “What time?”

It doesn’t feel that long ago that Steve Tambellini called his name on stage in St. Paul, Minnesota.

“The Edmonton Oilers…are so proud…to select…from the Red Deer Rebels. Ryan. Nugent. Hopkins.”

Fast forward to Nov. 3, 2026, and he becomes further cemented as Oiler royalty, playing in his 1,038th game tonight to surpass Kevin Lowe for the most ever in the regular season in this jersey.

At 33 years old, he’s not a grey beard (he’s still a no beard) and is one of the most beloved Oilers of all time. More than Connor McDavid. More than Leon Draisaitl. Maybe even more than Ryan Smyth.

There’s no doubt about it. This fan base loves Nugent-Hopkins.

“I’ve been very fortunate,” he told Sportsnet. “The dream is to play your whole career with the team that drafted you, and have success. I’ve been very fortunate to have been able to stick around through some hard years, where pretty much everybody that I came into the league with, you’re seeing them get traded. There were some hard years, some down years — team-wise and even personally — and to be able to have the faith from the organization to keep me around, and be able to stick around, I’ve been very fortunate.”

His absence was felt to start the season, but since he’s come back, he’s doing something that he hasn’t done a ton of during his career: driving a second-line offensively. The mix with Colton Dach and Kasperi Kapanen are making things happen.

Ho hum. It’s three goals and seven points in six games for RNH, and with a lightened workload away from the penalty kill, and he’s giving his team a surge.

The fan tributes won’t be felt in person until Thursday when the Oilers come back to host the Anaheim Ducks, but a heartfelt salute to you, Nuge.

Oilers limiting chances at an elite rate

While this milestone will be a major talking point today, it’s the Oilers stingy defensive structure that has them first in the Western Conference with just one goal against in the last three games.

One of the key reasons why is protecting the slot and middle ice in the defensive zone. As shown in the graphic, collected by Clear Sight Analytics, the Oilers are No. 1 in slot line chance differential. Those wicked one-timers you see when a puck is passed through a seam? That’s what we’re taking about.

Per @VallysView the Oilers lead the NHL in Slot-Line Chance Differential by a significant margin #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/TbD02t1Gra

— Golden Hockey (@GoldenHcky) November 2, 2026

This is just one area that’s been very positive for Edmonton, but it quantifies something Oilers fans would’ve noticed watching them under Mike Babcock. The decrease in rush chances, as we’ve talked about before, being the other big key.

It’s indicators like this that make you think this isn’t just some PDO heater.

Out of Hell-e to heaven

Sunny Mehta has completely re-imagined the future of the New Jersey Devils. Since his hiring as general manager in April, he’s made 16 signings and nine trades, jumping to start a group that has underperformed since having 112 points in 2022-23.

Mehta extended franchise pillar Nico Hischier, while cutting bait on Jacob Markstrom, and Simon Nemec. He signed Anthony Mantha, is banking on the upside in his trade for Luke Evangelista, and offer-sheeted Barrett Hayton (to no avail).

While it could all be keeping seats warm to make the obvious bid for Quinn Hughes in free agency, New Jersey made the winning bid for Connor Hellebuyck. Suddenly, an 87-point team that seemed frustrated and aimless has some motion. They sit 9-5-0 on the season, second in the Metro Division.

“I think that confidence in the group and that word you said, belief….there’s belief, growing belief in here,” said Evangelista after practice on Monday. He has eight points in 11 games after taking a big step and collecting 56 points a season ago.

The Devils finished up a difficult three-game western road trip in Dallas, Colorado, and Vegas, winning two of three, and won five of their last six games. Without a training camp, Hellebuyck is 2-0, and only allowed three goals on 39 shots.

“He’s a Hall of Fame goalie,” Devils defenseman Luke Hughes said. “He’s unbelievable. It’s been fun to play with him.”

Although they haven’t played since Friday, there is something that could slow them down heading into tonight. There’s been a flu bug going around, as Evan Rodrigues didn’t practice on Monday.

“He’s sick,” head coach Sheldon Keefe said of Rodrigues. “Obviously, we got something running through the team here a little bit. We get some guys that were battling throughout the trip. They’re a little bit better. Some of the guys, a little bit worse. It’s just that time of year, so we’ll manage it best as possible. We don’t know his status for tomorrow.”

Notes:

I wrote about McDavid in the Scramble this week, but there are some NHL Edge stats that are rather interesting. Eight of his nine goals have been of the rush, the other was an empty-netter. He leads the entire NHL in both 22-plus mph speed bursts (34) and 20-plus bursts (132) this season. He becomes just the eighth player to ever have a 15-game assist streak at any point of a season, the last being Patrick Kane in 2018-19.
Only EDM has four skaters with eight-or-more goals.
McDavid, Draisaitl and Bouchard have now combined for 93 points this season, the most by a trio of teammates through 15 games over the past 30 years (since 1996-97).
In 78 games with Chicago, Colton Dach had five goals and 16 points. In 19 games with Edmonton, he has five goals and eight points.
Does Babcock tinker with a winning lineup? Jake Walman is start to rot away…
Oilers road record: 7-0-0.
The Devils power play has clicked at just 16.7 per cent, ranking 24th in the NHL, while the PK is 25th with a 70-per cent success rate. This is an area the Oilers can exploit. In response, Keefe is switching up the units, elevating Connor Brown to the top group.
Who leads New Jersey in goals? Not Jack Hughes, who has 16 points to lead the team. Not Nico Hischier, who has seven. It’s not Timo Meier with his one goal. Jesper Bratt? No, not him…it’s Arseny Gritsyuk with eight.
The 25-year-old Russian forward came over from the KHL last season, he scored 13 goals and 31 points. He looks like a real player.
Mantha left the game on Friday for an undisclosed reason and is officially listed as day-to-day. He has six points since signing in the off-season after a 64-point campaign a year ago.
There’s been a resurgence for Luke Hughes, who plateaued and struggled in his third season, but Dougie Hamilton seems motivated again, as well. Those trade rumours have all been snuffed out.
The Oilers have lost four straight games to the Devils and are 3-6-1 in their last 10 head-to-head.

PRESENTED BY CAPITAL GMC BUICK

Winnipeg Jets Morning Papers: Today’s Hockey Headlines | November 3, 2026

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 06:30:43 -0500

A daily roundup of Jets, Moose coverage and all the pro hockey news that matters in Manitoba and beyond.

NHL Notebook: Oilers jump to second in power rankings; Team Canada hires Dustin Schwartz

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 22:00:41 -0500

The Edmonton Oilers are the real deal.

After dipping to ninth in Daily Faceoff’s power ranking last week, the Oilers have jumped back up to second after a 3-0-1 week to move their season record to 11-2-2.

They fell 4-3 in a shootout to the Detroit Red Wings, but responded with a pair of 4-0 victories over the Calgary Flames and New York Islanders before defeating the New York Rangers by a score of 4-1 on Sunday.

“Connor McDavid now has points in 15 consecutive games to start the season,” wrote Daily Faceoff’s Mike Gould, who ranked the Oilers second in his power rankings.

“He’s on pace to narrowly eclipse Wayne Gretzky’s single-season points record, and while McDavid almost certainly won’t maintain this pace over a full 84 games, he genuinely might have a chance to become the second player in NHL history to score 200 points. At this rate, if he doesn’t obliterate his existing career-high of 153 points, it’ll be a bit disappointing.”

“The Oilers aren’t perfect — just ask Jake Walman how he feels about his start — but they’ve certainly got enough star power to make up for their deficiencies. Whether that means they’ll return to the Stanley Cup Final remains to be seen.”

Daily Faceoff’s Scott Maxwell ranked the Oilers third in his power rankings. “You can tell McDavid is off to an incredible start because almost no one is talking about the fact that Evan Bouchard is also on a similarly historic pace.” noted Maxwell.

“He’s currently on pace for 145 points on the season, and the current record for defensemen is Bobby Orr’s 139 points in 1970-71. Bouchard is also on pace for 44 goals, only four short of Paul Coffey’s record of 48 in 1985-86. I wonder if Bouchard keeps this up as well.”

The Oilers rose seven spots and only trail the 12-2-2 Carolina Hurricanes a month into the season. This week, they play the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday, the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday, and the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.

Hockey Canada hires Dustin Schwartz as head of goaltending

Former Edmonton Oilers goaltending coach, Dustin Schwartz, has been named by Hockey Canada as the head of goaltending.

Schwartz, born in Stettler, Alta., served as the Oilers’ goaltending coach from 2014-15 until 2024-25. He joined the team during the 2014-15 season after spending several seasons as the Edmonton Oil Kings’ goaltending consultant. From 2014-15 until 2018-19, Schwartz also served as the Oil Kings’ goaltending coach.

On top of remaining as a goaltending coach in the Edmonton area, he played parts of three seasons with the University of Alberta Golden Bears from the 2000-01 season until the 2004-05 season.

In his decade-long stint with the Oilers, Schwartz oversaw netminders like Cam Talbot, Mikko Koskinen, Mike Smith, Stuart Skinner, and plenty of others.

Cynthia Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for DFOEdmonton, DFOCalgary, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on X at @CynthiaRDelaney.

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Connor McDavid named first star for October, Tristan Jarry named NHL’s second star of the week

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 18:00:39 -0500

Things are going great in Oil Country.

Over a month into the season, the Edmonton Oilers lead the Western Conference with 24 points thanks to an 11-2-2 record. Several performances have been the key to their success, as Connor McDavid was named the National Hockey League’s first star of October, while Tristan Jarry was named the second star of this most recent week.

Connor McDavid, Kirill Kaprizov and Pyotr Kochetkov named "Three Stars" for the month of October.

3 Stars of the Month presented by @GEICO #NHLStats: https://t.co/TRumr0yCd4 pic.twitter.com/n4lSQ8qxEB

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) November 1, 2026

McDavid is off to a record-setting pace to begin the 2026-27 season. Through his first 15 games, the Oilers’ captain has scored nine goals and 39 points. He has a 15-game point streak and has an assist in all 15 games, the longest streak of games with an assist to begin a season in National Hockey League history.

The game’s best player is off to a start that hasn’t been seen since the era of Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux, as he’s currently on pace for 218 points if he can keep up the pace he’s on for the remainder of the season.

Jarry was named as the NHL’s second star for the week of October 25th – November 1st. In three starts, the netminder allowed just three goals on 70 shots for a .957 save percentage. All three of those games came in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Detroit Red Wings on October 26th, but he responded with shuts in back-to-back games.

With Devon Levi out with an injury, Jarry bouncing back for the Oilers was key, and he’s done just that. Through seven games, the 31-year-old has a .901 save percentage and a 2.53 goals-against average, alongside a 4-1-2 record.

His stats would be even better if it weren’t for two outlier games, his season debut against the Vancouver Canucks where he allowed six goals on 23 shots, and his loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs where he allowed six goals on 30 shots.

Goaltending has been a bright spot for the Oilers this season.

It’s the fourth time in five weeks that an Oiler has been named in the three stars of the week. Evan Bouchard’s performance in the first week earned him the second star. On October 19th, McDavid was named the league’s second star, followed by Leon Draisaitl being named the league’s first star two weeks ago.

Cynthia Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for DFOEdmonton, DFOCalgary, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on X at @CynthiaRDelaney.

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32 Thoughts Podcast | Elliotte Friedman weighs in on Winnipeg Jets patience with Scott Arniel amid losing streak

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 17:39:43 -0500

Elliotte Friedman weighs in on the growing pressure surrounding Scott Arniel, Winnipeg's patience with coaches and how long the organization can afford to wait for a turnaround.

Monday Scramble: Connor McDavid’s two-way masterpiece, Kucherov’s deep rift, and the Dylan Larkin mess

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 17:00:15 -0500

It’s good to take a step back and be amazed by Connor McDavid.

Back-to-back in the World’s Most Famous Arena, the Edmonton Oilers resumed playing lock-and-key hockey, only allowing one goal against in their last three games. Then you get an early goal off an incredible rush like that from McDavid, making Vladislav Gavrikov look helpless against the rocket speed—you marvel.

Especially when you have a netminder who’s played just six NHL games in Matt Tomkins, and the way the Oilers are playing defensively, didn’t you feel this strange confidence when Edmonton had a lead?

Doesn’t this feel like Kris Knoblauch’s Oilers in 2023-24? The new coach bump, the buy-in to the structure off the charts, and you watched with comfort as Edmonton protected leads.

“We’re still learning our game,” said Connor McDavid post-game. “We’re still learning our systems. There are times where it may look sloppy. There are times where it may not look perfect, but we’re trying to learn it and get it down.

“And I’ve liked a lot of it. And mostly I just like the work. The compete. Guys are battling hard. It’s more of a mentality thing right now, and we’re going to get the systems later.”

There’s much to be said about the team’s overall game, with the Oilers first in the Western Conference with an 11-2-2 record, and second best in the league, but has Connor McDavid ever looked this good?

He’s beating Gretzky records, now the fastest to 30 assists in National Hockey League history. The third-best October scoring-wise in league history. Fifteen straight games with a helper for McDavid now.

This is sick. This is beyond the norm. We’ve been so privileged to watch this supernova—albeit without a Stanley Cup, more on that at eleven—but good God, sit back and marvel at what’s being accomplished here.

“It’s not bad,” said coach Mike Babcock about his captain in a brief scrum before the Rangers game on Sunday.

The continuation of this quote should get you excited. Even though McDavid is collecting points at such a rapid rate, between him, the coach, the organization, the fans, everyone wants the other thing, the big one, the Stanley Cup. Vindication as the game’s best.

Babcock was asked whether he’s amazed every night by what McDavid is doing:

“What he’s doing is the things I ask, what you people who cover the game don’t care about. I want him to stop on defence, I want him to be on the forecheck in the right spots, I want him to track right, I want him to get skin when he’s coming back to slow people down.

“Those are the things he’s getting better at where we need him offensively in the middle. Now, he’s gotta play his game and do what he does because that’s who he is. In saying that, the structure within the team, if you want to have success long term, we all gotta adhere to that structure and find that game within that game, and he’s been spectacular at that. And he gets better every day.”

On a week where Babcock was asked by Patrice Bergeron and raved, or was referencing Sidney Crosby, McDavid wants what they have.

This is just my guess, but if McDavid and Co. had the open and honest meeting with Babs before he was hired, then the 3-3 game-tying goal from Detroit is a clip to keep close at hand. McDavid can tie up Dylan Larkin, lift a stick. He’s right there, but didn’t make the play. Just a situation to note, an opportunity to build from.

Regardless, his line has been awfully responsible. Ryan Shea’s quotes after Saturday’s game summarize the leadership he’s showing:

“I’m surprised with how good of a leader he is on and off the ice,” Shea said on McDavid. “I mean, all those guys are. The way they’re backchecking, the way they’re tracking, the way they’re using their body. They’ve been physical. If they can do it, then everyone should.”

These are good times and will become busy times, with Saturday beginning a 13-game stretch in 23 days. Let’s see whether good health, or five-on-five regression, tells the story over the next few weeks.

Record this week: 3-0-1
Road record: 7-0-0
Record vs Eastern Conference: 3-1-1

This week:

Tuesday at New Jersey
Thursday vs Anaheim
Saturday vs Vancouver

Kucherov: ‘It’s more about poor communication and respect.’

I’m surprised so many people were surprised that Nikita Kucherov doesn’t intend to re-sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

But that’s the benefit of playing in Tampa Bay. They’ve kept things quiet. No disrespect, that’s part of the appeal for players going to sunny climes to play a game on ice. And yes, state tax.

My point is, if the types of things said in these Lightning media scrums were said in a Canadian market, or your bigger media markets in the US, this question would’ve dominated this off-season: Is everything OK in Tampa Bay?

No, it’s not alright.

Prick up your ears when you hear Andrei Vasilevskiy respond to Jon Cooper’s comments after Game 7 vs. Montreal. An eye-roll as big as he is in pads.

Play body language doctor when Kucherov was serenaded by the fans, the look of a guy who feels disrespected by his franchise.

Yesterday: Nikita Kucherov received a standing ovation from Lightning fans after becoming the team’s all-time leader in points

Today: Nikita Kucherov requested a trade pic.twitter.com/zS5yAHat4U

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) October 31, 2026

This is a highly competitive group, regular-season darlings of late, that’s lost four straight playoff series. There’s no taking away their two Stanley Cup rings (although I’ll add that they came during unusual seasons and the team was coming off one of the greatest upsets of all time), but it feels like if this team were in a different market, we’d be much more privy to a festering situation that is breaking up.

The Lightning are like the band The Eagles in the late 1970s. They are like Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham singing Silver Springs. They are a band that’s been together for years, produced a double platinum record, but you know every move that the guitarist is going to make, and it starts driving you nuts. Just the way the singer walks in a room piss you off.

All of a sudden, the songs don’t sound as good. You’re relying on the old hits to fill out the setlist, but still feel you’re in your prime. You find out your manager is taking a bigger percentage of concert revenue, the record label is shorting you, and you’ve missed out on millions of dollars.

To my eyes, this is the Tampa Bay Lightning. I’m not saying there’s open revolt or there’s a locker room rift or anything like that. But there’s tension. There’s upset. And Nikita Kucherov, who isn’t innocent with his two playoff goals in the last four playoff years, has reason to be upset if he feels disrespected.

When he signed his $9.5 million extension in 2018, he was coming off his first 100-point season. Since then, he’s authored five more 100-point-plus seasons. In 2021, he didn’t even play, and still had eight goals and 32 points en route to a Stanley Cup.

He’s been a value contract, whether he pays in a state tax or not, but it’s the communication that has him upset.

“It was never about the money for me,” Kucherov told the media on Monday morning. “It’s more about poor communication and respect. Over the last four months, we’ve only had two meetings. Julien made it clear that I’m free to walk on July 1st.”

Nikita Kucherov talks about why he requested a trade attributing it to "poor communication and respect" citing he's only had two meetings in the last four months with GM Julien BriesBois about an extension.

(via: @EddieInTheYard) pic.twitter.com/04Nls5J8EN

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 2, 2026

Obviously, teams must be cautious about signing players in their 30s to rich contracts, but at the same time, these record contracts for young, and frankly unproven players have jumped the shark. Contracts still have to be somewhat based on what’s been done already and not purely on what they’ll do during the next deal. I’m not suggesting a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. attitude, but there’s a happy medium here, particularly in how you communicate.

Yes, he’s 33, but he won the Hart Trophy last year. He is still in my mind the second-best player in the world. In his three seasons, he put up 130, 121, and 144 points. That has to matter.

Long story short, I’m not surprised there’s friction.

Julien BriseBois, whose trade deadline additions of the last few seasons have been questionable, has a major problem here.

During the second intermission of the Oilers-Islanders game on Saturday, Bob Stauffer didn’t plant seeds necessarily, but he did try and connect dots, saying that agent Dan Milstein has a team in mind, but said he doesn’t know what the team is.

There was an infamous trade on the table once upon a time of Nikita Kucherov for Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers have poked around before. Could they? Would they? Can they?

The answer is no because I don’t know how you would pay Kucherov at least, say, $18 million, combined with (ideally) a Connor McDavid extension, Leon Draisaitl’s money, Evan Bouchard, etc.

If the New York Rangers have any motion, this would fit the bill for their franchise’s identity in the past quarter century, but Glen Sather isn’t at the helm anymore (even though it was nice to see him during the Amazon Prime broadcast).

Let’s hope Kucherov stays east, but I don’t think BriseBois will trade him unless he absolutely has to.

Let’s end the Larkin madness

Aren’t you just sick of this Dylan Larkin fiasco?

Now Larkin is sitting out, likely openly hated by his teammates, and decides enough is enough and will do the rare mid-season holdout.

What a nightmare this Detroit Red Wings franchise has become.

I’m annoyed with this story. I’m over it. I’m not sympathetic to Dylan Larkin, who signed a max-term contract.

At the same time, he’s been the top soldier for a team that has taken a conservative rebuild approach to the max, scored 30-plus goals for five straight seasons, and watched his GM, Steve Yzerman, not add to his team.

On the other hand, Larkin has been the driver of a team that began suffering annual spring collapses to miss the playoffs. The Wings had months to deal with this if they didn’t want this to be an issue, and still don’t really have a general manager, dropping the interim tag for Shawn Horcoff but certainly not giving a verbal vote of confidence to signal this is the direction.

It would be bad enough if your former captain was doing this, but your second-best defenceman, age 22, is also without a contract.

What a mess. What an ungodly, silly, stupid mess.

Total Jets fiasco

Remember when the Winnipeg Jets were off to a great start? A long, long time ago (three weeks ago) they were 4-1-1 in their first six games. Yeah, it’s nine straight losses now for the Jets. It’s a total calamity.

Head coach Scott Arniel, who at one time presided over a President’s Trophy-winning roster just two seasons ago, is out of answers.

The words sound hollow, the verbal is wearing thin, and he may become the first coach fired this season.

“It’s not on my mind,” Arniel said post-game about his status. “I’m not worrying about (it). I’ve been in this game a long, long time, and that’s beyond my control. My job is to get these players ready to go. I gotta just keep doing my job, because I’m telling them to keep doing their jobs.”

It’s ugly times for old friend Stuart Skinner, who is doing his consistently inconsistent act, in terms of the goals against and the flips in play. But at the same time, you watch the chances that led to goals in the 7-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, or the 6-4 loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday, both games he got pulled, and you think, the Jets don’t have it.

I resonate with a Jets fan. They are the most undesirable location in the National Hockey League with a bullet. Columbus lingers, but it’s Winnipeg. But Edmonton has enjoyed a generational glow-up, and it wasn’t that long ago that this team was thought about in the same way. So I feel for them.

Arniel is dead man walking, but it could still take ages because GM Kevin Cheveldayoff’s conservative mantra forces him to decide.

You sure you didn’t want a goalie back in the Connor Hellebuyck trade?

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‘The worst jersey of all time’: Oilers fans split over Hometown Remix jerseys

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 15:00:26 -0500

After months of teasers and leaks, the NHL, the Edmonton Oilers, and Fanatics have unveiled the hometown remix jerseys.

Edmonton now has a fourth jersey to wear on the ice and another option for fans to buy at the team store before the game.

Every time a new jersey is presented, opinions vary. Some fans will think it’s amazing, while others will say it’s the worst sweater ever. Now that it’s official, fans have weighed in on social media.

Halloween is over. And what Edmonton thing inspired this? – @gavinneedham.bsky.social via BlueSky

More discounted jerseys heading to Winners soon! – @jamthefed.bsky.social via BlueSky

McDavid already wore this jersey in 2016. It was called Team North America and it looked better then. Can’t believe someone got paid for this. – @ryanbatty.bsky.social via BlueSky

Honestly, very underwhelming (if this is indeed the jersey). This looks like some weird knock-off you’d by at Wal-Mart. Also, do they loathe Jack Michaels and Cam Moon? Those numbers are going to be incredibly hard to read from a distance. – MorganLaidler via X

What a disappointing jersey reveal, didn’t realize we needed a Halloween themed jersey. How hard was it to go copper and blue guys and not just basically remake our navy jersey in black. How does this represent Edmonton exactly? – Raghu Sharma via X

This is the ugliest jersey I have ever seen. Hopefully it looks better on the ice. – Noel Rinsky via X

This is genuinely the worst jersey of all time. – Will_Smith_Glazer2 via Instagram

There’s been some confusion around the Oilers’ hometown remix jersey. It’s supposed to honour the city’s heritage and history, but it’s hard to see what black and orange have to do with the City of Edmonton.

One could say it’s because the black represents the colour of oil, and it’s an ode to Oil Country. That’s fair, but it lacks creativity; it’s not as different as the cream-colored jerseys fans saw last season. Some may have wanted to see a logo change. Or bring back the copper-and-blue era. Well, they did so, however, in the form of the Oil Man as a shoulder patch.

On the surface, it looks like they took the royal blues, changed them to black, and brightened the orange.

The creative liberties show up in minor details along the jersey, but it’s too similar to the one they wore a few years ago, which was dark navy instead of black.

May 4, 2022; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; The Edmonton Oilers celebrate a goal by forward Jesse Puljujarvi (13) during the third period against Los Angeles Kings in game two of the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

But as Squiggly Lines mentioned to me on X, maybe it’s more ‘Edmonton’ than we think.

Alberta crude oil is black. The team is called the Oilers. Edmonton is a refinery city. Are we catching on why black would maybe just maybe say “Edmonton” now. – Squiggly Lines via X

They have a good point, but it also leaves you craving more. Not everyone has a negative opinion of the jersey.

Personally I think they’re really cool. Would be better if they had oil man logo on the front. – Joeyblock_ via Instagram

A blank canvas to start from and THIS IS THE BEST THE COULD DO??? They changed the midnight blue to black, added one detail and said, “Well done, everyone, really great work!”. 100% un****ing original. Horrifically brutal. Incredibly lame. It’s so so bad. – Socaldave via X

One thing I actually do like with these jerseys is the shoulder patches. The orange is a bit too much for my liking. – HockeyMuze7172 via X

Why black?? Why not copper and blue and little red? Black has nothing to do with the oilers! Who ever made these should be fired! via Dewy8989 via Instagram

Oilers baby. That orange giving copper because of the black and I’m digging it. Oil town baby. – Jordan Buhat via Instagram

Not sure how I feel about it. Would not rush out to buy. Definitely not as nice as the cream ones from last year. – Nadine Rae via Facebook

Meh. Its just the Black Ice jersey again. Gimmie the reverse cream jersey idea! Those are slick! – Sean Murray via Facebook

Many fans wanted the return of the copper-and-blue jerseys. That’s what they wanted; however, according to Tom Gazzola via X, ownership isn’t the biggest fan of them.

Jun 17, 2006; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers right wing Ales Hemsky (83) handles the puck against the Carolina Hurricanes during game six of the Stanley Cup Finals at Rexall Place. Credit: Lou Capozzola-USA TODAY NETWORK

To add to that, Gazzola was the first to break the news about the hometown remix jerseys; originally, he said they were inspired by the Flint Tropics. When that didn’t come to light, Gazzola told ON Everyday that his source said the Flint Tropics information was a smokescreen meant to create buzz around the new threads.

“The Flint Tropics thing that I said when I was on the show a couple of months ago, that was Oilers marketing tossing me one and doing it on purpose to throw people for a loop… they came back to me, and they’re like,’ We got you, you think you’re so smart,’ and they admitted it.”

That said, the real eye-test will come when the Oilers debut them on the ice, with the players wearing them on Nov. 5, 2026, against the Anaheim Ducks.

THE EDMONTON ORIGINALS ARE BACK

Nation Gear’s iconic Nation Citizen, and Hope Will Never Die originals have returned in the limited edition OG Collection on nationgear.ca.

These nostalgic favs are now built for everyday wear on premium Levelwear apparel. It’s time to get some new classics back in the rotation.

Shop the OG Collection now at nationgear.ca.

The Day After 15.0: McDavid makes NHL history as Oilers beat Rangers

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 14:00:37 -0500

Connor McDavid’s favourite barn to play in is none other than Madison Square Garden.

And on Sunday night, he put on a show in front of 18,006 fans when his Edmonton Oilers took on the New York Rangers in a 4-1 win; it took all of 50 seconds for him to make his mark on the game, dancing through the neutral zone, before leaving Vladislav Gavrikov’s jockstrap in the rafters. Netminder Dylan Garand had no chance, as McDavid chipped a puck short side, leaving kids in the front row behind the Rangers net with their jaws on the floor.

That’s a goal they’ll never forgot, and a game they never will forget.

It wasn’t just the goal for McDavid, though, who, in his 15th game of the season, became the fastest player in NHL history to record 30 assists in a season, setting up Evan Bouchard later in the game. Faster than Wayne Gretzky, who reached 30 in 16 games in 1984-85.

Just another day in the office.

“You know what, it’s actually been really fun to have new things here in Edmonton,” said McDavid after the game, when asked if he takes time to reflect and appreciate milestones like these. “It’s been really fun to just dive in and just have to sink your teeth into a new system, a new kind of way of playing, and it’s kind of left my own game secondary.

“(I’m) just trying to take care of the things that I need to do within the system. Those things have been happening and it’s kind of just been a byproduct of everybody playing well. When the team is winning games, individual stuff happens like that. (I’ve) definitely been the benefactor of some great team play.”

Other benefactors of Edmonton’s new systems, too.

Take Colton Dach, for example. After starting the season playing up the middle of the ice due to a plethora of injuries and the coach’s belief in his ability to play there, he’s transitioned back to his natural wing, looking like a new player. It culminated in a two-goal performance against the Rangers, scoring 6:19 into the first period when he fired a puck through Garand’s five-hole, before sealing the game with an empty-net goal.

Matt Tomkins was another beneficiary, making his first start for the Oilers and his first in the NHL since April 2014, and he was nearly perfect, turning aside 27 of 28 shots and helping weather the storms the Rangers brought.

“I thought he was good,” said Oilers head coach Mike Babcock about Tomkins’ performance. “I thought we were fortunate to get off to a good start, and I think that makes your goalie feel comfortable.

“When we needed him in the second, when we weren’t as good, I thought he was real good. He’s got to feel good about himself, and we feel good about it. Anytime you give up one goal, it’s a real positive thing.”

For the Oilers, their game continues to evolve in ways many have longed for. The focus is on the defensive zone before the offensive zone, keeping pucks out of their own net before trying to get pucks into the opposition’s net. Beyond the first two games of the season, where the Oilers gave up a combined 13 goals against to the Vancouver Canucks, the team has given up just 1.81 goals against per hour at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick — the fourth-best rate in the league.

They also have gone through a stretch of three games giving up only one goal against for the eighth time in franchise history, and just the third time in the regular season.

Now, they prepare to cap off their three-game road trip with a visit to the New Jersey Devils. It’ll be another test for the Oilers, as the Prudential Center is a barn that’s chewed up and spit out Edmonton in recent years, with the team going 0-4 in their last four games there, outscored 13-6.

Zach Laing is the managing editor at Daily Faceoff Edmonton and news director at The Nation Network. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.

PRESENTED BY SOUTHVIEW ACURA

TSN | What’s wrong with the Winnipeg Jets?

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 13:57:52 -0500

Former NHLer turned analyst Martin Biron shares his thoughts in The Talking Point.

Winnipeg Jets Practice Report

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 12:34:15 -0500

The Jets practice in Montreal ahead of the final game of their four-game road trip on Tuesday.

Colton Dach is a menace, Matt Tomkins gets the net, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins close to Oilers history

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 12:00:46 -0500

After playing a near perfect road game against the Islanders on Saturday, the Edmonton Oilers capped off their back-to-back weekend with a trip to Madisen Square Garden to face the New York Rangers. But unlike what we saw versus the Islanders, Edmonton wasn’t necessarily the better team for wide stretches of the hockey game. The Rangers played well and had plenty of offensive opportunities, but the Oilers were opportunistic and got strong goaltending from Matt Tomkins, powering them to a greasy 4-1 win at the Garden.

COLTON DACH, MENACE IN THE MAKING

I don’t know about you, dear reader, but I’m a big fan of how Colton Dach has been playing since getting moved back to the wing. The kid is a wrecking ball on the forecheck, a menace in front of the net, and has gotten rewarded with three goals in his last four games. It seems like we’re hearing his name every shift or two, and often for reasons that are based on hard work and disturbing the peace. The goal he scored on Sunday came on a nifty little turnaround shot that almost seemed to catch Dylan Garand by surprise. Sure, there was definitely a little bit of luck there, but you also have to give Dach credit for getting the puck off his stick as quickly as he did once Evan Bouchard found him in the slot. He fired that thing like it was the plan all along. Dach added the empty-netter late in the third period as a punctuation mark on his night.

I even liked Dach’s play on the Bouchard goal that was disallowed for goalie interference because it was yet another example of his willingness to mix it up in the dirty areas. I know you never want goals coming off the board, but as we’ve seen countless times with Zach Hyman, the results can go sideways if you make a living parking yourself in front of the net. The larger point is that Dach plays a hard game, and has no problem getting under people’s skin, which makes him a unique player in the in the Oilers’ lineup. They don’t have enough rats on the roster, and I’m quickly becoming a big fan of how annoying he can be out there. Who knows what Dach’s ceiling looks like, he’s only played 97 games in the NHL, but he’s definitely been one of the more noticeable forwards over the last couple of weeks. He’s busting his ass to make that happen, and it’s been a pleasure to watch his personal brand of chaos happen.

MATT TOMKINS GETS THE START

With Devon Levi still on the shelf and Tristan Jarry playing the day before, Matt Tomkins was tagged in for Sunday’s start against the New York Rangers. It was his first appearance as an Oiler and first NHL start since April 17th, 2024, when he was still with Tampa Bay, and he was going up against a Rangers squad that was well rested and playing some excellent hockey at home. That’s a pretty cool story for a hometown kid that grew up in Sherwood Park and played for the Crusaders. I’m sure most of us dreamed of playing for the Oilers when we were growing up, and it was neat to see that dream come true for him. And with the Rangers looking for consistency between the pipes after losing Igor Shesterkin, Tomkins had the opportunity to not only play but show that he could handle the task at hand.

To his credit, Tomkins certainly didn’t look like he was playing his first NHL game in over two years. Right from the jump, he looked calm in his crease, was square to the play, and looked like he was fully planning on taking advantage of his opportunity. And what better start for him than to have the rebound from his first save of the game wind up on Connor McDavid’s stick for what ended up as a coast-to-coast goal and could have been a secondary assist for the goalie. What more can you ask for? Equally as impressive was how Tomkins battled throughout the night, and kept his team in the lead even as the Rangers started pouring it on in the second period and heavily outshot them. Even on the goal he gave up to Pavel Dorofeyev at 13:22 in the second period, he had all kinds of shenanigans happening in the crease that impeded his ability to stop that puck. In the end, Tomkins was fantastic. He made 28 saves for a .966 save percentage, which made for a pretty damned solid start for a guy who had been grinding away in the minors for the last two years.

RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS TIES KEVIN LOWE IN ALL TIME GAMES

It’s been a hell of a ride since Steve Tambellini called Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ name on June 24, 2011 as the first overall pick at the NHL Draft. And now, in his 16th season in Edmonton, here we are with Nuge tying Kevin Lowe’s record for the most games played in Edmonton Oilers history. Sunday night in New York marked game number 1037 for RNH, which is kind of insane to think about when you stop and remember everything he’s been around for. He was here for half of the Decade of Darkness, the endless coaching changes, the rebuilds, trading friends away, the playoff runs, and is still a huge part of a team that expects to win every year. That’s a lot of different versions of the Oilers, and somehow Nuge has been one of the few constants through all of it.

What makes the milestone even cooler from my perspective is that he’s still a huge part of this team. Sunday was only his sixth game of the season, and he already has three goals and four assists for seven points while averaging around 20 minutes a night. It’s not like he’s floating toward the record or hanging around because of what he used to be a bunch of years ago. The Oilers still need him, he still plays in all situations, and he’s still finding a way to chip in with some secondary scoring. With Kevin Lowe’s record now tied, Nuge will get the chance to break it on Tuesday in New Jersey in game 1,038, a record that has gone unchanged since April of 1998. For a guy who’s been here through basically anything and everything in his time here, that’s a pretty damned cool step in the mission to Keep Nuge Forever.

PRESENTED BY SOUTHVIEW ACURA

Oilers Thoughts: Colton Dach thriving on the wing, goaltending stepping up and more

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 12:00:34 -0500

The mood is certainly good in Oil Country. The Edmonton Oilers sit atop the Western Conference, and if you take a look at the NHL scoring leaders, it’s a thing of beauty, with three Oilers sitting first, second and third in league scoring.

Connor McDavid leads the way with 39 points, followed by Leon Draisaitl with 28 and Evan Bouchard with 26.

While that trio has been leading the way, they’re also getting important contributions from their teammates. We’ll discuss some of the players who have been stepping up, and more, in this edition of Oilers Thoughts.

Colton Dach looks right at home on the wing

I think we can all agree that Colton Dach belongs on the wing.

It’s nice to have the option of Dach filling in down the middle if injuries occur, but he’s looked like a completely different player ever since moving to the wing and joining Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kasperi Kapanen on the second line, after Zach Hyman went down with an injury against the Detroit Red Wings.

Getting in hard on the forecheck is ingrained in his DNA, especially for someone who stands 6-foot-3 and ranks in the 70th percentile in max skating speed, according to NHL Edge. That said, playing centre comes with defensive responsibilities that don’t always give him the same freedom to be the first man in on the forecheck.

And it’s almost as if he’s been freed from the shackles since moving to the wing.

Colton Dach has his second of the year to give the Oilers an early two-goal lead ✌️ pic.twitter.com/64I1c0BTdW

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 1, 2026

He has registered four points over the last four games while posting a +4 rating since being bumped to the second line, including two goals last game against the New York Rangers. Also, one of those tallies was an empty-net goal, which shows the trust the coaching staff has in him to help protect the lead.

On top of that, he’s been driving the net with reckless abandon.

He drove the net hard on a couple of occasions against the Calgary Flames on Oct. 28, with one of those drives resulting in an unfortunate injury to netminder Devin Cooley. You never want to see anyone get hurt, but you have to appreciate Dach’s nose for the net. He also went hard to the net again last game against the Rangers on a play where Evan Bouchard beat their netminder with a point shot, though the goal didn’t count because a questionable goaltender interference call against Dach negated it.

It remains to be seen if Dach will stay on the second line when Hyman returns, but wherever he ends up, the Oilers’ top nine will have Vasily Podkolzin, Hyman and Dach. All three seem to relish the opportunity to drive hard to the net, and two of them are playing some of their best hockey in Oilers’ silks. That’s going to be a handful for the opposition.

The Oilers’ second line is taking off

As mentioned, Dach has been on fire lately since being moved to the wing, but the Oilers’ second line of Dach – Nugent-Hopkins – Kapanen deserves some love as a whole.

Due to injuries, the Oilers haven’t had a solid second line for most of the season, but this trio has been a force to be reckoned with since they were put together four games ago. They cycle well, and all three have the smarts and skill to go along with their grit. Combine Nugent-Hopkins’ cerebral play down the middle with two wingers who have a good motor, and you can see why this line has had such good success.

All three players are playing some of their best hockey right now, and they have a 4-1 goal share at five-on-five since being put together on Oct. 26.

The Oilers are discovering the value of a good dump-in

When I was younger playing youth hockey, my coach for one season was former Oiler and five-time Stanley Cup champion Randy Gregg. I learned a lot from him, and I always enjoyed hearing the stories he’d tell about those Cup-winning 80s Oilers teams. One thing I remember him telling our team from a strategic standpoint was not to dump the puck in and to maintain possession.

He’d point out that Wayne Gretzky didn’t dump the puck in, because why risk giving the other team possession?

I’d imagine that’s the same feeling Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl had about dumping the puck in. Why would you want to give up possession like that?

But the Oilers have had so many turnovers in the neutral zone during the McDavid era that have burned them in the past, so learning how to manage the puck better was a necessity.

As a result, one of the many strategies Babcock has implemented is using more dump-ins, and the players are buying into that system. So much so that, as Lane Golden noted, the Oilers currently rank second in the league in dump-ins, compared to last season when they ranked 30th. As a result, they’ve also significantly limited the number of rush chances against.

That said, the play Kapanen made against the New York Islanders is a prime example of how a successful dump-in is not only an effective way to prevent turnovers and protect a lead, but can also lead to a scoring chance.

Forgot about Spook-gent-Hopkins

Manitoba Moose Practice Report

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 10:52:50 -0500

After a few weeks away from Manitoba, the AHL club is back and set to practice this week at home.

Winnipeg Jets unveil their Hometown Remix jersey

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 10:24:07 -0500

An aurora-inspired design gets its first look. What do you think?

NHL weekend rankings: Nikita Kucherov shocker, plus early stories I'm starting to buy

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 08:26:42 -0500

For the second week in a row, the NHL’s weekend was rocked by a Friday news bomb. Last week, it was one of the best players in the league getting traded. This time, it was an even better player saying he wants to be next. And unlike Connor Hellebuyck, the Nikita Kucherov story seemed to come out of nowhere.

We’ll get to that down below. Spoiler alert: It was big enough to significantly shift our Top Five.

But first, let’s clean up some loose ends. A few weeks ago, I gave you my five early-season stories I wasn’t buying quite yet. I think the list mostly holds up – Montreal and Buffalo are good again, Brady Tkachuk started scoring right away, and the bad teams aren’t quite as bad – although the Kraken are giving me some second thoughts.

But now that a little more time has passed, it’s only fair that we try the other angle. So this week, here are five somewhat surprising early storylines that I’m starting to think might be the real deal.

>> Read the full post for free at The Athletic

Monday Mailbag: Do Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm always have to play together?

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 08:00:53 -0500

Good morning, everyone, and a happy Monday to you all. As per tradition, I’ve got a brand new mailbag set to go after taking your questions and sending them to the crew for their takes. This week, we’re discussing Jake Walman’s struggles, NHL rule changes, the Dylan Larkin situation in Detroit, and more. If you’ve got a question you’d like to ask, email it to me at baggedmilk@oilersnation.com or on Twitter at @jsbmbaggedmilk, and I’ll get to you as soon as I can.

Edmonton Oilers GM Stan Bowman

1) David asks – If you could fix one part of the Oilers‘ game without making a trade, what would you focus on first?

Jason Gregor:

Not much to fix right now. If I had to pick one thing that doesn’t involve a trade, I’d look at getting Walman back into the mix and helping him find his game.

Tyler Yaremchuk:

Depth scoring. I would love if a few of the bottom-six options that they currently have (Frederic, Dickinson, Howard) could find a way to go on a red-hot offensive run. Imagine if the team was consistently getting 1-2 goals from their bottom-six? The team would be unstoppable. That’s a big ask, but a little hot streak from the bottom part of this forward group would be nice.

Baggedmilk:

I’m going to go with the penalty kill. Imagine how deadly the Oilers would be if their PK was as good as their power play. Electric.

Oct 1, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Paul Cotter (47) defends against Edmonton Oilers defenseman Ryan Shea (6) in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images

2) Tashmid asks – When the Oilers traded Darnell Nurse, there were legitimate questions about who would replace the heavy minutes he played every night. Given Ryan Shea’s performance since signing in Edmonton, is it fair to say the Oilers have upgraded on Nurse, especially with Jake Walman struggling to find consistency over the past two seasons?

Jason Gregor:

Shea has played very well and thus far has been an upgrade, no question. But it is only 15 games.

Tyler Yaremchuk:

Can you imagine if they didn’t go get Ryan Shea? I give Stan Bowman props for not just hoping that Jake Walman would be able to fill Nurse’s role. He got Shea for a pretty bargain price, and the deal is already looking like one of the best signings of the summer. Having him at $4m makes Walman’s $7m sting a little bit less and also lessens the pressure on Walman having to be a top-four guy, which he is far from right now.

Baggedmilk:

Ryan Shea has been a blessing. I never would have expected Jake Walman to struggle as much as he has, and having Shea available to step up has been so important. I don’t know what the answer is with Walman, but he needs to figure it out. We’re in year one of that new seven-year deal, and it is not starting off on the right foot.

Oct 10, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose Sharks right wing Collin Graf (51) is surrounded by Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard (2), defenseman Mattias Ekholm (14), right wing Kasperi Kapanen (42), and center Jason Dickinson (16) in the third period at SAP Center in San Jose. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images

3) Mitch asks – Do you think Evan Bouchard has to play with Mattias Ekholm to be successful or could Mike Babcock try him with someone else to spread out the defensive responsibilities?

Jason Gregor:

I do not think he has to. The pair plays great together, so why split them up. Are they struggling? Why fix something that isn’t broken.

Tyler Yaremchuk:

The Oilers put Muhkamadullin up with Bouchard for a game and the young defenceman had his best game of the season. Evan Bouchard is the one who carries the Oilers’ top pairing, not Ekholm. His style of play complements Bouchard very well, but Bouchard is one of the best defencemen in the NHL, full stop. He doesn’t need anyone to carry him. I would be totally fine if Babcock wanted to move Ekholm to another pair in order to try prop up another pairing, because I also think Ekholm is good enough to do that and Bouchard can succeed with anyone. Spreading it out is not a bad idea at all.

Baggedmilk:

I think Ryan Shea would look pretty good with Evan Bouchard. That could put Ekholm with Walman and maybe help calm him down a bit? But to answer the question, Bouchard is the team’s clear No. 1, and I don’t think he needs anyone to carry him at this point. He is the star on that back end.

4) James asks – If you could change one NHL rule to make hockey more entertaining, what would you choose?

Jason Gregor:

No over and back in overtime. Once you enter the offensive zone you can’t leave on purpose. I’ve wanted this for years and the WHL is doing it now and it is way better, and the WHL isn’t close to the talent level of the NHL. It would make OT infinitely more entertaining.

Tyler Yaremchuk:

No icing on power plays. A team is given a penalty because they break the rules, but then the sport allows them to break another rule in order to make their lives a little easier? That makes no sense. When you’re shorthanded, you should have to actually try and play the sport and not just fire the puck down the ice a bunch of times. It would increase offence and force teams to find players who are truly skilled enough to play when they’re a man short.

Baggedmilk:

Extend the 3v3 to 10 minutes, so that some of the depth players get out there and screw up the matchups. It could be some fun chaos, and I just really hate the shootout.

Oct 24, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin (71) receives congratulations from teammates after scoring in the third period against the New Jersey Devils at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

5) Yves asks – This has nothing to do with the Oilers, but what is everyone’s opinion on how the Dylan Larkin situation has played out in Detroit?

Jason Gregor:

He asked for a trade but only gave a very short list. Detroit was wise not to move him just to appease him. However, how they have botched the Edvinsson situation tells me that ownership has no vision. So far Mike Illitch has not shown the same drive, passion and plan that his father had. Bad leadership is causing a lot of issues in Detroit right now, and I don’t mean Shawn Horcoff. I think he is in a very difficult position.

Tyler Yaremchuk:

I think this is different than the Hellebuyck or Tkachuk situations. Those two players forced their way out of teams that were pretty consistently in the playoff picture, and Tkachuk clearly forced his way to one destination. Larkin has sat through some brutal years in Detroit and does not want to spend the rest of his prime playing for an organization that, quite frankly, looks clueless right now and lacks direction. He wants to go to a Stanley Cup contender and gave the Red Wings ten teams they could trade him to. He’s done his part. The Red Wings need to end this saga.

Baggedmilk:

Larkin has had some horrible years in Detroit, and I don’t blame him for wanting to spend at least some of his finite career on a competitive team. I don’t agree with him taking his ball and going home, refusing to play until a trade happens, but I also don’t blame him for wanting more than a career worth of mediocrity. That said, he also signed an eight-year contract, and he should have to honour it by at least suiting up in the interim.

PRESENTED BY STAKE

Winnipeg Jets Morning Papers: Today’s Hockey Headlines | November 2, 2026

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 06:30:52 -0500

A daily roundup of Jets, Moose coverage and all the pro hockey news that matters in Manitoba and beyond.