Breaking Down the Oilers’ 2026-27 Schedule

For the first time in franchise history, the Edmonton Oilers begin their regular-season schedule in September, hosting the Vancouver Canucks on Sept. 29. That’s due to the NHL expanding its regular season to 84 games.

The Oilers had a disappointing 2025-26 season, culminating in a first-round exit. They struggled to string wins together and didn’t register their first three-game winning streak until Jan. 2026. But it’s a new season, and a good start is crucial. Hopefully, new head coach Mike Babcock has the team ready to play immediately. Edmonton has been an underwhelming regular-season team, and they haven’t won their division since 1987. They can’t afford to take the regular season for granted. They must step up and maintain consistency throughout the campaign. Now that the 2026-27 schedule has been released, let’s dive into it and break it down.

The Calgary Flames are building a new arena, so this is their final season in the Scotiabank Saddledome. The Oilers’ last game in the Saddledome is Tuesday, March 23. Surprisingly, the Oilers and Flames don’t play on a Saturday night. Unfortunately, we won’t be getting a Battle of Alberta on Hockey Night in Canada, which is bad news for fans who like to travel for these games.

Here’s the Oilers’ weekly games breakdown. They play nine games on Monday, 12 on Tuesday, 11 on Wednesday, 15 on Thursday, five on Friday, 23 on Saturday, and nine on Sunday.

Home Sweet Home

After three quick one-game homestands, the Oilers’ first significant homestand is a five-gamer starting on Oct. 20. Then, they have a four-game homestand beginning on Nov. 5. They head into the Christmas break on a three-game homestand against Western Conference teams. Edmonton’s busiest months are November and January, playing 15 games in each. They have a huge six-game homestand in January, playing every second day with zero back-to-backs.

February is a crucial stretch on the Oilers’ schedule. They begin a season-long eight-game homestand on Jan. 28, running until Feb. 22. During that stretch, they play the New Jersey Devils, Montreal Canadiens, Vegas Golden Knights, St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Colorado Avalanche, Boston Bruins, and Ottawa Senators. They have just two road games in February. The Oilers posted a 22-14-5 record at Rogers Place last season. With the last change, the Oilers need Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to take over games, especially at home. If they want to contend for a division title, they need to improve their home record, and that begins with the star players.

Hitting the Road

After a quick three-game California road trip in October, they head out east for a three-game trip against the New York Islanders, New York Rangers, and New Jersey Devils. The Oilers have two six-game road trips this season, which is their season-long. Their first one begins on Nov. 14 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and it includes the Philadelphia Flyers, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, and the Blues.

The World Junior Hockey Championship invades Rogers Place over the holidays, forcing the Oilers on the road. They have an entire week off during the holiday break before heading out east and playing five of those six games against Eastern Conference opponents. Following that, their next four-game road trip is arguably their toughest stretch of the campaign. They have back-to-back games against the Golden Knights and the Los Angeles Kings before playing the up-and-coming San Jose Sharks and the Juggernaut Avalanche.

Last season, the Oilers’ final road game against an Eastern Conference opponent was Dec. 18. This season, it’s a few weeks later, on Jan. 3 against the Penguins.

Back-to-Backs

The Oilers have 11 sets of back-to-backs, tied for 19th most. The Penguins have the most with 15, and the Golden Knights and Flames are tied for the fewest with eight. Out of Edmonton’s 11 sets, seven are on the road, two are at home, and two are split with one at home and one away. Their first set is on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 on the road against the Islanders and Rangers.

The Oilers play teams on the second half of a back-to-back 10 times, which is in the bottom half of the league, with 19 teams having more. The Canadiens have the most with 19, and the Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets have the fewest with five. That’s a large discrepancy.

The NHL season is only a few months away, and it will be here before you know it. Keep following The Hockey Writers for all your NHL content throughout the offseason.