The Edmonton Oilers clinched a berth in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday (April 11) when the Winnipeg Jets were defeated 7-1 by the Philadelphia Flyers. With 90 points from a record of 40-30-10, the Oilers currently sit second in the Pacific Division standings and are guaranteed at least a wild-card berth.
The 2026 NHL Playoffs are set to begin on April 18. Edmonton will be competing in the NHL postseason for the seventh straight year and 28th time in franchise history.
But with only two games remaining on their schedule and just five days left in the 2025-26 NHL regular season, the Oilers could still finish anywhere from atop their division standings to in the Western Conference’s second wild-card position.
That variability leaves Edmonton with no less than five potential opponents in Round 1 of the playoffs. Here’s a look at each of those teams and how the Oilers match up with them.
Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights (37-26-17) lead the Oilers by one point for the Pacific Division crown. Like Edmonton, the Golden Knights could finish anywhere from first in their division to second in the conference wild-card standings.
There exists a number of scenarios where Edmonton and Vegas meet in the first round. If either team wins the division and the other finishes in the first wild-card spot, or if the teams place second and third in the Pacific, then the Oilers and Golden Knights will be postseason opponents for a second straight spring.
Led by captain Connor McDavid, the Oilers defeated Vegas 4-1 in Round 2 of the 2025 NHL Playoffs. Edmonton won the team’s first three head-to-head meetings this season before the Golden Knights blew out the Oilers 5-1 on April 4.
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks (42-32-5) are presently third in the Pacific Division, two points back of Vegas and one point behind Edmonton. Anaheim, however, has three games left while the teams ahead of the Ducks play just twice more.
As is the case with Vegas and Edmonton, Anaheim can finish in one of the top three spots in the Pacific Division or one of the Western Conference’s two wild-card positions. If the playoffs started today, Edmonton and Anaheim would be facing each other in the matchup of the Pacific Division’s second- and third-place teams. The Ducks and Oilers will also play each other in Round 1 if one team climbs to the top of the division and the other drops to first in the wild-card standings.
The home team won every game in the 2025-26 regular-season series between the Oilers and Ducks, with Edmonton going 2-1.
Los Angeles Kings
Currently, the Los Angeles Kings (34-26-19) hold the Western Conference’s second wild-card slot but are just two points back of Anaheim for third in the Pacific Division standings and also have three games left on their schedule. While it’s a long shot, the Kings could still finish as high as first in their division.
That means there are four different scenarios where Edmonton and L.A. meet in the first round: if one team finishes first in the division while the other places first in the wild card, or if one team ends up second in the division while the other winds up in third place in the Pacific.
It could be fate that the Oilers and Kings meet. After all, they have faced off in the first round each of the last four years, with Edmonton prevailing every time. Los Angeles went 2-1 against the Oilers this season, including a 1-0 victory at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.
Utah Mammoth
The Utah Mammoth (42-31-6) presently occupy the first wild-card position in the Western Conference. While Utah has clinched a playoff berth, it can’t move any higher in the Central Division standings. The only question is whether the Mammoth will finish with the first or second wild-card spot.
If the former occurs and Edmonton winds up atop the Pacific Division standings, then Edmonton and Utah will be opening the playoffs against each other. But that’s the only scenario that could see the Oilers face the Mammoth.
Related: 3 Takeaways From Oilers’ 6-5 Overtime Loss to Mammoth
Edmonton took two of three games from Utah during the 2025-26 season, although the Mammoth won the teams’ most recent meeting, 6-5 in overtime at Delta Center last Tuesday (April 7).
Colorado Avalanche
Edmonton’s least likely first-round opponent is also the team it probably wants to face the least: the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche (52-16-11).
Colorado has clinched first in the Central Division and secured the top seed in the Western Conference, so the only way Edmonton plays the Avalanche in Round 1 will be if the Oilers fall all the way to the second wild-card spot, currently occupied by Los Angeles. Edmonton holds a tiebreaker over the Kings, so L.A. would need to outgain the Oilers by at least four points to pass them by season’s end.
Edmonton and Colorado have played each other twice so far this season, each winning in the other’s rink. They will face off one more time, on Monday (April 13) night at Rogers Place, in a game that is meaningless for the Avalanche but has immense importance for the Oilers.
After hosting the Avalanche, Edmonton closes its season at home against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday (April 16).
