It’s been a roller coaster ride for the Edmonton Oilers to start the 2025-26 season. They’ll lose one, win two, lose a few, win a couple more, all while looking like a different team each night. Based on seasons past, this is no reason to panic because this team has started slow many times before soaring in the standings. So in saying that, now is the time where the winning ways kick in and the team gets back to what they have been.
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This edition of the Oilers looks quite a bit different than the past couple seasons, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways for them to hit their stride. There’s still plenty of time left in the season and lots to come together for this team that fans may not even realize. They’ll need to execute those things as soon as possible for future success.
Oilers’ Line Combos Still Taking Shape
With inconsistencies comes a lot of experimenting for the coaches. Head coach Kris Knoblauch is taking advantage of all the different combinations he can create and the unique skill sets of each player he has. We have rarely seen the forward lines stay identical from one game to the next and if they have, they typically change during the game anyway.
As things begin to ramp up and more of the right guys get into the lineup, Knoblauch will have to find the perfect recipe. There have been a few games where a couple combinations looked very good, but then next game we saw something else on the ice. The Oilers arguably played their most complete game when they visited the New York Rangers earlier this season, but they also played a strong game in their recent loss to the Vancouver Canucks.
Both of those games saw vastly different line combinations, so it’ll be a joint effort between coaches and players to decide what is going to work and what won’t going forward. Regardless, the clock is ticking in the early season to figure out who fits with who.
Injured Oilers
Part of the reason it is difficult to put together ideal lines is the fact that Edmonton is still faced with injury troubles as we creep closer to November. Zach Hyman remains out until at least this weekend as we wait to hear more on his status. Fellow forward Mattias Janmark‘s return date is also up in the air as he recovers from an injury of his own. Perfecting the forward lines can’t fully be done without all options present.
The Oilers need to get healthy and stay on the ice. They ran into some injury troubles late last season and it was very evident that the injuries and constant lineup juggling affected their performance and cost them a handful of wins. Even if Hyman, Janmark, and injured defenseman Alec Regula all return in a timely manner, it will take some time to integrate them back in and get them back up to speed. The sooner the better for getting these guys into game action.
Play a Complete Hockey Game
An easy thing to point out in the Oilers’ up and down start is a bit of lopsided play in games. An easy example is their recent game against the Montreal Canadiens. The game opened 1-1, then Edmonton jumped in front 3-1 in the second, followed by the Canadiens going ahead 5-3 in the same period, and then finally the Oilers stormed back in the third to win 6-5. While they got the victory, it is definitely not a sustainable method of winning going forward.
A balanced offense paired with consistent defense and goaltending is going to be the recipe for success. There seems to be at least one part of their team not on their game each night and that will need to change. Complete hockey games are needed to win moving forward, and especially in the playoffs.
The season is obviously still very young. We’ve seen this Oilers team time and time again figure things out quite quickly and play amazing hockey. They just need to start rounding into form and continue to play their game.
