The Edmonton Oilers’ early-season struggles continued as they finished October with a mediocre 5-4-3 record for 13 points, tied with the Seattle Kraken for third in the Pacific Division. The Oilers have been notoriously slow starters, but this has been their best October in the last three seasons. They were an abysmal 2-5-1 for five points in Oct. 2023, and 5-5-1 for 11 points in Oct. 2024. So, there’s improvement, but this team is capable of so much more.
They’ve made too many mistakes on defence, got underwhelming goaltending, and their offence hasn’t been clicking like they should. That’s not a recipe for success. The one positive is their power play. The power play is rocking at 30.3 percent, good for third in the league, but they need more at even strength. They’ve spent too much time on the perimeter with the cycle. They need to do a better job of getting to the net, creating chaos and generating shots.
Not many players had great months, as inconsistency has been the theme. Simply put, most of the roster has underperformed. With that said, there are a few players who stood out. Here are the Oilers’ 3 stars of October.
Third Star: Jake Walman
Jake Walman missed the first six games of the season due to injury but returned on Oct. 21 against the Ottawa Senators. Despite missing time, he jumped in and has been the Oilers’ best defenceman. The Other top four defencemen in Mattias Ekholm, Evan Bouchard, and Darnell Nurse have struggled immensely to start the campaign, so Walman’s inclusion into the lineup was desperately needed to provide a boost to the back end.
Related: Jake Walman Is a Perfect Fit for the Oilers
The 29-year-old signed a seven-year extension with a $7 million cap hit before the season, and he has made an immediate impact, scoring the overtime winner in his season debut. The 2014 third-round pick scored one goal and registered seven points in six games this month, while being a plus-4, averaging 19:50 per game.
Walman had back-to-back multipoint performances to end the month and has three on the season. He also has 14 blocked shots thus far. He had one poor performance against the Vancouver Canucks on Oct. 26. Other than that outlier game, he has been good. He has been impactful and deserving of the third star.
Second Star: Leon Draisaitl
When Leon Draisaitl is engaged, there aren’t many players better than him. His best games of the month came this last week. However, that’s the issue: in some games, it appears he’s just going through the motions, while in others, he’s the best player in the league. His good games far outweigh the bad, but consistency is the reason he’s the second star and not the first.
The German superstar finished the month with eight goals and 14 points in 12 games, with a plus-4 rating. However, he only had three goals and six points at 5-on-5. Most of his production came on the power play, and he must find a way to contribute more at even strength. Either way, he still had a good month, so he’s the second star, but we all know he can be better.
First Star: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has had a great start to the season and has been the most consistent forward. The 32-year-old has scored five goals and accumulated 12 points in 12 games, consistently proving to be a reliable player. He has killed the most penalties among forwards with 15:48 of ice time shorthanded and has the versatility to move up and down the lineup.
Nugent-Hopkins has spent time as the third-line centre, while also riding shotgun with Connor McDavid as the first-line left-winger. You can trust him in all situations, and he’s providing offence when the team has struggled to produce.
The veteran forward completed a nifty give-and-go with McDavid during their 6-3 win over the Utah Mammoth on Oct. 28 for a nice goal. He has three multipoint games and has been held off the scoresheet four times. While he only has four points at 5-on-5, he’s a big reason why their power play has been so successful.
The 2011 first-overall pick gives the penalty killers something else to think about and provides another weapon on the man advantage. He’s playing with a ton of confidence right now, and hopefully that carries over into the coming months.
The Oilers have a tough November ahead, with only four home games and 10 on the road, including a seven-game Eastern Conference road trip. Edmonton has struggled on the road, going 2-4-1 away from Rogers Place, while having a 3-0-2 record at home. They kick off the month on Nov. 1 when they host the Chicago Blackhawks. Keep following The Hockey Writers for all your NHL content throughout the season.
