Let’s be real: you already know the deal when it comes to the Edmonton Oilers.

Two superstars, anchored to a team littered with mediocre depth and truly underwhelming goaltending, were still able to make two straight Stanley Cup Final appearances, only to lose both to the Florida Panthers. The only Western Conference team that truly came close to knocking them off the throne were the Canucks, of all teams.

This year, they’re looking to pounce on an Oilers team with wounded egos, and not just because Conor Garland was able to wrestle McDavid to the ground last time they faced off in Vancouver.

There’s not much else Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl can do against opponents with as much depth and skill as the Panthers. The Canucks are not on that level, but when their offence is at full strength, they’ve proven that they can at least go toe-to-toe with the Oilers for a while. But this year, there’s a new wrinkle; Evander Kane has switched sides in the rivalry, which at the very least should add some fuel to these rematches.

The Oilers’ two biggest additions in the offseason were former Flame Andrew Mangiapane and reigning Hobey Baker winner Issac Howard. The 21-year-old Howard is an intriguing signing, coming off a 52-point season with the Michigan State Spartans. How quickly he can adapt to the NHL will have a big influence on where in the lineup Kris Knoblauch puts him, especially if a spot on McDavid’s wing opens up.

Defensively, the Canucks should have the upper hand. Quinn Hughes and Evan Bouchard each fill a scoring role. But Hughes, combined with Fil Hronek, Marcus Pettersson and Elias “DePetey” Pettersson, have a skill set the Oilers can’t match beyond Mattias Ekholm and Brett Kulak.

The big equalizer is still in net. Oilers GM Stan Bowman has made no attempts to fix his team’s goalie situation. Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard just don’t fit the system the Oilers want to play, and it’s costing them championships (though that ship might’ve already sailed at this point). Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen have all the tools to win games against the Oilers, but that’s entirely contingent on their health.

The Canucks can learn a lot from one team that nearly had the Oilers on the ropes: the Los Angeles Kings. LA figured out the hard way that you can’t give Edmonton a sliver of hope – whether through an ill-timed power play or a bad, bad coach’s challenge – or they’ll absolutely rip your heart out. Last season, closing out games and keeping their foot on the gas were some of the Canucks’ biggest flaws. They have to nip those bad habits in the bud in 2025-26 if they want to improve on their 1-2-0 record against Edmonton last year.

October 11 @ Rogers Place (Edmonton)

October 26 @ Rogers Arena (Vancouver)

January 17, 2026 @ Rogers Arena (Vancouver)

April 16, 2026 @ Rogers Place (Edmonton)