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An in-depth look at the Edmonton Oilers in 2026-27: Canucks Pacific Previews

Photo credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

By Lachlan Irvine

Aug 27, 2026, 17:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 27, 2026, 17:13 EDT

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The Pacific Division in 2026-27 is a top-heavy division made up of two groups: the Haves and the Have-Nots. The gap between the best and worst has never been larger, and the Vancouver Canucks sit firmly at the bottom. Seven teams stand in their way on the path back to contention, and we’re going to look at all of them over the next two weeks in our Pacific Previews series.

Today we’re looking at the Edmonton Oilers.

In the blink of an eye, the Edmonton Oilers went from back-to-back Stanley Cup finalists to a disastrous first-round exit. Drastic changes had to be made.

And that apparently meant hiring one of the most controversial coaches in NHL history.

Mike Babcock won the Stanley Cup in 2008 as the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings and has done nothing at the NHL level since. What he has accomplished since then is a long history of mistreating people, ranging from verbal abuse, benching players from milestone games, psychological exercises and going through players’ phones.

Despite all that, the Oilers are convinced Babcock’s the man that will get them over the hump, replacing recently fired head coach Kris Knoblauch. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are convinced that he’ll hold them both accountable, an alarming thing for two of the best players in the world to admit wasn’t happening before.

The Oilers are a team pushing all their chips in the middle and trying to prolong a Stanley Cup window that’s likely past its peak. McDavid will turn 30 in January; Draisaitl already has, as have key teammates like Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, with a depleted prospect cupboard. Edmonton has all the same issues they’ve had throughout the McDavid era: struggles on defence, underperforming goaltending, and a depth chart of players that haven’t always carried their weight on the scoresheet.

Oilers GM Stan Bowman (and a lot of his predecessors) have attempted to remedy those problems. Tristan Jarry hasn’t panned out in goal since being acquired for Stuart Skinner, so Bowman traded for Sabres prospect Devon Levi and signed reigning Stanley Cup champion Freddy Andersen in free agency. Darnell Nurse wanted a change of scenery, so he was dealt to San Jose and will be replaced in the aggregate by Ryan Shea, Shakir Mukhamadulin and Ty Emberson.

But the bestlaid plans of mice and Oilers often go awry, and their roster is already taking a massive hit. Andersen is out with an injury sustained in offseason training and isn’t expected back until late October. Matt Savoie is on the same timeline, while Mattias Janmark and Alec Regula will also miss training camp with ailments, according to the team. Not exactly the start Edmonton wants after a down year.

Naturally, no matter what problems the Oilers have had, they’ve consistently been the Canucks’ foil and measuring stick over the last decade. Last year, the Canucks lost three of four to the Oilers, surprising no one.

Canucks/Oilers fun fact: Ty Mueller scored his first NHL goal against the Oilers on April 16, off a great feed by Curtis Douglas. It ended up being the Canucks only goal in a 6-1 loss.

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🚨CANUCKS GOAL🚨 Ty Mueller gets the Canucks on the board with his first career goal! 🎥: Sportsnet | #Canucks

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The Oilers and Canucks won’t be on equal competitive footing any time soon. Still, the Oilers are starting to face stiffer competition from budding rosters in the Ducks (who already upset them in the postseason last year) and the up-and-coming Sharks. And the Canucks will have the chance to put the fear of the hockey gods into their Western Canadian rivals, thanks to a home-and-home set to open the season.

Make no mistake, the Oilers will be in the championship conversation as long as they have McDavid and Draisaitl on their roster. But with McDavid’s contract expiring in two years, the window of opportunity is closing.

Bold Prediction

The Oilers take a big step back, but claw their way into the playoffs in a Wild Card spot. Hope they like facing the Colorado Avalanche!

Season Series

September 29 @ Rogers Place (Oilers’ home opener)

October 1 @ Rogers Arena (Canucks’ home opener)

November 7 @ Rogers Place

March 21, 2027 @ Rogers Arena

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