The Oil Rig

The Oilers honouring Adam Henrique for reaching the 1000-game milestone last week is so cool to see- and it's the FIRST time we've ever seen it in Oil Country. Congrats Adam!

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is about to play his 971st game as an Oiler, bringing him even with another beloved Ryan on the franchise all-time list! 🧡💙

Elvis Merzlikins as a trade target for the Edmonton Oilers A player that the Edmonton Oilers have been rumoured to be connected with is goaltender Elvis Merzlikins. He is currently the number one goalie for the Columbus Blue Jackets and has had a strong start to the season. Meanwhile, the goaltending problems in Edmonton have continued to be a significant issue. Is Merzlikins someone the Oilers should go after? Or is it not worth it in the long run?

What’s the biggest issue the #Oilers face time and time again? Goaltending. Is Elvis Merzlikins the solution?

We explore this trade option here!

Breaking down the Edmonton Oilers’ mushy forward lines This might sound unlikely, but the Edmonton Oilers are off to their best start in three seasons. The Oilers currently sit at 5–4–2 through their first 11 games. They have struggled to put together consistent performances night after night. Although the five-goal, second period eruption against the Utah Mammoth certainly helps things. One of the biggest culprits for this lack of sustained success has been the continued juggling of positions amongst forwards.

The #LetsGoOilers forward lines have been mushy with the injuries to Zach Hyman and Kasperi Kapanen. With many line combinations having been used, there hasn't been any continuity.

We break down it below.

Edmonton Oilers prospect roundup: Oilers and their organizational steals The Edmonton Oilers have a knack for picking some late bloomers, and this week is all the evidence one needs of that. From the WHL, to the NCAA, Oilers mid-late round picks continue to thrive in their seasons. This bodes well for the future depth of the Oilers organization. Theres a lot to unpack this week, let’s take a look.

Roby Jarventie’s return to play after injury is showing a lot of promise for the #Oilers prospect.

Read more on how he’s doing in Bakersfield as well as other prospects here!

Takeaways from the Edmonton Oilers 6–3 victory over the Utah Mammoth The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Utah Mammoth 6–3 in their first visit to Rogers Place. What was a glacial start turned into an impressive character win for the Oilers. The second period saw goals from five unique players before McDavid put the nail in the coffin with an empty net goal. While Stuart Skinner will at least be happy the Oilers secured the win, it was a terrible night to be a goalie.

The #Oilers new alternate jersey might’ve brought them good luck last night as they defeated the Utah Mammoth 6–3.

Here are the takeaways from last night’s game:

As per morning skate this is the projected lineup for the Edmonton Oilers

#LetsGoOilers

Breaking down what is going on with the Edmonton Oilers’ Evan Bouchard? Evan Bouchard has time and again proven himself as an elite puck-moving defenceman who can drive play offensively while maintaining solid defensive responsibility. However, through the first 10 games of this season his performance has been a stark contrast to the player the team needs. His 2024–25 campaign easily put him as one of the league’s premier young blueliners. But just ten games into the 2025–26 season, that image has cracked.

Evan Bouchard has been less than stellar to start the season, with costly giveaways and poor positioning being directly responsible for multiple goals against. We dive into why he has struggled so much this season:

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was “a little snake bitten” last season claims Kris Knoblauch The Edmonton Oilers 4–3 overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday night added to their string of mixed results this season. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins meanwhile recorded a goal and an assist to extend his point streak to four games as the team again showed flashes of its offensive potential, before falling just short of a second point. Through 10 games this season, the veteran forward has quietly become one of Edmonton’s steadiest contributors with 11 points (five goal and six assists) despite the team’s uneven start and Head Coach Kris Knoblauch was quick to acknowledge the consistency that has defined his early campaign.

Kris Knoblauch shared that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins might’ve been unlucky last year in his production as the #Oilers forward already has 11 points in ten games this season.

Read more on what Edmonton’s coach had to say here!

“Obviously he’s frustrated”: Leon Draisaitl’s 800th NHL game performance draws candid remarks from Kris Knoblauch The Edmonton Oilers clawed their way back from a two-goal deficit Sunday night only to fall 4–3 in overtime to the Vancouver Canucks. Leon Draisaitl’s two-goal effort, which coincided with his 800th NHL game and came on the eve of his 30th birthday, was the only positive from the night. Head coach Kris Knoblauch acknowledged the push his group showed late but lamented the self-inflicted wounds that left Edmonton playing catch-up.

The #Oilers lost a close one to the Vancouver Canucks last night in Leon Draisaitl's 800th career game. Here's what Coach Kris Knoblauch had to say:

How the Edmonton Oilers can get back into an extended offensive groove Goals have been hard to come by this season for the Edmonton Oilers. They are somehow 4–4–2 despite scoring more than three times in a game exactly once, last week against Montreal. For a team that has long been engineered around offence, this is a concerning trend. Perhaps most concerning of all is both Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard are stuck on one goal apiece, each having only recently scored.

With many new faces added to their lineup for depth, the #Oilers still need to find their offensive groove to win games.

Here’s how they can achieve that:

The week ahead for the Edmonton Oilers: three games to find their hot streak The Edmonton Oilers were able to get off their three game skid and started the week off on the right foot. Starting week #3, the Oilers found themselves on the road against one of their Canadian rivals, the Ottawa Senators. How this week's games played out Edmonton Oilers at Ottawa Senators The Oilers ended their five game road trip with a win and went 2–3 in the process.

The #Oilers aren’t having that great of a start to the season going 4–4–2. Can they turn it around?

Here’s what’s up next for Edmonton:

Oilers Sunday Census: Preparing for Zach Hyman’s return It has been a typically slow start for the Edmonton Oilers. The first nine games of the 2025-26 season have come and gone and the Oilers have a perfect .500 record at 4-4-1. It's exactly the same record they had after nine games last year, too. A huge part of the sluggish start is the line blender Kris Knoblauch has employed on a nightly basis.

Zach Hyman is slated to return from injury as early as this week! We discuss who should come out of the lineup when he gets back. #Oilers

Isaac Howard gushes over playing alongside “best player in the world” Connor McDavid For rookie winger Isaac Howard the transition from college standout to NHL rookie has been a steep climb. But the 21-year-old is trying to make the most of the challenge and particularly the opportunity to skate alongside Connor McDavid, as the youngster noted after the Friday practice skate. Coming off a standout college career at Michigan State where he scored 26 goals and 26 assists last season and won the Hobey Baker Award, Howard is learning the pace and physicality of the pro game.

Isaac Howard gushes over playing alongside “best player in the world” Connor McDavid.

Read more on what the #Oilers rookie had to say:

Breaking down key development factors for the Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers have hit a plateau in developing their youth. Oftentimes, the organization throws players into the metaphorical fire, which benefits no one. This is particularly noticeable with their top two prospects, Isaac Howard and Mathew Savoie. Both made the Oilers out of training camp, but both have found little traction in Edmonton this season. There are a handful of things that Kris Knoblach and company can do.

The #LetsGoOilers top prospects haven't seen much success in the lineup this season. Both Isaac Howard and Matthew Savoie have seen limited playing time in the NHL.

We break down what needs to change for their development below.

Edmonton Oilers weekly update: Hyman’s return, excess defencemen, and a potential trade With so many different people talking about our Edmonton Oilers, it can be tricky to keep up. Each week, we here at The Oil Rig will compile some of the biggest and best news, updates, rumours, and discussions for you to keep up-to-date on all things Oilers. This week saw the boys go through a very wild and disappointing road trip and a fun, high-scoring game at home.

The #Oilers had a rollercoaster of a week starting off with a road trip and winning one back at home. Here’s our weekly roundup of updates, news, and rumours on the team.

Check it out!

How former Edmonton Oilers are doing on their new teams The Edmonton Oilers roster went through a variety of changes in the offseason. They lost some older veterans and brought in some young guns to replace them. So far, the Oilers have had a mediocre start to their season. Guys like Andrew Mangiapane, Matthew Savoie, and Isaac Howard have started out solid on the NHL roster. However, there are many players who moved on from the Oilers in the offseason.

With the #Oilers’ roster changes over the offseason, let’s take an early look at how former players are doing on their new team.

Read it here!

Congrats to David Tomášek on his first NHL goal!

Report: Zach Hyman may be back in the lineup earlier than expected Going into this season, it was expected that Zach Hyman would be out of action for an extended period of time. The team on the ice would need to play without him after Hyman underwent wrist surgery for an injury suffered in the Western Conference Final. However, Coach Kris Knoblauch announced today that he expects Hyman back a bit sooner, as early as the first of November.

Initially expected to be out of the lineup for months, reports are that Zach Hyman will be back in the lineup in the coming days. Here's what you need to know:

Report: Per Knoblauch, Zach Hyman could return as early as the first week of November.

Good News for Edmonton #Oilers fans! #LetsGoOilers

Here is a look at the projected lineup for the #Oilers tonight ahead of the matchup against the Canadiens.

A few changes, Savoie will play in the top line. Pickard to get the nod between the pipes! #LetsGoOilers

The Edmonton #Oilers have placed forward Kasperi Kapanen on injured reseve (IR) ahead of tonight's tilt against the Canadiens. #LetsGoOilers

How the new players are integrating into the Edmonton Oilers Off to another slow start, it is important to remember that there are several new Edmonton Oilers integrating into the lineup. The whirling dervish Coach Kris Knoblauch is no stranger to a lineup that ebbs and flows throughout each game. Naturally, the Oilers early season malaise has a lot of contributing factors, but perhaps there is a silver lining. Despite the team’s record there is quite a bit to be encouraged about.

With only seven games into the new season, have the new players on the #Oilers been able to find their footing?

Check out our early review on those players here!

Taking a look at the best Edmonton Oiler goal celebrations Jake Walman came back from injury to start his season off with a bang, scoring the overtime winner against the Ottawa Senators Tuesday night, on what was essentially a knucklepuck that would make Russ Tyler proud. But what really made the headlines was Walman's celebration of the goal: Walman is known for his celebrations, mind you, especially hitting the griddy…

Jake Walman scored the OT winner for the #LetsGoOilers in his season debut. However, his celebration is what people were talking about instead.

With that in mind, we take a look at the best goal celebrations by an Edmonton Oiler below.

Edmonton Oilers prospect update: Aidan Park, Roby Jarventie early standouts Seasons in all leagues are now underway around the world. The Oilers have a particularly deep prospect pool in goaltending with five goaltenders signed to their affiliates for the 2025–2026 season. It was also a positive past week for their AHL and ECHL affiliates as both now enter Wednesday on a win streak. Lets take a look at the players in the system.

Aidan Park, Roby Jarventie, and David Lewandowski are early standouts in the #Oilers prospect system. Our notes on the group from the past week here.

The Oilers snap a three-game losing streak as Jake Walman scores in Overtime! Edmonton ends the road trip on a high note 🙌🏻

Congratulations to Isaac "Ike" Howard on his first NHL goal! 🎉

Congrats to Oilers forward Adam Henrique, who will play in his 1000th NHL game tonight against the Ottawa Senators!

Report: Edmonton #Oilers forward Kasperi Kapanen will be out for several weeks, according to head coach Kris Knoblauch. #LetsGoOilers

Taking a look at the Edmonton Oilers after the first six games of the season Here we are at the one fourteenth mark of the season. Any predictions I could make at this point are essentially useless, which is actually true about my predictions at any point during the season, so I'll just try put together a general review of the season so far. Statistics and a quick recap The Edmonton Oilers have once again started this season slower than most fans would hope.

The #LetsGoOilers have played their first six games of the NHL season. Sitting with a record of 2–3–1, there have been some question marks surrounding this team.

We break it down below.