How many times in recent history have the Edmonton Oilers dug themselves an early hole only to surge back toward the top of the Pacific Division standings? It doesn't look like that surge will be necessary in 2026-27.
I had serious reservations about the Mike Babcock hire -- and I still do -- but Edmonton has been mauling opponents early. The Oilers are off to a 5-0-1 start while posting a plus-11 goal differential. Each of the team's wins has come by at least two goals.
As you might expect, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard are driving the bus in oil country. McDavid leads the NHL with 17 points, and Draisaitl is in double-digits with 11 points of his own, but Bouchard has been the star of the show early.
Bouchard has always been an offensive machine, but he's hit another level. He's tallied six goals and eight assists, and his 14 points leads all defensemen by a comfortable margin. The most impressive part of Bouchard's game to this point has been his five-on-five impacts. With Bouchard on the ice, the Oilers have outscored opponents 15-2, per Natural Stat Trick.
With Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins out of the lineup, the Oilers haven't missed a beat thanks to its trio of superstars.
As the Oilers challenge the defending champs for the No. 1 spot, here are the updated NHL Power Rankings.
Biggest Movers
8
Ducks
6
Blue Jackets
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Since I expressed concern about the Hurricanes' offense without Seth Jarvis, they've scored 20 goals in four games en route to six consecutive wins. Leave it to the defending champs to make me look stupid. | 6 | 6-1-1 |
| 2 |  | Start etching Evan Bouchard's name on the Norris Trophy (kidding ... maybe). Bouchard is already up to 14 points on the season, and his plus-12 goal differential at five-on-five is absurd. | 6 | 5-0-1 |
| 3 |  | It hasn't been the smoothest of starts in goal for Mackenzie Blackwood -- with 2.33 goals allowed above average -- and yet the Avalanche are still 4-2-0. Blackwood will figure it out, and the Avs will be a machine. | 2 | 4-2-0 |
| 4 |  | Tomas Hertl's scoring dipped quite a bit last season, so it's an encouraging sign that he's got four goals in the first eight games. Hertl has never scored at a 40-goal pace in his career, but returning to the 30-goal mark is well within the realm of possibility. | 2 | 6-2-0 |
| 5 |  | Brandon Hagel is at it again. I think it's possible that he's still one of the most underrated players in the NHL. Off to yet another hot start, Hagel has eight points in six games, which accompany dominant underlying numbers. | 2 | 4-2-0 |
| 6 |  | Logan Cooley stock is on the rise these days. Does he have a goal yet? No, but he's doing what he does best: Distributing. Cooley is up to six assists already, and he's so much fun to watch with the puck on his stick. | 1 | 5-2-0 |
| 7 |  | If there's anyone playing better hockey than Kirill Kaprizov right now, I'd love to see it. He's up an NHL-leading eight goals, and the Wild are crushing opponents with him on the ice. Does he have a Hart Trophy in him this year? | 3 | 4-2-1 |
| 8 |  | The Igor Shesterkin injury seemed like an early death knell for the Rangers' playoff chances -- and that may prove to be the case long-term -- but the Rangers just keep rolling. They've been impressive from top to bottom. | 4 | 6-2-0 |
| 9 |  | Brady Tkachuk had zero points through five games and zero goals through six games, but everything finally clicked for him when he tallied a hat trick plus an assist against the Blue Jackets. | 3 | 3-2-2 |
| 10 |  | Ottawa boasts one of the best records in the NHL, but the underlying metrics present some red flags. The team's 42.7% expected goal share at five-on-five is one of the worst in the NHL, and it's hard to imagine the Sens keep shooting nearly 11% at full strength. | 1 | 5-2-0 |
| 11 |  | Anaheim's blue line doesn't inspire much confidence on paper, but it hasn't been an issue yet. The Ducks have been relatively steady on defense, which is a huge improvement over last year. | 8 | 4-2-0 |
| 12 |  | Sergei Murashov was great in the AHL last season, and he may well be ready for primetime. He's saved 2.01 goals above average in three starts while posting a .879 high-danger save percentage. | 1 | 3-3-1 |
| 13 |  | Wyatt Johnston has been a bit unlucky in the early going. He hasn't scored on any of his 11 shots, and now he's dealing with an illness. Johnston's issues have contributed to an uneven start for Dallas as a whole. | 3 | 2-3-1 |
| 14 |  | It's been a brutal start for Jordan Kyrou in D.C. He's got two points in six games, and his minus-4 goal differential at five-on-five isn't terribly flattering, although the expected goals numbers paint a prettier picture. | 5 | 3-3-0 |
| 15 |  | The Montreal power play has all the weapons to be lethal, but it has been anything but to this point. The Canadiens have capitalized on two of just 20 power play opportunities, and it has cost them multiple games. | 1 | 3-2-1 |
| 16 |  | I'm monitoring the status of Auston Matthews: Franchise Superstar, and he may be all the way back. Matthews already has five goals and seven assists, and he hasn't been this hot since notching 69 goals in 2023-24. | -- | 3-3-1 |
| 17 |  | I can't write about Kyle Connor every week, so I will point out that we may be getting a bona fide breakout season from Cole Perfetti. Not only does he have five goals, but he's also driving play for the Jets. | 5 | 4-1-1 |
| 18 |  | James Hagens, the No. 7 overall pick in 2025, is getting a real shot with the Bruins. He's made the most of it early with four points while averaging 13:37 of ice-time per game. | 3 | 5-2-0 |
| 19 |  | Buffalo needed a step forward from Owen Power this season, and he has delivered. Taking on a bigger role, Power has contributed on offense while posting impeccable five-on-five metrics. | 4 | 3-3-1 |
| 20 |  | The Devils are too good to keep rolling out this goaltending duo of Jake Allen and Nico Daws. It might cost them a playoff spot. Sunny Mehta needs to be working the phones to look for an upgrade there. | 3 | 3-3-0 |
| 21 |  | The newly-minted captain, Robert Thomas, has yet to hit his stride. Coming off three straight point-per-game seasons, Thomas has two assists in six games. In spite of that, St. Louis has a winning record. | 4 | 3-2-1 |
| 22 |  | If the Kraken are going to avoid a major overhaul, some of their recent drafts picks have to make an impact, and Berkly Catton is doing just that. He's providing some offense and has been a net positive at five-on-five. | 5 | 5-2-0 |
| 23 |  | Mason Marchment was a big-ticket signing for the Sharks in the offseason, but he's still getting used to his new team. Marchment has tallied just one assist, and San Jose owns a minus-5 goal differential with Marchment on the ice at full strength. | 3 | 3-3-0 |
| 24 |  | My preseason Vezina Trophy pick, Jet Greaves, has not been his best out of the gates. Greaves has allowed at least three goals in four of his five starts. | 6 | 2-3-0 |
| 25 |  | Outside of Bo Horvat, do the Islanders have the scoring necessary to do some damage in the Metropolitan Division? I have serious doubts. | 1 | 3-3-0 |
| 26 |  | The Predators aren't exactly an offensive juggernaut, but that's especially the case when Filip Forsberg is ice cold. He has yet to light the lamp on 16 shots. I do think the career 13.1 percent shooter will be fine. | 2 | 2-2-2 |
| 27 |  | Not only is former captain Dylan Larkin looking for a way out of Detroit, but 2021 first-round pick Simon Edvinsson is away from the team as he awaits a trade. It's all bad in Motor City. | 1 | 1-3-2 |
| 28 |  | Connor Bedard made his season debut, and the Blackhawks were able to pick up a win over the Penguins. Chicago needed some good vibes after a terrible start, so we'll see if this can springboard the team. | 3 | 2-5-0 |
| 29 |  | If the Kings aren't going to score any goals, they at least need to defend, so it's probably bad that their penalty kill ranks dead last in the NHL at 56.3% | 6 | 0-3-2 |
| 30 |  | Remember when the Canucks beat the Oilers on opening night? No one will ever be able to take that moment away from them. | -- | 2-6-0 |
| 31 |  | I thought goaltending would be one of two bright spots on this team, but both of them have been unplayable so far. Dustin Wolf and Devin Cooley have combined to allow 9.85 goals abover average. | 1 | 1-5-0 |
| 32 |  | The Flyers remain winless, and we've entered dumpster fire mode. Coaches are frustrated with players. Players are frustrated with coaches. Everyone is frustrated with management. This could get ugly. | 3 | 0-5-3 |
