As usual, the Edmonton Oilers are in the thick of the playoff race in the Pacific, not only vying for a playoff spot but the team’s first division win since 1987. Currently, they only sit two points back of the Anaheim Ducks for the division lead, but have also played two more games than them.
The Oilers, as of March 14, sit third in their division, with a four point gap between them and the Los Angeles Kings, who have played two less games. How do the Oilers fare in terms of their playoff and division chances?
Let’s take a look!
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How many games do the Oilers have left?
The Oilers have fifteen games left in the 2025–26 campaign. The good news for them is that they only have one back-to-back set to go, and only five total road games left. Sure, the Oilers have not been a strong home team this season, but there’s no better time than now to get the ball rolling there and bank some much-needed points. The Oilers last road game will be on April 11 against the Kings, such a huge game there.
The Oilers end the year at home against the Colorado Avalanche, who will likely be resting guys, and the Vancouver Canucks at home on April 13 and 16. So again, two games where the Oilers should likely come out ahead.
Looking at the schedule, despite how awful the team has been this season, the Oilers should be able to come out with a record of at least 10–3–2. This gives them a record of 42–29–11, a total of 95 points.
When the Oilers can clinch a playoff spot
Now when should we expect the Oilers to clinch a spot in the playoffs? In the 2021–22 season, the Oilers clinched a playoff spot in Game 78 against the Colorado Avalanche. The Oilers had 98 points at that time. The final wild card spot in the West went to Nashville who had 97 points.
In 2022–23, the Oilers clinched on April 1 against the Anaheim Ducks in Game 76. The Oilers had 98 points at that point and the final spot in the West went to the Winnipeg Jets who had 95 points.
In 2023–24, the Oilers clinched on April 5 versus the Colorado Avalanche in game 75. The Oilers had 97 points at that time and the final wild card saw Vegas at 98 points.
Finally, last season, the Oilers clinched way later on April 11 versus the San Jose Sharks in game 79. The Oilers had 97 points at that time and the final wild card saw St. Louis at 96 points.
Right now, the final Wild Card spot holder, the Kings, are on pace for 87 points, which would be the lowest entry in the West since the Wild also had 87 points in the 2015–16 season.
Judging by recent data and how close the standings are to this point, with the Oilers projected pace, they should have clinched a spot by Game 78-ish. The game in question would be April eight when the boys visit the San Jose Sharks.
Now, remember, things can change. The Kings and other sub-wild card teams, such as Seattle and Nashville, can lose or win a lot of their upcoming games which would make clinching a spot come earlier or later for the Oilers. But, using the data as what we know right now, some time during that week when they play Utah, San Jose, and L.A, the Oilers and their fans should see that “x” next to their name in the standings.
Strength of schedule compared to division rivals
Using Tankathon.com, let’s look at the strength of schedule for the Oilers relative to their divisional rivals. For those who do not know what this is or means, in simple terms, it evaluates how hard or easy a team’s schedule is for the rest of the season. It uses variables such as opponents they play and the number of times they do, the number of games left, home/away games, etc. Being #1 means you have the hardest schedule left while being 32nd means you have the easiest at that point in time.
Here’s how the Pacific Division, along with the closest Wild Card teams rank:
| Team | Rank |
|---|---|
| Seattle Kraken | 21st |
| Nashville Predators | 22nd |
| Edmonton Oilers | 24th |
| Utah Mammoth | 27th |
| Vegas Golden Knights | 28th |
| San Jose Sharks | 29th |
| Anaheim Ducks | 30th |
| LA Kings | 32nd |
Yeah…not ideal. Every team the Oilers are fighting with have vastly easier schedules compared to the rest of the league. This will be an exciting race to witness to end the season.
What lies ahead for the Oilers
Is it possible the Oilers will finally win the division? Yep. But history tells us they will not, so I continue to expect it to occur that way. They really need to rally off some wins here, and blowing the Blues game did not help their chances.
The good thing is if the Oilers find themselves tied with a team for first, they have the tiebreaker over both the Ducks and Knights currently for RW and ROW. The Oilers sit at 24 and 32 respectively, Anaheim is at 21 and 28 and Vegas sits at 22 and 29.
Let’s see what awaits us in a month!
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
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