Welcome to our final Oil Check of the season! The Edmonton Oilers have officially closed the book on all 82 regular-season games of the 2026 NHL season. The team is hoping for not just another long playoff run, but to finally hoist the Stanley Cup this spring.
At our last check-in, the Oilers were vying for the Pacific Division title and guaranteed home ice for the first two rounds of the playoffs.
The Oilers won their first two games: a 3–0 shutout over the Seattle Kraken and a 3–1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. However, the Vegas Golden Knights handed them their lunch in a 5-1 loss. Then, the team dropped a high-scoring affair against the Utah Mammoth. They looked to be back on track with a 5–2 win over the San Jose Sharks, effectively killing the Sharks’ playoff chances. But then the Oilers lost in one-goal games to both the Los Angeles Kings and the Colorado Avalanche.
That set up the last game of the season against the Vancouver Canucks to be a very important one. This was something no one expected—it was the last game of the season against the worst team in the league. Edmonton was just one point up on both the Anaheim Ducks and L.A. and the team needed just one point to clinch home ice. However, a regulation loss would put them at risk of falling to the final wild card spot and a date with the Avalanche.
The Oilers put any worry to rest early. They scored 1:58 into the game as part of a four-goal first period. Edmonton finished off the Canucks in convincing fashion in a 6–1 victory.
Let’s take a look at some of the bigger storylines that arose over the last stretch which will certainly play a part in the upcoming postseason.
Connor Ingram takes over the net
Connor Ingram has been one of the best stories this season. Ingram started the season being told not to report to Utah’s training camp. Now, he is the starting goalie for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations. This led to him being the Oilers’ nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy. He actually won this before back in 2024. Considering the Oilers acquired Ingram with $800,000 of his $1.95M salary retained for just future considerations, this is arguably the best training camp trade in Oilers history.
Ingram has provided the Oilers with a solid starting goalie performance this season. His 16 wins are tied for the 16th most in the league since his first game on December 21. His 0.899 save percentage is also ninth in the league among goalies with at least 30 games from then onwards, while his 2.60 goals against average puts him fifth.
Ingram has been great since our last Oil Check. He has had a 0.926 save percentage and 1.76 goals against average in six games.
Ingram’s play has led Oilers fans to have somehealthy confidence in the goaltending heading into the playoffs. This is something that they haven’t felt in a long time, arguably as far back as Roloson in 2006. Although I would suggest there weren’t any concerns in 2017 with Cam Talbot’s performance either.
Connor “Art Ross” McDavid
With 138 points, Connor McDavid has clinched his sixth Art Ross Trophy win. He passes Jaromir Jagr and Phil Esposito, and is now tied with Mario Lemieux and Gordie Howe for the second most of all time.
It is the second-highest total of McDavid’s career, as well, finishing eight points above second-place Nikita Kucherov.
McDavid stepped up his game when Leon Draisaitl went down with an injury in mid-March, and then later Zach Hyman. That left an even bigger weight on McDavid’s shoulders to lead the team, and he performed admirably in their absence.
With Hyman having returned to the lineup in the regular season finale, and the hope that Draisaitl will also be available at some point during the first round, McDavid should get the run support he needs to push the Oilers over the top.
Injuries galore
The final stretch of the season saw the Oilers dealing with a string of injuries that sewered the team’s momentum and chance for the division title.
In addition to Draisaitl and Hyman, Jason Dickinson also missed the last part of the regular season after a puck hit him on April 8. Dickinson, one of the Oilers’ main trade deadline acquisitions, was playing a big role both at even-strength and on the penalty kill. Therefore, his loss was a significant blow to the team. Like Draisaitl, there is hope that he will be able to return sometime in the first round. He will be a boon to the team’s centre depth.
Fourth-line forward Max Jones also suffered an injury against the Kings on April 11. He is expected to be out three to four weeks, meaning he will miss the entire first round. While he isn’t a huge point producer, Jones provided energy for the team. He is eighth on the team in hits this season despite playing only 21 games. His 19.1 hits/game is 15th in the league among players with at least 20 games, so he is definitely the type of player who will be missed come playoffs.
Colton Dach, another trade deadline acquisition, missed 11 games with an injury but returned on April 7. Like Jones, he is a fourth-line player who provides energy and hitting, and so his return was very welcome. He has also found chemistry with the much-maligned Trent Frederic. The two have led the team in hits since Dach’s return, and this certainly lessens the blow of losing Jones.
The Oilers already lost Mattias Janmark to a season-ending injury at the end of February. While there is much criticism of his play this year, he has been a rock for the team in the playoffs.
So the Oilers are definitely banged up heading into the postseason. This isn’t great when you consider that a long playoff run is not an easy thing on the body. But one can hope that the team can at least keep things afloat during the first round. Hopefully by the second round, the team will be at full health.
Next Up: the Playoffs
The march for a third straight Stanley Cup Final and the first Stanley Cup win since 1990 starts Monday night, April 20 at Rogers Place in Edmonton. The Oilers will meet the Anaheim Ducks in the first round, which is arguably the best matchup for the Oilers. This is the third time the two teams have faced off in the playoffs. They previously played each other in the Western Conference Final in 2006 and then the second round in 2017. So this will be the first time they play in the opening round.
Buckle up, folks, it’s going to be a wild ride.
