There is no hiding that this season has not gone well for the Edmonton Oilers so far, to put it mildly. Many of the moves made in the off season have not panned out and the goaltending is the worst it has been since the Oilers inaugural NHL season.
However, given the nature of the holiday south of the border, it is a time to look beyond the negative and focus on the positive and be thankful for the things we have. Below are five things the Oilers have to be thankful for this year.
1. Overtime and the loser point
Although the Oilers have struggled mightily they currently sit only two points outside of the last Western Conference wildcard spot of the NHL standings. This is in large part because of the existence of overtime and the loser point as the Oilers have only five regulation wins (out of 10) and have five overtime losses, giving them five points.
This means that of the 25 points the Oilers have accrued this season, 15 of which have come as a result of overtime. This is thee ultimate thing the Oilers must be thankful for this season, as it has kept their playoff hopes alive.
2. The NHL Draft Lottery
Although the Oilers have not been a true lottery team for years, it has directly resulted in the club getting multiple key players on their roster. The Oilers won four draft lotteries during the 2010's alone (in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2015) giving the club the right to select first overall four separate times, something that would be impossible now.
Specifically, it impacts the roster now in the form of two core players; Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid. The NHL Draft as a whole has helped the Oilers add multiple other key core pieces as well like Evan Bouchard and Leon Draisaitl.
3. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl
Similar to No. 2, the Oilers fanbase and the franchise in general should be incredibly thankful for their two franchise cornerstone pieces, McDavid and Draisaitl. They are the this generation's Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, just without the Stanley Cup rings. On top of this, they are currently the Oilers points leaders by a very wide margin.
Oilers Leon Draisaitl has 10 points (4 G, 6 A) during his 6-game point streak (his 2nd point streak of at least 6 games this season)
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) November 26, 2025
Through 25 games, McDavid has racked up 34 points (10 goals, 24 assists) while Draisaitl has scored 29 points (14 goals, 15 assists), ranking first and second in Oilers scoring. They also sit eight points up from the next closest player, Bouchard with 21.
4. Powerplays
The Oilers have continued to struggle scoring goals at 5-on-5 all season but still have one of the most lethal man advantages in the league. As of right now, the powerplay ranks third across the NHL having converted on 17 out of 61 opportunities for a 27.9 percent success rate.
It adds even more impact when the Oilers rank 29th in powerplay time on ice, proving they are given very few opportunities compared to the rest of the league (evolving-hockey.com). This adds even more to the strength of the Oilers when they are on the powerplay and should make the team even more thankful when they are given the chance to be on the man advantage.
5. Jack Roslovic
It was announced during the season opener that the Oilers signed top remaining free agent forward, Jack Roslovic to a one-year, $1.5 million deal. Since signing he has emerged as one of the Oilers top depth players, producing at the best rate of his entire career, scoring 18 points (10 goals, eight assists) in 23 games with the team this season.
The Oilers should be incredibly thankful for Roslovic choosing to sign with the team, as he has proven to be an immensely valuable member of the forward group, scoring multiple game-winning goals in his time in Alberta's capital. It is even more special since it was reported that he had initially turned down the Oilers offer.
Despite the struggles, there is plenty to be thankful for, for the Edmonton Oilers. Happy American Thanksgiving to those who celebrate!