For the first time in franchise history, the Edmonton Oilers have completed a perfect preseason.
The Oilers achieved the 4-0-0 record with a dominant 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Saturday. That win saw nine Oilers players make their way onto the scoresheet in some form, with three of them recording multi-point outings.
Here are my four takeaways from the Oilers' win over the Flames and how they set up the start of the team's 2026-27 regular season campaign.
A strong defensive effort from the Oilers, particularly during the first period
Saturday saw the Oilers play what was easily their best first period of the preseason.
Such was especially true on the defensive side of the ice, where the Oilers were capable of keeping the Flames from establishing anything and creating any consistent pressure beyond the middle of the ice for much of the first period. Only after the 14-minute mark of the hockey game were the Flames able to create any sustained offensive pressure; said momentum yielded two shots on goals.
Speaking of shots on goal, the Oilers also kept the Flames from recording any scoring chances for well over half the first period. Anything that the Flames attempted to create in that regard was easily disrupted and turned around with speed and numbers.
Overall, that is an improvement on what has been observed in the other three preseason games, where the Oilers would either concede the first goal or get outshot to some degree.
The offense played a strong first period too
This is more of a second part to my first takeaway, but it also serves as its own point of analysis.
The Oilers ended up outshooting the Flames 9-5 in the first period; Zach Hyman was able to convert one of those shots on the power play, with the assists coming from Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard. The team also did well in terms of holding the puck in the offensive zone, allowing for continued cycling of the puck from the blue line and constant pressure on any open lanes left by the Calgary defense.
While the scoreline was no different from their first preseason contest against Winnipeg or their most recent game against Vancouver, the early-game offensive effort looked way more complete on Saturday than it did at any point during the week-long preseason. Even though some of the team's stars have been in and out of the lineup since last week's preseason opener, the fact they were able to put together a nearly-flawless first period is an encouraging sign that the team is ready to go ahead of Tuesday's season opener.
McDavid with some home McCooking
The Oilers might still be in preseason mode, but that doesn't mean we don't deserve some home McCooking.
Tonight's main course came with sides of skating-unopposed-down-the-lane and shots-on-goal-galore. While Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf had answers for much of what McDavid threw at him from either side of the offensive zone, the Oilers captain was nonetheless able to record a goal and an assist during the game.
With Hyman and Leon Draisaitl also contributing on the offensive side of the ice on Saturday, it's safe to say the Oilers' top forwards are humming even before the regular season has formally begun.
Who wants to be a last-minute addition to the Oilers' lineup?
Seven Oilers players that were either non-regulars last season or new additions made an appearance on Saturday. Those players were Alex Formenton, Colton Dach, Owen Michaels, Mathieu Joseph, Ryan Shea, Shakir Mukhamadullin, and Devon Levi.
Of those seven, it feels like Formenton, Shea, and Levi are locks to make Mike Babcock's first regular-season roster.
I've already made my thoughts clear about Formenton and Shea, so let's take a little time to talk about Levi, who had himself a strong performance against the Flames on Saturday. Despite not having much to do to start the game, Levi was able to constantly find answers to a Flames offense that did gain some confidence as the game went on. That observation can be extended to the game as a whole; despite giving up the shutout opportunity with 10 minutes left in the game, Levi looked quite confident throughout the contest and was able to track down the puck even during the high-traffic situations.
Even though Levi doesn't have the same pedigree or level of experience that someone like Tristan Jarry or Frederik Andersen might have, he made a strong case to be the backup goaltender until the latter returns from injury. And if Jarry struggles to start the regular season, there is a chance that the Oilers consider fielding a goaltending trio or even a Levi-Andersen tandem.
In terms of who else could be on the way in as a last-minute addition, I wouldn't be surprised if Owen Michaels gets through the last portion of training camp and makes the opening night roster. Even though he didn't have a point against Calgary, he recorded well over 20 shifts and won two-thirds of his face-offs.
What's next?
The Oilers will have two days to conclude their preseason preparations and to name their final opening night roster. Then, they'll host the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday at 10:00 p.m. to mark the beginning of their 2026-27 regular season campaign.
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