It’s Halloween today, and on a Friday no less, which means you are probably excitedly waiting for whatever Halloween party you are planning to attend. You are also probably either very stoked about the costume you will wear, or frantically searching your closet for clothing or items that have some semblance of being one.

If any of those people happen to be players on the Edmonton Oilers, here are some possible ideas based on how the season has gone so far.

Evan Bouchard – Harvey “Two-Face” Dent

This has been a tale of two Evan Bouchards this season, with him going pointless in the first six games of the season and drawing the ire of fans with some fairly major defensive gaffes.

However, he then went on a five-game point streak, scoring one goal and seven points in that time. He did still have a defensive gaffe or two, but at least he was making up for it like he usually does (and why he earned a hefty $10.5M a year contract).

Sure, you could say Jekyll and Hyde would be a good costume, but that is just so cliché. Plus, “you either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain” seems pretty on point for a guy who was a playoff monster; he became the first NHL defenceman to ever score 20+ points in the first two rounds and then set the NHL record for most assists by a defenceman in the 2024 playoffs, to a guy who at the beginning of the season you could hear many an Oiler fan shake their heads at his play and wonder if he really is worth his contract.

Noah Philp – Rodney Dangerfield

If I asked you before the season started who had the third-best goals per game average of Oilers who have played at least half the season by the end of October, would you have said Noah Philp? If you said yes to that question, you, sir/ma’am, are a liar.

You are probably wondering about that weird caveat, right? Well, despite being productive and showing that he is undoubtedly an NHL player, Philp has been scratched for half the season. More ridiculously, he was scratched for three straight games after scoring his first NHL goal. He then promptly scored again in his return. He played another three games, adding an assist, before being scratched for another three straight games.

It is very clear that, for some reason, Philp “don’t get no respect” from his coaching staff, for reasons unknown, so he seems to be a perfect candidate to embody Rodney Dangerfield.

Oilers’ coaching staff – Kiss Band

The usage of Philp hasn’t been the only questionable coaching decision this season. From the line blender coming out every game, giving rookies Isaac Howard and Matt Savoie minimal ice time, and playing Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl both together at every strength, there appears to be a whole lot of overthinking going on.

In hockey, when things aren’t working, the mantra is “KISS”: Keep it simple, stupid. That seems to be something the coaching staff should look into, as it seems anytime there is anything good going for the team (like Philp playing well or finding some good lines with chemistry), the coaches make yet another change the next night.

But since there appears to be a need to do something clever, why not dress up like the band Kiss? First of all, it is a great group costume in and of itself, and then you add in that it has a clever hidden/secondary meaning that requires explaining, so it seems to be a perfect fit.

Stuart Skinner – Goalie Milhouse Tied to the Net

There have been two goals this year where Stuart Skinner has mishandled/misplayed the puck, leading to an easy goal for the other team. The first was in the very first game of the season, when he left the puck sitting out in front of him, allowing Blake Coleman to easily tap it in.

Then, against the Utah Mammoth, Skinner went out of his net to stop a dump-in, but missed it. Instead of trying to fully get back into his net as quickly as possible, Skinner got down on his knee to block a pass in front, which didn’t come. Instead, the Mammoth player took it around the net and passed it when his teammate had a wide-open net. This isn’t exactly a new thing with Skinner either.

So maybe Apu was onto something, and the Oilers should look to tie Skinner to the net to prevent these mishaps in the future.

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Connor Ingram – Anthony Adams rubbing hands together meme

https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/030/423/cover5.jpg

Okay, yes, technically Connor Ingram isn’t an Oiler, as he is still down in the AHL playing for the Bakersfield Condors. But after the Oilers acquired him, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that he would be called up to the big team at some point.

Ingram impressed in his first AHL start, stopping 21 of 22 shots in a 2–1 victory over the San Jose Barracuda. He didn’t have quite a great next two games, though, letting in five goals in two straight games, dropping his save percentage to 0.871.

But things aren’t going that much better in net on the NHL team either. Stuart Skinner is 3–3–2 with a 0.898 save percentage, and Calvin Pickard is 2–1-1 with a 0.841. So there is still an opening to be had.

So this meme of former football player Anthony Adams peering out behind a tree, rubbing his hands and licking his lips seems to be a pretty apt costume for a guy who is looking to restart his career and go back to being a starting goalie in the NHL.

Connor McDavid – Robin Hood

After taking a significant discount on his next contract so the team would have more money to work with to help build a contender around him, one can certainly look at McDavid as being somewhat charitable (although, as McDavid said, it’s not like $12.5M would leave his dog hungry).

So why not pick a costume of a character most known for giving money to those less fortunate? Does it still count when the rich person you are stealing from is you, though? I say sure, why not?

Alec Regula – The Black Knight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Alec Regula has had his fair share of injuries, having missed the entirety of last season, for instance. This year, he came into camp healthy and played himself onto not just the team, but the second pairing. He looked good and like an absolute steal of a move by GM Stan Bowman by claiming him off waivers last year.

But unfortunately, Regula was injured just two games into the season, after taking a hit from former Oiler Evander Kane. He has yet to return to the lineup, although he has been practicing lately, which is a good sign.

The Black Knight seems like a good costume, as it shows resilience to keep going in the face of injuries. Plus, if anyone asks how he is doing in his recovery, he can simply say “tis but a scratch” and leave the conversation at that.

Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire

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