Edmonton Oilers fans may feel some mild whiplash symptoms based on the team’s electric play in early December. After two months of malaise, the team is firing on all cylinders as Christmas approaches. One could argue that urgency finally kicked in, or players returning from injury moved the needle. Both could be contributing factors. However, there are five specific elements that have impacted the team of late. Here they are.

The schedule

The Oilers’ November schedule was cruel and unusual punishment for the team and its fans. The team battled back-to-backs, long travel, injury and illness in order to deliver a respectable 6-6-2 record. The final game of the month, on the road versus the Seattle Kraken, resulted in an impressive 4-0 win. Once December dawned, the team has enjoyed home cooking and a more leisurely pace. Including the Kraken game on Nov. 29, Edmonton is 3-1-0 and has outscored opponents 19-7. Some of those opponents are experiencing similar cruel road trips when arriving at Rogers Place, so the schedule should be credited at both ends of the spectrum.

Gapping

The Oilers picked up several bad habits during the Stanley Cup Final in the spring of 2025. Stretch passes from one blue line to the other replaced deft six-foot passes in the defensive zone in breakouts. Another wrinkle involved the forwards jailbreaking on the first sign of possession in-zone, thereby leaving the defencemen alone in case of turnovers (see first goal of Game 6 for a refresher). The gap between defence and forwards had grown to epic proportions, allowing opponents to anticipate and pick off those long passes like defensive backs in football. Edmonton had grown predictable.

We have seen an ease in gapping in the past few games. The forwards are also hauling ass on the backcheck and helping with turnovers. Part of that comes from the return of Zach Hyman from injury. He is a one-man wrecking crew in this area. However, Leon Draisaitl has been exceptional on the backcheck in recent days, suggesting it’s a specific new look when turnovers occur in the neutral zone.

Zone entry

One of the truly baffling things the Oilers indulged in early this season was the “place and chase” entry. Although it’s been in the game plan for years, the heavy reliance on it in this fall’s early games was curious. Every analytics study of zone entry tells us that entering in possession of the puck, under control, is the most efficient way to deliver offence.

Edmonton not only eschewed the zone entry attempts over the stretch pass, but many of the individual zone entry attempts involved players trying to do too much (dekes over passes), and the play dying on a single player’s stick.

In the last several games, the team has altered the percentage of place and chase deployments and increased the short passes that lead to more promising sorties into the offensive zone. Part of the success rate involves the quality of competition, but every line seems to have a more varied offensive template since the beginning of December.

Consistent lines

Once coach Kris Knoblauch moved Ryan Nugent-Hopkins from No. 3 centre to playing left wing on the Connor McDavid line, the club gained traction. In the early days of the season, there was constant shuffling as the coaching staff dealt with injuries and a lack of chemistry. You could make a strong argument that there was too much shuffling, and the recent success of each line suggests running consistent trios is the right play for Edmonton.

LineMinsGF-GA (X-Goals Pct)

McDavid

25

2-2 (63)

Draisaitl

23

2-0 (64)

Henrique

25

1-0 (65)

Lazar

30

1-0 (63)

All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat Trick

This is a small sample, and the quality of competition is a factor. However, there is a consistency in the lines, and there’s more balance in deployment. One of the areas that impacted the team early was heavy reliance on the McDavid and Draisaitl lines.

For much of this fall, the coaching staff appeared to lack trust in Stan Bowman’s free-agent signings (Trent Frederic, Andrew Mangiapane), but there is finally some consistency in the forward lines. That could be key for December and January, allowing the team to feature the team’s depth forwards.

The age 25 and under group

These Oilers haven’t won the Stanley Cup and are an aging roster. Much of the activity each summer involves signing older free agents. Edmonton general manager Stan Bowman is attempting to address the issue and has had considerable early success. The Oilers’ current top-20 prospect list contains nine men who have played games this season for the AHL Bakersfield Condors. Two of those names (Ike Howard and Connor Clattenburg) have played in the NHL this season, and players like Quinn Hutson and Josh Samanski could see Edmonton by spring.

The key 25 and under players are Vasily Podkolzin (5-7-12 through 29 games), Matt Savoie (6-4-10 through 29) and a pair of right-handed defencemen, Alec Regula and Ty Emberson. These are important players for the organization because they have low-cap contracts and are occupying important roster spots. The build from Bowman’s signings will continue, but not every bet will cash. As an example, it’s possible that only one of Regula or Emberson will be with the club long term. The more bets the better, and the roster currently houses five players who fit the description.

Since the Kraken road game, these players have helped the team in material ways.

PlayerContribution

Three goals in last four games

4-0 five-on-five goals, 1-1-2

Two assists in four games

1-0, 65 pct X goals five-on-five

9 hits, two penalties drawn

All numbers via Natural Stat Trick

Savoie’s role is growing, with him and Podkolzin running on the Draisaitl line recently. Regula and Emberson have been uneven but are matriculating as NHL defencemen. The hope is that one of them will be able to occupy a top-four defensive role come playoff time.

Howard may spend most of the winter in the minors, but he is a substantial talent. With Savoie close to graduating as a prospect and pushing for a strong NHL role, Howard’s recall will come into view. It’s important for the Oilers to have a constant pipeline of inexpensive and useful talent coming from Bakersfield. That element has been lacking for several years. Clattenburg should be credited with igniting the team with some emotion and forcing several veterans into the battle with his rugged play.

Bottom line

The Oilers have a much better schedule through December and into January. The team should climb the standings before Christmas, and could push for one of the two top spots in the Pacific Division before the Olympic break. The five reasons listed above should help sustain the current streak, with an always-present sixth element (luck) also in the picture.