Edmonton Oilers given startling position in new NHL power rankings

The new Oilers' players central to the weekly ranking were free-agent singings Andrew Mangiapane and Jack Roslovic, taking into account Mangiapane's 20 goal pace this season and Roslovic's seven points in his last six games.

Much has been written about Edmonton's early-season inconsistencies, notwithstanding injuries to key players. Their overall scoring is down from last season and goaltending continues to plague the team.

A recent trend of blowing multiple two-goal leads points to a lack of intensity and team-aggression, especially late in games. Combined with soft goals, the team will only continue to drop in the standings.

Last week the Oilers were ranked10th overall, a respectable number given they've yet to play their best hockey. This past week, however, in which they lost to both the St. Louis and Dallas in dramatic fashion, has exposed them to continued weaknesses.

The current power ranking of 18th in the NHL, however, is somewhat of a contradiction to the Oilers' potential and how they're being projected.

According to EvolvingHockey's 2025-26 Team Projections, the Oilers are expected to finish the season 1st in the Pacific Division with a projected 110 points, and a 99.3% likelihood of qualifying for the playoff.

Of course, though projections also include a team's actual performances, they are largely based on speculation. Fact remains, the Edmonton Oilers are a contending team even if they haven't played like one as yet.

There is still time enough to figure out what needs correcting before the season gets out of hand. Both McDavid and Draisaitl are producing at high levels, while it's supporting cast continues to get better with each game.