The Edmonton Oilers want to figure out the recipe for a better start after dealing with another early-season slump. But should we take a deep breath?
EDMONTON - October has been an adventure for the Edmonton Oilers in the past three years, to say the least.
They've gone from sitting with one of the NHL's worst records in 2023-24 to trying to stay above the .500 mark in 2025-26.
While the Oilers have trailed in eight of their first 12 games of this season, their most recent victory, a comeback 6-3 win over a red-hot Utah Mammoth squad on Tuesday night, showed this team can once again learn from its early missteps. (The most glaring mistake from the Utah game: 16 first-period turnovers.)
However, starting strong and avoiding learning the same lessons is something this team is still trying to sort out.
"Or maybe everyone needs to take a deep breath every once in a while, right?" Mattias Ekholm said with a chuckle following Tuesday's game.
In his three full seasons on the roster, Ekholm has been a part of the highs and lows of this core's Octobers. While he's unsure of what the remedy is, ending strong is the biggest thing.
"If you look back on it, since I've been here, this is the best start that we've ever had," Ekholm said.
"So, in that sense, great, but yeah, obviously, we want to start better, but I don't know that recipe, I guess, because I've been here now three tries, and none has worked. As long as we get into the playoffs, I'm happy, but obviously, yes, we want a better start."
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The early problems in 2023-24 were a combination of goaltending troubles, with Jack Campbell struggling to maintain a save percentage above .880, and Connor McDavid's early injury. The Oilesr went 2-5-1 in October 2023.
In 2024-25, Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard tried to sort things out in net, recording .872 and .897 save percentages in October, respectively. The team went 5-5-1.
In 2025-26, the Oilers again need consistent goaltending, and they're dealing with injuries, a lack of flow in the offense and a consistently shifting lineup. That said, they're 5-4-2.
Watch Avry Lewis-McDougall's video column above on the Oilers' most troublesome month.
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