For all the criticism the Edmonton Oilers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers] have received, just in general, they are amoung the best of Canadas NHL teams. Edmonton is 12-3-3 through 18 games, first in the Pacific Division, and fourth in the NHL, making them the highest-ranked Canadian team with 27 points and a .750 points percentage. The Montreal Canadiens are the closest Canadian team, at 11-3-3 with 25 points, followed by the Ottawa Senators at 11-6-1 with 23. After that, things get pretty ugly. Toronto is 8-9-2, Calgary is 8-9-1, Winnipeg is 7-8-3, and Vancouver is at the bottom of the entire NHL with just three wins in 19 games. Edmonton is averaging 4.17 goals per game and leading the seven Canadian teams in scoring. Connor McDavid has 47 points through 18 games, while Leon Draisaitl has 16 goals. Those two have been primarily responsible for Edmonton's offence, although Mike Babcock has been getting some encouraging performances from players further down the lineup. The Oilers have managed all of this while dealing with injuries to their goaltenders, a bottom six that has occasionally struggled to contribute, and a few defensive performances that deserved their fair share of criticism. Their 6-2 loss to Toronto was one of those games. Binnington On Oilers Trade Radar?: Not So Fast [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/8ba0734a-4687-44d0-810c-ca1bcda7228f.jpeg] Binnington On Oilers Trade Radar?: Not So Fast While one analyst linked Jordan Binnington to Edmonton, another NHL insider shot down the theory. The Oilers are standing pat rather than chasing a costly trade. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/latest-news/binnington-on-oilers-trade-radar-not-so-fast] The Maple Leafs came into Rogers Place and completely outworked Edmonton, giving Babcock plenty to criticize afterward. Toronto has since struggled to put together much of anything, sitting seventh in the Atlantic Division with 18 points. A win against Edmonton obviously hasn't solved Toronto's problems. Montreal, meanwhile, has been one of the most exciting teams in the league. The Canadiens are 8-0-2 over their last 10 games, and their .735 points percentage puts them just behind Edmonton among Canadian clubs, while playing some pretty good hockey at even strength with a 52.8 per cent of shot attempts at five-on-five. Edmonton is at 47.3 per cent, which ranks 26th in the league. Is The Oilers' Goaltending Just Cursed? [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/82d2e49e-57c9-40f5-855a-300a38c95038.jpeg] Is The Oilers' Goaltending Just Cursed? Everyone knows by now that the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers">Edmonton Oilers</a> can't seem to keep their goaltenders healthy. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/latest-news/is-the-oilers-goaltending-just-cursed] The Oilers have been winning plenty of games, although their results haven't always reflected how much time they've spent defending. Ottawa is also off to a reasonable start, sitting fourth in the Atlantic with 23 points and an 11-6-1 record. The Senators have won five of their last 10 games and are currently occupying a playoff position, giving Canada three teams with an early claim to being among the league's better clubs. As for the remaining four, there's quite a bit of work to be done. See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source [https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=thehockeynews.com]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
