3 Oilers Preseason Trends to Trust—and 2 to Question

The Edmonton Oilers finished the preseason 4-0-0, outscoring opponents 13-5. They won with stars in the lineup, and they won with a younger group facing a near full-strength Vancouver Canucks team. That is an encouraging start under Mike Babcock, but four exhibition games cannot tell us how Edmonton will fare over an 84-game season. They can, however, reveal which changes have a chance to last.

Here are three trends worth trusting as the regular season begins, and two that require more evidence.

Trust: The Oilers Are Playing With More Pace and Purpose

Babcock has made speed a central part of training camp. Zach Hyman described practices as fast and said the team has been working with less space, conditions that force players to make decisions sooner. That approach showed up in games: Edmonton pressured Winnipeg’s puck carriers on the penalty kill, while its younger lineup pushed the pace against Vancouver.

“We’re going to pressure like crazy. That’s what we want to do,” Babcock said after the 2-1 overtime win in Winnipeg. He also acknowledged the players were still learning the structure. The useful distinction is between playing fast and simply having fast skaters. Edmonton appears to be working on quicker support, earlier pressure and more decisive puck movement. Those habits can survive a drop in shooting percentage. The regular-season test will come when opponents break that pressure and force the Oilers to recover into their defensive positions. For now, the pace looks like an intentional change rather than a brief burst of preseason energy.

Trust: Edmonton Has More Options on Defence

Ryan Shea’s two preseason goals will draw attention, but his fit alongside Evan Bouchard may be the more meaningful development. In their first exhibition game, Shea pointed to their breakouts and gaps as strengths. Bouchard collected four assists that night and finished with six assists in three preseason appearances. Shea also scored in the finale against Calgary. The point is not that Shea has claimed a permanent spot beside Bouchard. Babcock has said Bouchard will need more than one partner because of the minutes he plays. That gives Edmonton room to use Shea, Mattias Ekholm and others according to the opponent and situation.

Shea’s production will almost certainly cool off. His value will be determined by whether he can move the puck cleanly and defend the rush when teams send their best forwards over the boards. Even so, a credible additional option would help Edmonton distribute its defensive minutes. That possibility matters more than his preseason goal total.

Trust: The Bottom Six Has a Clearer Identity

The line of Alex Formenton, Colton Dach and Mathieu Joseph supplied one of Edmonton’s most revealing preseason looks. In the opener against Winnipeg, Formenton scored on a breakaway, Dach added an empty-net goal, and their speed gave the Oilers a different way to create offence. Babcock called it his favourite line of the night. Its appeal goes beyond those goals. If the trio can pressure defenders, turn loose pucks into transitions and contribute on the penalty kill, Edmonton could get useful minutes without asking its depth players to score like top-six forwards. That is a more realistic measure of success for a checking line.

The final configuration may change. Formenton’s NHL preseason appearance was his first since 2022, and one strong game cannot settle questions about how he will perform over a full schedule. Still, the role Babcock wants from that group is easy to see. It gives the Oilers an identifiable bottom-six strength to build on rather than relying solely on offence from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Question: How Much Does the Perfect Record Tell Us?

A 4-0-0 record is a good result. It is also a small and uneven sample. Winnipeg used a young lineup in Edmonton’s 5-2 opener, while the Oilers dressed McDavid, Draisaitl and Bouchard. Babcock himself noted after the second Jets game that exhibition opponents use partial lineups.

The win in Vancouver offers stronger evidence of Edmonton’s depth: a younger Oilers group beat a Canucks lineup that was close to full strength. Yet Babcock identified a warning within that victory. Vancouver took control in the second period as Edmonton turned pucks over and put its defenders under pressure. The Oilers recovered, with Tristan Jarry making 25 saves, but a regular-season opponent may punish that stretch more severely.

That is why the first few weeks should be judged by repeatable details: time spent defending, turnovers under pressure and how well the Oilers respond when they cannot control possession. Four wins suggest the group has bought into its preparation. They do not establish that every part of its game is ready.

Question: Has the Goaltending Problem Been Solved?

Jarry’s 25-save performance in Vancouver and Devon Levi’s 23-save outing against Calgary were positive signs. Levi said the team’s defensive play made the Calgary game easier to read, an observation that speaks to how closely goaltending and team structure are connected. But preseason save totals are a starting point, not a verdict. Jarry faced a stronger Vancouver lineup behind a less experienced Oilers group and responded well. Levi delivered in the finale. Neither performance tells us yet how Edmonton’s goalies will handle sustained workloads, repeated starts or nights when defensive coverage breaks down.

Jarry said his offseason work with goaltending coach Peter Aubry gave them time to evaluate his game without the pressure of the season. That work may pay off, but the evidence will come when the schedule becomes less forgiving. Edmonton can carry real optimism into opening night. Its faster approach, greater defensive flexibility and clearer depth roles all have a path to regular-season value. Hyman offered the right measure for what comes next: the Oilers have to establish themselves through the games in front of them. The preseason showed what this team could look like. Now it has to show it consistently.