3 Takeaways From Oilers’ 2-1 Preseason Win Against Canucks

The Edmonton Oilers remained undefeated under new head coach Mike Babcock in the 2026 NHL preseason with a 2-1 victory over the host Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on Thursday (Sept. 24).

Forwards Isaac Howard and Quinn Hutson each scored for the Oilers, while Vancouver got its lone goal from centre Linus Karlsson.

Edmonton’s Tristan Jarry made 25 saves in a winning effort between the pipes. Canucks goalies Nikita Tolopilo and Chris Driedeger combined to stop 21 of 23 shots. The Oilers registered 19 blocked shots, compared to seven by Vancouver.

With a record of 3-0, the Oilers are now one of just six NHL teams that has yet to suffer defeat this preseason.

Babcock Has Oilers Locked In

While Vancouver dressed most of its established NHL veteran players, the Oilers iced what Babcock called an “American League lineup”. Per commentary on 880 CHED, the radio flagship of the Oilers, Canucks defenceman Luck Schenn had more played more NHL games than Edmonton’s entire lineup combined. As a result, the Canucks were overwhelming favourites going into this game.

But Edmonton’s squad comprised primarily of players who will be starting this season in the American Hockey League (AHL) got the job done, thanks to a very solid performance. The Oilers made few mistakes, were structurally sound and demonstrated great attention to detail in eking out the 2-1 victory.

While the result may have a lot to do with the calibre of the Canucks, who many pundits are picking to finish last in the NHL overall standings this season, it could also reflect the culture being established by Edmonton’s new bench boss.

To a man, the Oilers have looked locked in right from the start of training camp, playing with a focus not often seen at this time of year, as evidenced in their perfect preseason record, with just four goals allowed over three games.

Howard Needed to Step Up

Along with fellow forwards Owen Micheals and Josh Samanski, Howard is the only player to appear in every Oilers preseason game thus far. That’s probably an indication of both how the Oilers view Howard is important to their success, but also how he needs to adjust to his role under Babcock.

With Matthew Savoie likely to start the season on injured reserve, Howard is penciled in at left wing on Edmonton’s second line. But the 22-year-old, who played 29 games in the NHL last season, was barely noticeable in his first two preseason outings, doing little to instill confidence that he’s ready for the second line role.

With that in mind, Howard needed to have a big game on Thursday, and he did just that. Not only did Howard score the game’s first goal, at 3:58 of the first period, he fired a team-leading seven shots on goal.

While Babcock spoken well of Howard throughout the preseason, the coach has also stressed repeatedly that the five-foot-10 forward must learn to go get the puck. Clearly Howard did that on Thursday.

Jarry Makes Statement

After an impressive performance by goaltender Devon Levi, making 12 saves on 13 shots over 40 minutes of play in Edmonton’s 2-1 overtime victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday (Sept. 22), there was some speculation about who might start the regular season between the pipes for the Oilers. On Thursday, Jarry staked his claim to the crease.

The 31-year-old was beaten just once on 26 shots, conceding a power-play goal that he had little chance of stopping. He turned aside all nine pucks he faced in the third period as Vancouver tried for the tying goal.

Jarry has looked quite sharp over both his preseason appearances, stopping 40 of 42 shots in 97:22 of action, for a goals-against average (GAA) of 1.23 and save percentage (SV%) of .952.

It will be interesting to see who gets minutes between the pipes for the Oilers on Saturday (Sept. 26), when they wrap up their preseason schedule against the Calgary Flames at Rogers Place. Edmonton’s first game of the 2026-27 regular season comes at home against the Canucks on Sept. 29.