4 Oilers Who Need a Good Start to the 2026-27 Season

The new season is upon us as teams will play their opening game or two throughout this week. All eyes will be on the stars on the ice, and fans will be paying close attention to how their team comes out of the gate. The Edmonton Oilers open things up on Tuesday, Sept. 29 against the Vancouver Canucks and with many new possibilities and questions in this Oilers lineup, there will be a few players to keep an eye on as play ramps up in October and beyond.

Edmonton has a healthy mix of veteran stars, new additions, young guns, and everything in between, so finding chemistry early and stringing together wins will be important in the long run. There are a handful of players I think everyone should be watching specifically as the season gets going because these guys could be game-changers for the team. The following players all roll into the season with a different story and potentially a big role to play, but a good start is critical.

Zach Hyman

Everyone has seen the incredible potential Zach Hyman has as a goal scorer and pest overall in the offensive end. He is a menace in the trenches of the other team’s zone and holds a signature spot just outside the crease on power plays, where he has buried quite a few goals. There’s no concern he’ll be able to play his game for the Oilers; however, it’s about getting there for Hyman after a late start last season.

Hyman started the 2025-26 season on injured reserve after sustaining a wrist injury in the 2025 Playoffs. This prompted a slow start, with one goal and four points in his first eight games back, all while the Oilers were in the midst of a sluggish first month of the season and trying to find their footing.

Hyman would later pick things up as expected, scoring 31 goals and 52 points to finish the season; however, starting the 2026-27 season fully healthy could mean higher production and more success for the Oilers. He will be a key to the offence early on in the season and will need to be himself right off the bat.

Isaac Howard

An Oiler that always has eyes on him is Isaac Howard. The young forward has been up and down from the American Hockey League (AHL) and the big club a couple times since joining the team last summer, and his role heading into this season remains a question. Howard can put it all to rest and be a large part of the team if he can unlock his game at the NHL level right away in October.

Howard recorded two points in four preseason games and was a plus-2. He looked comfortable and was making some strong plays. There is a hole to fill in the lineup right now with Matt Savoie slated to miss extended time, so Howard will have until Savoie returns to prove he belongs alongside the other youngster. The potential is there, and he’ll be one to watch.

Jake Walman

It wasn’t Jake Walman’s best body of work in the 2025-26 season, but I believe in a bounce-back campaign for him this season. He comes in with a clean bill of health and more responsibility to undertake with the blue line seeing a shake-up. We’ve seen what he can do and how impactful he can be.

Walman finished last season as arguably Edmonton’s best defender in the 2026 Playoffs. He was making plays on both ends and was a big part of keeping the team in the series at times. His leadership and dynamic play will be a key for this Oilers team that will need a strong locker room. It will also be interesting to see how he handles potentially playing more minutes as a team veteran, or even reduced minutes if the young guys can step up. Walman being a team player and finding a role is a must in the early going.

Tristan Jarry

No one needs a hot start to the season more than Tristan Jarry. The netminder is heading into his second season (first full season) with the team, and it looks like he’ll be the opening night starter. Jarry had a tough 2025-26 with the Oilers, posting a 3.86 goals-against average (GAA) and a .858 save percentage (SV%) in 19 appearances. With eventual starter Frederik Andersen set to miss time, it’ll be up to Jarry to right his ship.

Jarry will have Devon Levi behind him, another goalie who has seen highs and lows in his young career. Edmonton would rather not rely on the former Buffalo Sabre and presumed third-stringer already in October, so Jarry will have many eyes on him to perform at a competent level for an Oilers team desperate for consistent goaltending.

These players have a variety of circumstances facing them heading into 2026-27, but all have a common goal of willing the Oilers back to the Stanley Cup Final and finishing the job.