Oilers’ Milestones to Watch in 2026-27

The Edmonton Oilers have a roster full of stars with a lot of points and accolades, as well as some veterans and young players who are looking to make their mark or establish a role on the team. Regardless of their role, there are players across the roster approaching significant career milestones that fans should be aware of.

Oilers players have drawn close to several game and point milestones that are likely to happen this season, and there were many to celebrate last season. Here is a full list of the ones that we could see in 2026-27 and when they could happen.

Draisaitl Has a Chance for 900 Games and 1,100 Points

One of the Oilers’ superstar centres is back on this list for good reason as he has a chance to pass a couple important thresholds. Leon Draisaitl sits at 855 games played with 1,053 points to his name, putting him in a good position to hit 900 games and 1,100 points in 2026-27.

Needing just 47 points to break 1,100 is no issue for Draisaitl. He has recorded higher than that total in every season except his rookie year. He’s a six-time 100-point scorer, and as long as he stays healthy, the 45 games he needs to hit his other mark will come easily as well. He’s played 65-plus games in every season since 2021-22, so expect the point mark to be hit in the first couple months or so.

Draisaitl sits third all-time in Oilers point scorers behind Wayne Gretzky and Connor McDavid, and third in goals scored behind Gretzky and Jari Kurri. He needs 41 goals to pass Kurri for second all-time, so that’s something to watch if Draisaitl has yet another standout season.

McDavid Closing in on 800 Games and 1,300 Points

The other Edmonton star is set to hit similar milestones as Draisaitl. McDavid has played 794 games and amassed 1,220 career points. Barring anything unforeseen, he’ll hit 800 games played on Oct. 13 against the Los Angeles Kings on the road. His 1,300 points will come much later in the season, but we know with a healthy McDavid it’s only a matter of time.

McDavid needs 80 points to cross the mark this season, and in 2025-26 he had that total by mid-January. He did so on his way to a 138-point campaign and yet another Art Ross Trophy. This one should be a lock. He is also just nine goals away from passing Glenn Anderson for fourth all-time in Oilers goal scorers. He currently sits in fifth at 409.

Ekholm Nears 1,000 Games and 100 Points

The Oilers’ most veteran defender is closing in on a very significant mark as Mattias Ekholm is just 34 games away from 1,000 played. He’s been nothing short of a warrior his entire career, and I can’t see why he doesn’t get there this season playing meaningful minutes for the team. If he continues his ways of rarely missing games, he’s on par to play his 1,000th game on Dec. 10 against the Buffalo Sabres.

Ekholm played a full 82-game campaign last season and notched six goals and 41 points, which in turn hopefully catapults him towards another milestone. With 92 career goals, he needs just eight more to hit 100. It would be a cherry on top for what has been an outstanding career for a solid defenceman.

Bouchard Close to Milestones Across the Board

Evan Bouchard could light up all categories this season if he builds off his Norris Trophy-esque 2025-26. He is 71 games shy of 500, 24 goals short of 100, and 43 assists shy of 300; those last two make him 67 points short of 400 in his career. These are all just nice round numbers, but they’re also quite impressive for the soon-to-be 27-year-old defender.

Bouchard put up 21 goals and 95 points last season. He will surely be in the conversation for the Norris Trophy this season and will be heavily relied upon as the team’s top blueliner. He has played in 81 games or more in every season since 2021-22, and his point totals have continued to climb alongside his skill and awareness. I believe he hammers all four of these milestones before the snow melts in spring.

Other Oilers Milestones to Watch

There are several other Edmonton players with milestones to look out for when the season starts up. Zach Hyman is just a couple good games away from 500 points, sitting at 495 at the moment. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is 69 games away from 1,100 and just nine goals from 300, while fellow centre Jason Dickinson is 34 away from 600 games played and 28 points from 200 for his career.

Veteran forwards Mattias Janmark and Kasperi Kapanen are zeroing in on 700 and 600 games played respectively, while also being very close to the 100 goal mark, with Janmark at 83 and Kapanen at 98. Newcomer Mathieu Joseph is 29 games from 500 played, and just one assist shy of 100 career. Finally, defenceman Connor Murphy sits at 825 games played, needing a near-full season to get to 900, and 23 points to hit 200 for his career.

There are many others who are close to hitting smaller milestones in terms of games, but these are the more important ones for now. Follow along with the Edmonton Oilers here at The Hockey Writers all season long to see when these big career moments happen for these players.