Oilers Week Ahead: Schedule & Storylines – Hallander Trade, Bouchard’s Dominance, & More

The Edmonton Oilers are off to a great 4-0-1 start, and they’re the only team without a regulation loss. They struggled defensively, allowing 13 goals in their first two games, but have been outstanding since, allowing just four goals in their last three games. The Oilers have bought into head coach Mike Babcock’s new systems, and the results prove that.

They only had two games last week. They defeated the Anaheim Ducks 5-2, and finished the week with a low-event 3-1 win over the San Jose Sharks, similar to their Oct. 3 win against the Seattle Kraken. Can they carry this positive momentum into next week? Here are a couple of storylines to follow, including their schedule for the week of Oct. 11 – Oct. 17.

Oilers Made a Trade

The Oilers acquired forward Filip Hallander from the Pittsburgh Penguins for defenceman Spencer Stastney on Oct. 7. Edmonton needed forward depth given their current injury situation, and Pittsburgh needed help on the blue line.

Edmonton acquired Stastney for a third-round pick in December, but he didn’t fit. He was healthy-scratched for the final 12 regular-season games last season, and he hasn’t played since. The Oilers acquired Connor Murphy at the trade deadline and Shakir Mukhamadullin in the offseason, further pushing Stastney down the depth chart. He entered the season as the eighth defenceman, so his path was blocked. Rather than losing him on waivers, the trade route was the best bet.

Hallander has just 19 NHL games under his belt. He has two goals and seven points. The 26-year-old was off to a hot start in Pittsburgh, registering one goal and three points in two games.

The @EdmontonOilers pre-game warm-up: Podkolzin-McDavid-Draisaitl Hallander-Dickinson-Kapanen Formenton-Michaels-Joseph Frederic-Samanski-Howard Ekholm-Bouchard Shea-Murphy Mukhamadullin-Emberson Jarry

— Bob Stauffer (@Bob_Stauffer) October 10, 2026

He made his Oilers debut on Saturday (Oct. 10) against the San Jose Sharks on the second line with Jason Dickinson and Kasperi Kapanen. He finished the game with one shot and two hits in 14:11 of ice time. He was steady and was strong on the forecheck and along the boards.

Bouchard’s Dominance

Evan Bouchard continues to prove why he’s among the league’s best defencemen. He’s off to an incredible start. He has six goals and 12 points in five games. He’s tied for the league lead in goals, and tied for second in points. The 26-year-old already has six more points than the next defenceman. He kicked off the campaign with a hat trick and a five-point game in his first contest. Bouchard’s second career hat trick was only the third by a blueliner on opening night, and the first in over 45 years.

Bouchard has been phenomenal. When he’s on the ice at 5-on-5, the Oilers are outscoring the opposition 13-1. He has also been on the ice for 66.67 percent of the shots, 81.54 percent of the scoring chances, and 76.67 percent of the high-danger scoring chances. Those are unbelievable numbers, while still averaging 24:52 per game.

Yet somehow, he’s still disrespected. He wasn’t even a finalist for the Norris Trophy last season, while putting up 95 points, 14 more points than the next defenceman. NHL.com released its first Norris Trophy tracker for this season, and once again, Bouchard was snubbed. He was ranked seventh, behind Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, Zach Werenski, Rasmus Dahlin, Lane Hutson, and Matthew Schaefer. When will Bouchard’s perception change? He’s not just an offensive defenceman. The Ontario native has also improved defensively. His underlying metrics are exceptional, which shows just how good he is. His dominance should be recognized.

Oilers Upcoming Schedule

The Oilers have three games this week with two on the road and one at home. They conclude a three-game road trip and will play their first game against a non-Pacific Division team.

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