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Real Life Podcast: The Oilers raised beer prices by how much?

Real Life Podcast — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 02:00:15 GMT

Thursday afternoon means a fresh episode of Real Life was recorded and edited, and it’s ready to help you wrap up the week with another dose of nonsense and shenanigans. On today’s podcast, the guys discussed the new Oilers beer prices, the GOAT Edmonton bars, fast food logos, and much more.

The guys kicked off this week’s episode of Real Life with a conversation about logos and fast food chain restaurants. Why? Because Tyler is on vacation and the boys had absolutely no prep done for today’s podcast. From Arby’s logos to drive through problems, the guys spent the first chunk of the podcast talking about total nonsense. Was there any reason for this conversation? No.

Changing gears, the guys dug into the rumoured new beer prices from Rogers Place, which have reportedly gone up by $7 per beer. At $26.50 per beer, the price of going to an Oilers game has shot the moon over the last handful of years. At some point, there is going to be a max price that people will pay before they start to revolt. At some point, people the dam will break with what the fanbase is willing to spend.

Finally, the guys wrapped up the podcast on the Thursday episode of Real Life with a run of topics, starting by listing out the best bars of all time in the city. As you’ll hear from this trip down memory lane, there were a bunch of great spots around the city that have either found a way to keep going or fell apart for whatever reason. Finally, the guys wrapped up the podcast with some Oilers talk as the 2026-27 NHL season inches towards go time.

Listen to the Thursday episode of Real Life below:

Subscribe to the Real Life Podcast for FREE on Spotify here, on Apple Podcasts here, on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Oilers release 27-man rookie camp roster

Zach Laing — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 20:00:38 GMT

The Edmonton Oilers have announced their rookie camp roster that will arrive at the facilities on Friday.

The plan is for players to report for medicals and their first on-ice practice at the Downtown Community Arena, the organization said in a statement Thursday. The big names include forwards Isaac Howard, Josh Samanski, and Quinn Hutson.

There is one rookie game to look at: Monday, Sept. 14 at the Calgary Flames.

Camp is set to be led by the Bakersfield Condors coaching staff, with players hitting the ice Friday afternoon for their first of three practices.

Among the Oilers draft picks who will be at camp are Rudolfs Berzkalns, Connor Clattenburg, Caden Harvey, Howard, David Lewandowski, William Nicholl, Beau Akey, Andrew Robinson, Ryan Cameron, Nathaniel Day, Samuel Jonsson and Eemil Vinni. Six players who signed out of college or Europe will be at rookie camp, including Hutson, Viljami Marjala, Owen Michaels, Samanski, Damien Carfagna and Tomas Cibulka.

The Oilers invited five players — three forwards and two defencemen — to training camp. The forwards include 18-year-old Kitchner Rangers centre Weston Cameron, 18-year-old Edmonton Oil Kings winger Olli Wahlroos, and 25-year-old winger Simon Tassy, who signed with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. On the blue line, 18-year-old Lethbridge Hurricanes defenceman Kyle Heger, and 24-year-old defenceman Zach Bookman, the latter of whom spent last season with the NCAA’s Western Michigan University, and signed with the Condors.

You can see the full list of players invited below:

POSITION	NO	NAME	HT	WT	SH_C	25-26 TEAM	GP	G	A	P	W-L-O	GAA	SV%	PIM	+/-“	BORN	ACQUIRED	HOMETOWN
Forward	72	Rudolfs Berzkalns	6’4″	203	L	Muskegon (USHL)	48	13	12	25				39	+7	Mar. 3, 2008	R2 P58 2026	Cesis, LAT
Forward	65	Weston Cameron	6’4″	190	L	Kitchener (OHL)	44	6	10	16				44	-4	Jan. 1, 2008	Camp Invite	Toronto, ON
Forward	64	Connor Clattenburg	6’2″	205	L	Bakersfield	32	2	2	4				131	-6	May 2, 2005	R5 P160 2024	Ottawa, ON
Forward	45	Caden Harvey	6’1″	183	R	Windsor (OHL)	68	11	23	34				10	+26	Feb. 13, 2008	R6 P180 2026	Beaver, PA
Forward	53	Isaac Howard	5’11”	190	L	Edmonton	29	3	2	5				12	-6	Mar. 30, 2004	TRD 7/8/2025	Hudson, WI
Forward	23	Quinn Hutson	5’11”	170	R	Bakersfield	67	30	33	63				84	-5	Jan. 1, 2002	FA 4/14/2025	N. Barrington, IL
Forward	47	David Lewandowski	6’2″	176	L	Saskatoon (WHL)	57	17	48	65				42	-6	Feb. 20, 2007	R4 P117 2025	Dusseldorf, GER
Forward	57	Viljami Marjala	6’1″	178	L	Bakersfield	72	17	43	60				22	-8	Jan. 29, 2003	FA 6/7/2025	Oulu, FIN
Forward	43	Owen Michaels	6’0″	180	R	Western Mich.	39	13	13	26				6	+10	Mar. 1, 2002	FA 4/2/2026	Detroit, MI
Forward	56	William Nicholl	6’1″	190	L	London (OHL)	32	15	11	26				14	+10	May 24, 2006	R7 P196 2024	Ottawa, ON
Forward	68	Rhett Pitlick	5’10”	161	L	Bakersfield	60	8	15	23				26	-7	Feb. 7, 2001	BAK 6/25/2025	Coral Springs, FL
Forward	81	Josh Samanski	6’5″	200	L	Edmonton	24	2	2	4				6	+2	Mar. 22, 2002	FA 4/2/2025	Erding, GER
Forward	86	Simon Tassy	6’2″	196	R	Wisconsin	39	14	9	23				38	+3	Mar. 21, 2001	Camp Invite	Montreal, QC
Forward	52	Olli Wahlroos	6’0″	187	L	TPS U20 (Finland)	24	8	7	15				6	-7	Feb. 15, 2008	Camp Invite	Kaarina, FIN

Defenceman	82	Beau Akey	6’0″	174	R	Bakersfield	42	8	2	10				22	+12	Feb. 11, 2005	R2 P56 2023	Waterloo, ON
Defenceman	62	Zach Bookman	5’11”	185	R	Western Mich.	38	5	13	18				18	+11	Mar. 29, 2002	Camp Invite	Syracuse, NY
Defenceman	73	Damien Carfagna	6’0″	185	L	Bakersfield	66	7	15	22				24	+18	Dec. 12, 2002	FA 3/31/2025	Wood-Ridge, NJ
Defenceman	78	Tomas Cibulka	6’0″	170	L	Ceske Budejovice	47	7	15	22				35	-10	Apr. 2, 2004	FA 3/27/2026	Ceske Budejovice, CZE
Defenceman	83	Kyle Heger	6’0″	196	L	M.Hat/Leth (WHL)	64	11	24	35				37	-16	Sep. 21, 2007	Camp Invite	Eagan, MN
Defenceman	76	Andrew Robinson	6’0″	190	L	Windsor (OHL)	63	9	15	24				19	+36	Jan. 8, 2008	R5 P133 2026	Oakville, ON
Defenceman	79	Samuel Sjölund	6’3″	200	L	Western Mich.	39	6	23	29				18	+13	May 19, 2001	BAK 4/8/2026	Stockholm, SWE

Goalie	91	Ryan Cameron	6’2″	183	L	Cedar Rapids (USHL)	40				24-11-5	2.92	0.882			Aug. 21, 2007	R7 P212 2026	Berwyn, PA
Goalie	40	Nathaniel Day	6’3″	214	L	Fort Wayne	39				22-9-8	2.76	0.893			Feb. 4, 2005	R6 P184 2023	Burlington, ON
Goalie	33	Samuel Jonsson	6’5″	201	L	Fort Wayne	33				21-8-2	2.38	0.91			Dec. 15, 2003	R5 P158 2022	Gävle, SWE
Goalie	60	Eemil Vinni	6’3″	187	L	JOKP (FIN)	17				8-5-4	2.99	0.884			Dec. 18, 2005	R2 P64 2024	Vantaa, FIN

Zach Laing is Daily Faceoff Edmonton’s managing editor and The Nation Network’s news director. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.

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Ten Thursday Thoughts: Who plays with Murphy, ex-Oiler Ingram an option in Columbus, and more

Jason Gregor — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 18:30:41 GMT

With so much going on in the sporting world, there is a lot to discuss and much to think about.

Has any playoff team lost more key pieces than the Anaheim Ducks have this off-season? The Ducks’ playoff roster has been depleted, and their roster today isn’t nearly as good. John Carlsson and Jacob Trouba averaged over 24 minutes per game in the playoffs, and both are gone. Carlsson signed in Tampa Bay, and Trouba is a San Jose Shark. Olen Zellweger was traded to Buffalo. Mason McTavish was dealt to St. Louis. Chris Kreider agreed to terminate his contract yesterday, and Troy Terry is expected to miss the first two months of the season after having hip surgery to repair a torn labrum and a hip impingement. Terry had 57 points in 61 regular-season games last year, Kreider had 50 points, and McTavish had 41. Those three were among their top eight scorers. They are all gone, and they’ve been replaced by A.J. Greer and Jeff Malott on the roster. Young Roger McQueen will have an opportunity to earn a role on the top two lines in camp, but he’s only 19. It is a big ask for him to score 40-50 points. They still have Leo Carlsson, Beckett Sennecke, and Cutter Gauthier (once he signs), but the Ducks’ offensive depth is worse on paper. Their blueline is much more inexperienced. Carlsson, Trouba and Radko Gudas are out. They signed Nick Jensen, and he’ll be their No. 3 D-man, but Drew Helleson (25), Ian Moore (24), Tyson Hinds (23), and Tristan Luneau (22) are currently their fourth-through-seventh defenders. Hinds played 11:01 per game in the playoffs, Moore played 10:06, and Helleson averaged 9:13. They will all be asked to play more now. The Ducks will need many players to elevate their play in order for them to be better than Los Angeles and San Jose. That’s a big ask.
Speaking of Kreider, once he becomes an unrestricted free agent, he will be sought after. I think Montreal would really benefit from signing him. He would be a great complementary forward in their top nine and add some experience, size, speed and net-front presence. By agreeing to terminate his contract, he walked away from $4m. Will he get $4 million on a new deal? He did score 50 points last year, so I could see it. The Habs currently have $9.78 million in cap space, and the only unsigned player they have his defenseman Arber Xhekaj. Signing both would give them a 23-man roster with 13 forwards, seven D-men and three goalies.

Last year we saw some significant point increases and an equal number of decreases in point totals from the 2025 season.

Atlantic Division		Metro Division		Central Division		Pacific Division
BUF	+30	PHI	+22	COL	+19	SJS	+34
BOS	+24	PIT	+18	NSH	+18	ANA	+12
MTL	+15	CAR	+14	CHI	+11	SEA	+3
DET	+6	NYI	+9	MIN	+7	EDM	-8
TBL	+4	CBJ	+3	DAL	+6	LAK	-15
OTT	+2	NJD	0	UTA	+3	VGK	-15
FLA	-14	NYR	-8	STL	-10	CGY	-19
TOR	-30	WSH	-16	WPG	-34	VAN	-32

Eight teams had a decrease of 14 or more points, while nine had an increase of 14 or more. Not many expected Toronto and Winnipeg to drop off by 30 points, while San Jose and Buffalo’s 30-plus point improvement was also a surprise. Who will be the big movers (up or down) this year? I think Edmonton, Florida, Washington, Chicago, Toronto, Vegas, St. Louis and the New York Rangers will have the biggest point increases. Some teams I think will drop include Anaheim, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Ottawa and Boston.

This has been the most exciting CFL season in a long time. Offence is up, and there are five teams who could win the Grey Cup. Montreal is the favourite, but Edmonton, Saskatchewan, BC and Winnipeg could come out of the West. I’d argue it would be better to finish fourth in the West than third. I’d rather play Toronto than one of the other three West teams in the first round. It is great to see fans coming back to watch the EE. Fans had legit reasons to stop going. The organization was in disarray. So many terrible decisions by the Board in their hiring of the wrong president, and then giving Chris Jones the general manager and head coach role, dug a deep hole. But when Larry and Deb Thompson purchased the team, it saved the organization. Hiring Chris Morris as president was genius, and Morris’ first major decision was hiring Ed Hervey as general manager. Those two, along with the Thompsons, have put the team back on track. Head coach Mark Kilam is only in his second season as a head coach, and he’s made huge strides. The team is competitive again and has given fans a reason to care again. I won’t be surprised to see them average close to 30K in the coming years.
It is wild to watch Vladimir Guerrero Jr. become non-threatening at the plate. He’s hit into 19 double plays this year while only hitting eight home runs. He can’t string together two or three games where he’s dangerous at the plate. I don’t think any player hits the ball into the ground more often than him. He’s hitting soft dribblers consistently and rarely hitting the ball on a line, yet the Blue Jays are only one game out of the final wildcard spot currently held by Cleveland. The Jays are magically still in the race because Cleveland, Baltimore, Texas and the rest of the AL are equally inept. With 15 games remaining in the season, Toronto could still make the playoffs, and they’d face either Houston or Texas in the opening round. Houston is 74-72, Cleveland is 74-73, Toronto is 73-74, and Texas is 72-74. This is a classic turtle derby. Cleveland holds the final wildcard spot.
Toronto is 1.0 game back.
Texas is 1.5 games back, and they play the game in hand tonight.
Baltimore is 3 games back.
Here is the remaining schedule.

Who gets in?
Columbus needs another goalie. Elvis Merzlikins is meeting with Doctors in Switzerland this week and then will meet with Columbus’ doctors next week, and they will have a better idea of when he might return from injury. He won’t be ready to start the season and could be out multiple months. Jet Greaves is their starter, and right now Phoenix Copley is their backup. Aaron Portzline was on my show yesterday, and he said Connor Ingram could be an option for them. They either bring in a goalie, or they will be active on the waiver wire. Ingram would be a good backup option.
Who plays the most minutes five-on-five with Connor Murphy this year? Will it be Jake Walman or Ryan Shea? Will D.J. Smith want his five-on-five partner to be his penalty killing partner? Training camp and preseason should give us a good indication of what Smith is planning. The team, and really the entire organization, is focused on improving the penalty kill. Outside of 2024, it has been below average since 2022, and the past two playoff years have been dreadful, running at 50 per cent in 2026 and 67.1 per cent in 2025. They need to get the penalty kill sorted out.
Another minor hockey season is about to begin. Some teams have already had tryouts while others will start in the next week or so. I’ve had the pleasure of coaching for the past six years, and the one thing I’ve noticed is that there is way too much focus on what level kids are playing in U9, U11 and U13. It is ridiculous. Way too many associations, parents, coaches and even some kids believe the tier you are playing in matters more than what type of person you are. Parents need to rein in their infatuation with needing their kid to play at a high level. People are moving their child to different associations or leagues just so they can play A, AA or AAA. It does not matter. Hockey is a late-developing sport, and where you play at U9, U11 and U13 means almost nothing. We shouldn’t need the reminder, but every year I hear stories about people in the game losing their marbles over which team their kid is playing on, how good their team is and if a referee botched a call. We need to tone down the seriousness of minor hockey. FUN is the first priority. Remember that.
Fantasy football is awesome and infuriating at the same time. How many Brock Bowers owners are scrambling after yesterday’s announcement that he will be out for a few weeks. AJ Brown got injured last night, and Sam Darnold didn’t make it out of the first quarter. All your best plans can go up in smoke early in a season. I joined a guillotine league last year, and it is very different than a regular league. I like both, but guillotine is a bit more stressful because one in-game injury can end your season. Good luck to all of you in fantasy. Hopefully you avoid early injuries.
Will Vasily Podkolzin break out and score 25-plus goals this year? It is possible, but will be difficult since most will have to come at five-on-five. He doesn’t get much power play time. Here’s a look at how many players scored 25-plus goals at five-on-five the past three seasons.

There were nine in 2024, eight in 2025 and 12 last season. The two extra games this season will help players, but if you want to score 25 goals five-on-five, you need to stay healthy. In all 29 times it’s happened over the past three years, the player played at least 76 games, and 23 of those times the player played 80-plus games. Podkolzin could push for it, but going from 17 five-on-five goals to 25 is a significant increase. Zach Hyman led the Oilers with 34 five-on-five goals in 2024, Leon Draisaitl had 23 in 2025, and Connor McDavid scored 24 last year. Many are expecting Podkolzin to improve his goal totals this season, but getting to 25 would be a great improvement. To reach 30, he will likely need some PP time or score a few empty-net goals.

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Mike Babcock spent summer stealing systems from across the NHL

Michael Menzies — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 16:00:40 GMT

There’s a common expression in media: “Good artists copy, great artists steal.”

So what has Edmonton Oilers head coach Mike Babcock been up to this summer as he prepares to end a seven-year gap of standing on an NHL bench? Stealing.

“We tried to see both playoff-wise and regular season-wise what works, what’s best,” said Babcock on Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer on Tuesday about his coaching staff’s off-season preparation.

“By doing that, you’ve got a plan of how you’re going to play, and basically you’ve stolen from multiple teams. Then you’re going to look at your group, and you’re going to say, ‘Can we do this?’”

Unabashedly, Babcock is telling us what we already know — it’s a copycat league. You add what works, delete what doesn’t.

On the doorstep of rookie camps and training camp, Babcock highlighted a few things in his most recent interview, done from South Dakota while hunting elk (yes, seriously).

For one, he reiterated that he wants to have fun. He even used the word “riot” again.

Babcock also talked about how much he wanted Misha Donskov in the fold as a consultant and wants an environment where his assistant and associate coaches can challenge him. As he says, “It’s not about what you think. It’s about the best idea.”

But the most revealing is that there’s the plan, there are the things you want to implement with your personnel, but until you really know your players, you just don’t know.

Babcock said he’s spoken on the phone with all of the Oilers, but other than The Meeting with McDavid, Draisaitl, and Hyman which led to his hiring, he hasn’t met most of the team in the flesh.

Now, that might be for the best, considering Babcock’s methods of getting-to-know-ya created a lot of trouble in Columbus, but for the focus on the ice, everyone can say the right things. There’s only one way to find out.

“Everything’s great in June. ‘Yeah, I’m going to do this. Yeah, I’m going to do that.’ Wait till we go to camp, and we have to do that,” said Babcock.

“Only time will tell. Obviously, they’re going to get to know me. I’m going to get to know them, and we’re going to try to make each other better. I think one of the words you started with was fun. I’m too old not to have fun.

“The bottom line is, until I’m out there with them every day, until I watch them, I’m not going to know. We have a plan. We know exactly what we’re going to do, but we’re ready to adjust a little bit at the start as well, and then build a foundation of just trying to get better every single day, making each other accountable, and having a great time doing it.”

Changing lines? Or adapting systems?

This touches on what I believe to be the key for the Oilers to try and push that last one per cent, as McDavid put it after Babcock was hired.

Under Kris Knoblauch, the response when things weren’t going well (or even when they were) was to change the lines. Perhaps too few system or technical changes, especially in the most important games.

But I think a coach’s biggest area to maximize their team is by playing systems that enhance their skills, not forcing a system onto the players when it isn’t working.

Don’t get me wrong, there are the non-negotiables a coach needs. Particularly away from the puck, the Oilers need to be better. But looking at what Carolina, Vegas, and Florida are excelling at, and seeing what’s transferable to these Oilers ought to be a good approach.

Now, using Babcock’s words against him, that’s easier said than done in June. No doubt, Babcock has his player preferences. But the Oilers also can’t keep “trying the same thing over and over again, just banging our heads against the wall,” as McDavid said after losing in the Final in 2025.

In a playoff series, how they adapt to the new streams of information they’re getting game to game could make all the difference. Until then, though, Babcock has to get to know his players.

“I think the number one focus for our group, without any question, is our play without the puck, and then create more depth in our roster for you to win,” said Babcock. “In the end, you have to have 12 forwards that you count on. Everybody’s got to be important on a team to have success, and so that’s going to be our focus.”

Michael Menzies is an Oilersnation columnist and co-host of PreGaming and Oilersnation After Dark. He’s also been the play-by-play voice of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the AJHL since 2019. With seven years of news experience as the Editor-at-Large of Lakeland Connect in Bonnyville, Menzies collects vinyl, books, and stomach issues. Follow him on X at Menzies_4.

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As camp approaches, refreshed Connor McDavid looks for line stability with Oilers

Michael Menzies — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 15:00:00 GMT

The time away was longer than he would’ve liked, but Connor McDavid believes there’s optimism and energy in the Edmonton Oilers ranks during the captains’ skates.

“All signs are positive,” said McDavid after getting off the ice on Wednesday. It was his first media availability in Edmonton since the team’s exit interviews. “I’m just excited. It was enough time to miss the game for a little while, and that’s a good thing. So missed playing, missed being here with the guys, and that brings energy. You can feel energy around the room.”

Off the ice, though, headlines were dominated by the signing of Alex Formenton, whose arrival sparked a strong reaction given his absence from the NHL since 2022 due to the World Junior sexual assault trial and eventual acquittal in 2025.

However, on the ice, questions about line combinations and the depth chart carried the day.

With the theory that McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will spend more time playing together this season, they were partnered together in line rushes with Vasily Podkolzin at the Downtown Community Arena. But that isn’t ironclad proof that’s how they’ll start the season, or whether that’ll stick.

“I think it’s just going to move in and out,” said McDavid. “I think it always kind of shifts throughout the year. You know how it goes.”

Unprompted, McDavid did add this: “I think this year we would like a little bit more stability, if that’s possible. But that being said, we understand that it’s always kind of a moving target throughout the year, and different situations require different lineups and different formations. But that’s a coaching question.”

Whether that’s subtle shade towards his former coach Kris Knoblauch or not, the Oilers did try many line combinations in 2025-26. Sometimes looking to find a spark in-game, other times lines changing directly after wins.

Despite the line juggling, McDavid didn’t let off his team for last year’s performance. Whether they took things for granted or were complacent, he said, they couldn’t get the regular season engine out of neutral.

Perhaps more time for lines to marinate is the way to go.

“I think we’ve asked for that for a long time is some consistency throughout the lines and building chemistry,” continued McDavid. “It’s not easy just to jump around from spot to spot, guys switching positions, guys playing up the lineup, down the lineup. It’s hard mentally.

“It’s hard to understand what your job is, so I think we’re looking for some consistency throughout the lineup in terms of where guys are playing.”

Tentative combinations could also include Ryan Nugent-Hopkins at centre with Isaac Howard on the left and Zach Hyman on the right. A third line anchored by the returning Jason Dickinson and Kasperi Kapanen and Colton Dach on the flanks. Then a fourth line with Trent Frederic at centre and Formenton with Mathieu Joseph on either wing.

But new coach Mike Babcock wasn’t overseeing this skate, as he revealed on Tuesday’s edition of Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer that he was elk hunting in South Dakota. As training camp starts in less than a week, he’ll start to install his own ideas.

McDavid, along with Draisaitl and Zach Hyman, have gone to bat for the hire in several interviews this summer. But so far, vibes are high.

“The comfort in the room seems good,” said McDavid. “I don’t know how else to say it. Guys have really put their egos aside and guys are here to win. That’s what we want. We want a coach that matches our intensity and our energy and we feel that Babs does that.”

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Oilers bold prediction: Vasily Podkolzin hits the 50-point mark in 2026-27

Sean Panganiban — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 14:00:49 GMT

At around the same time last year, I projected Vasily Podkolzin’s point total for the 2025-26 campaign at 37 points, and I was right on the money in his second season with the Edmonton Oilers.

For 2026-27, I’m going a little bolder and saying the Muscle from Moscow will hit the 50-point plateau for the first time.

A 13-point increase might seem like a lot, and it is. But he increased his points by 13 from 2024-25 to last year, and considering how hard Podkolzin trains and puts in countless hours of practice to perfect his craft, based on that alone, don’t you think he can do it again?

Podkolzin’s offseason work has me believing he can reach 50 points

But I have other reasons to believe that Podkolzin can hit that 50-point plateau. One of them is the early signs from the captain’s skate, where he was skating alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, that he’ll once again be given an opportunity to thrive on the top lines. And after talking with his skills coach, Ned Lukacevic, about the work they did this offseason, I’m even more convinced that 50 points is within his reach.

Firstly, I can try to convey as much as I can about Lukacevic’s tone, and how fired up he gets when he talks about ‘Pods,’ but trying to convey that through writing doesn’t do it justice. I also get fired up every single time I hear the coach’s praise over the phone about Podkolzin’s progression.

Lukacevic and Podkolzin trained together this past offseason, and when I talked to him last month, he mentioned that their one-on-one sessions included drills that focused on a lot of wall work, puck handling and shooting, to name a few. This offseason was the first one where they trained extensively with the Power Edge Pro training aid, which aimed at improving Podkolzin’s agility.

One thing that really caught my attention is that Lukacevic mentioned this is the first time they really focused on working on one-timers. More specifically, he mentioned that Podkolzin made it a point to shoot those one-timers as Draisaitl does.

Ned Lukacevic sent me a peek at him and Vasily Podkolzin working on one-timers.

Nobody does it quite like Draisaitl from his office, but perhaps Podkolzin could give the Oilers another option on PP2 from that spot. pic.twitter.com/mni6FLAf0T

— seanpangs (@seanpangs) August 16, 2026

And from the videos he showed me, albeit a small sample size, it looked like Podkolzin was getting some serious torque behind those one-timers.

Lukacevic also outlined a hypothetical scenario for the upcoming season, saying that Podkolzin will score goals like he normally does, but add in some one-timer tallies, mix in a few more ‘Hyman-esque’ goals from the work they did around the net, and before you know it, instead of the 19 goals he scored last season, we’re now talking about 25 goals.

So, a six-goal increase from last season is very reasonable for Podkolzin.

How can Podkolzin increase his assist total?

Now, let’s talk about how he can increase his assist total. He recorded 18 assists last season, and hypothetically, say he scores 25 goals in 2026-27; he’ll need a seven-assist increase from last season to get to 50 points.

What leads me to believe he can increase his assists this season is the wall-play work that Lukacevic mentioned they worked on rigorously. The coach informed me, “He wants to keep getting better on wall play, and there was a lot of focus and big emphasis on that and also around the net… He refers to a lot of those types of drills as ‘Hyman-esque.’”

He added, “If you want to play, you have to get pucks off the wall quickly… There are drills where I’m rimming the puck, and he’ll tell me, ‘Harder!’ And I’m hammering them.”

A winger who can quickly pick the puck off the boards and move it fast, or win a puck along the boards and make a quick play to their centreman, can turn a routine-looking play into a scoring chance.

Oilers’ Vasily Podkolzin is putting in some offseason work.

Here, he’s getting some reps in on wall play at his skills coach Ned Lukacevic’s camp.

Lukacevic also told me Podkolzin is flying out there 🔥

Video courtesy of: nedlukacevichockey on insta pic.twitter.com/7e3C05SG9L

— seanpangs (@seanpangs) August 11, 2026

When I think of that, I think of Podkolzin springing Draisaitl quickly and elusively on the breakout more often, finding the centreman in a scoring chance down low, or overall helping maintain possession and leading to a cycle. Those are the types of scenarios where we could see an uptick in assists for Podkolzin.

Podkolzin needs more power-play time

On another note, I took a look at players who hit the 50-point plateau for the first time last season, and Josh Doan from the Buffalo Sabres stood out.

Doan put up 19 points in 51 games in 2024-25 with Utah, but jumped to 52 points (25 goals, 27 assists) in 82 games with the Sabres last year, and NHL.com described his game as “Having an elite motor, particularly below the faceoff dots where he often creates a turnover, distributes the puck and dashes to the net.” Sounds awfully familiar to Podkolzin’s style of game, doesn’t it?

Out of Doan’s 52 points, 35 came at even strength, very close to Podkolzin’s 34 even-strength points from last season. The difference is that Doan also had 17 power-play points, compared to Podkolzin’s three, but Doan played 190 more minutes on the man advantage.

Which brings me to my next point, and that’s if Podkolzin is truly going to have a chance to get to the 50-point plateau, he needs more power-play time, which isn’t out of the realm of possibility this season.

And I know what you’re thinking — why would you mess with the core five on PP1 when it’s been so successful? And you’re right.

Yet, by all accounts, it feels like part of head coach Mike Babcock’s approach will be giving players beyond the usual McDavid, Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard, Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins more opportunity.

So maybe, just maybe, that means giving PP2 more minutes in non-critical situations?

If the opportunities are spread around, perhaps that opens the door for Podkolzin and others to get more time on the man advantage. In fact, Bob Stauffer touched on that possibility in a post on Aug. 20, saying Podkolzin would see time on PP2.

Don’t be surprised if the @EdmontonOilers Vasily Podkolzin takes another step forward in 2026-27.
Dedicated to his craft. Exceptional work rate.
Physical.
Will play in EDM’s top 6 and see time on PP2 and on the PK.
On the verge of becoming a play-driving winger! pic.twitter.com/Jx5WStEcwD

— Bob Stauffer (@Bob_Stauffer) August 20, 2026

And the fact that, as Lukacevic says to me, Podkolzin added additional tools in his toolbelt by working on his one-timers and working on net-front, Hyman-esque-type drills, he can be a double threat on that second unit, and he’ll be equipped to step onto the first unit should injuries occur to any of the usual five.

Now, if we’re at 40 even-strength points for Podkolzin in 2026-27, and he adds another 10 on the PP, then voilà, we’re looking at a 50-point campaign.

And here’s one final thought. While I was initially compiling my prediction for Podkolzin’s point total, my gut was saying 48 points for this season.

…But that was over an 82-game campaign. There’s an extra two regular-season games this season, folks.

And if Podkolzin is sitting at 48 points by Game 82, you can bet that his mates, McDavid and Draisaitl, will be setting him up every chance they get. And if I’m taking this prediction one step further, here’s this one: the Russian workhorse hits the 50-point plateau in Game 84. A power-play one-timer from Draisaitl’s office, just like he and Lukacevic worked on this offseason.

Other bold predictions

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McDavid on Oilers signing Alex Formenton: ‘It’s a great opportunity for him’

Lane Golden — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 13:00:13 GMT

More than 400 days after being acquitted following the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial, Alex Formenton is returning to the NHL.

The 26-year-old inked a one-year $850,000 contract with the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday, just in time to hit the ice for the club’s first captain’s skate ahead of training camp.

“I’m very grateful to the Katz family and Stan Bowman, Jeff Jackson, Mike Babcock for granting me this opportunity,” said Formenton. “I’m very excited to be an Oiler and look forward to trying to make the most out of this opportunity.”

The Barrie, Ont., native stepped away from the NHL in 2022 along with four other players who were accused of sexual assault. All five were eventually acquitted.

In 2025, the NHL reinstated the former players involved in the trial. Carter Hart was the first to return, signing with the Vegas Golden Knights last season, while Dillon Dube signed a one-year contract with the St. Louis Blues on July 1, having spent last season with their AHL affiliate. Formenton becomes the third player to step back into an NHL locker room, joining Connor McDavid and the Oilers.

“Listen, I think he’s gone through a process,” said McDavid. “He’s been transparent through the process, and that process has led him here today, and it’s a great opportunity for him.”

It’s been a long road back to the NHL for Formenton, who went overseas in 2022 to play for HC Ambri-Piotta of the Swiss National League during his leave from the NHL. In 2024, he left professional hockey for a year to work in construction. After the acquittal, he returned to Switzerland for the 2025-26 season.

Over four years since his last NHL game, Formenton believes honesty was a key part of his return.

“I think, throughout this whole process I’ve been open and honest of my actions in it, and, given that and being open and honest, I think that has granted me an opportunity today,” he said. “Being away from the NHL for the past four seasons, I’ve been eager to get back and working hard to become the player I was and take a step forward. So, I’m going to do everything I can, on and off the ice, and whatever role that I need to, to help this organization.”

Given the public scrutiny he received during the trial, Formenton said the past few years have been difficult. But he also acknowledged that he learned a lot along the way.

“I think there’s lots of lessons to take from it and moving forward and looking forward to growing as a person and growing as a player on and off the ice.”

Formenton last played for the Ottawa Senators in the 2021-22 season, during which he recorded 18 goals and 32 points in 79 games.

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Ducks off-season review: Anaheim’s messy summer sees already weak defence core get worse

Ryley Delaney — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 12:00:34 GMT

The Anaheim Ducks were one of the busiest teams this past off-season.

Busy doesn’t always mean good, though. After snapping a lengthy playoff drought and defeating the Edmonton Oilers in round one, the Ducks’ defence core has been decimated, as has their salary cap.

After looking like a potential threat in the Pacific Division, the Ducks suffered setback after setback and are a worse team than they were at the end of last season.

Let’s take a look at what the Ducks were up to this off-season.

What major acquisitions did the Ducks make this off-season?

The Ducks are a mess this season, and the reason for it is that the Ducks matched Leo Carlsson’s offer sheet. Early in the off-season, the Philadelphia Flyers gave Carlsson a five-year deal worth $18 million, with the Ducks electing to match.

It was a tough spot to be placed in, because had the Ducks declined to match, they would have received four draft picks while losing their first-line centre.

Carlsson is a fine hockey player, drafted second overall in 2023 and scoring 29 goals and 67 points in 70 games last season, with a strong postseason. However, he’s set to be the highest-paid player on an AAV basis. By matching, the Ducks’ cap structure is all messed up.

That’s bad news for the California-based team, as they still have to pay restricted free agent Cutter Gauthier, who broke out with 41 goals and 69 points in 2025-26. The Ducks freed up an additional $6.5 million in cap space by mutually terminating Chris Kreider’s contract, meaning they have over $15 million to get a deal done.

The Ducks also managed to extend or re-sign a handful of players, most notably Pavel Mintyukov. He agreed to a five-year deal worth $7.2 million annually. Ian Moore and Jeff Malott also re-signed with the Ducks.

Joining the team’s defence core is veteran Nick Jensen. A prototypical stay-at-home defenceman, the right-shot defenceman scored four goals and 17 points in 61 games with the Ottawa Senators in 2025-26.

Of the free agents they signed, the most notable of the bunch is A.J. Greer. His rights were acquired in a trade with the Florida Panthers, with the bottom-six forward signing a four-year deal with a cap hit of $4.25 million after a career-best season.

The Ducks also signed former Oilers James Hamblin and Laurent Brossoit, as well as a few other players who’ll fill out their American Hockey League team.

Which key players departed the Ducks this off-season?

Many of the Ducks’ veterans departed this off-season. On the day of writing, Kreider and the Ducks mutually terminated his contract, freeing up some more cap space for Gauthier’s extension. Kreider was part of the New York Rangers leadership core before joining the Ducks, as was Jacob Trouba.

Well, Trouba signed a long-term extension with the San Jose Sharks, who themselves had a rather wild off-season. Trouba was one of three right-shot defencemen to depart in free agency, as John Carlson departed for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Radko Gudas for the Florida Panthers.

Before signing with the Panthers, Gudas’ rights were traded to the 2024 and 2025 Stanley Cup champions for Greer’s rights, so at least the Ducks got something. That was one of a handful of trades that Ducks made around the draft. Another loss on their back end was Olen Zellweger, who scored seven goals and 22 points in 76 games for the Ducks last season.

Another departure was Mason McTavish, as the third overall pick in 2021 was traded to the St. Louis Blues for a pair of first-round picks. One was used to select Nikita Klepov; the other was traded down so the Ducks could select Marcus Nordmark. Neither player will make an impact on the Ducks for at least a couple of years.

The Ducks’ 2026-27 outlook

The Ducks’ forward core is fine, headlined by Carlsson, Gauthier, and Beckett Sennecke. They have some productive veterans in Alex Killorn, Frank Vatrano, Ryan Poehling, and Greer, but that defence core is one of the worst in the National Hockey League.

According to Daily Faceoff’s line combinations, Jackson LaCombe and Mintyukov will be their first and second pairing left-shot defencemen. After that, there aren’t many bright spots, as Tristan Luneau, Moore, Tyson Hinds, and Jensen are the four other projected defencemen.

The defence core is so much worse than it was in 2025-26, and even then they allowed 288 goals, fourth-worst in the league. There’s a solid chance that the Ducks are a one-and-done playoff team, at least for the next few years.

Other Pacific division off-season reviews

Golden Knights: Vegas hopes new coach can help get them deep

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for DFOEdmonton, DFOCalgary, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on X at @Ryley__Delaney.

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Oilers superfan ‘Mama Stanley’ says she won’t support team after Formenton signing

Zach Laing — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 03:00:36 GMT

The Edmonton Oilers’ controversial signing of Alex Formenton has cost them a superfan.

Mary Loewen, better known as “Mama Stanley” for her silver outfit resembling the Stanley Cup, shared on Instagram Wednesday night that she would no longer be supporting the team.

“Although he was acquitted in court, I cannot ignore my conscience or what this decision represents to me,” Loewen wrote. “As a sexual assault survivor, I must stand by my morals and stand with the woman at the centre of this case.

“For that reason, as long as Formenton remains an Oiler, I CANNOT AND WILL NOT support or cheer for this team.”

Loewen, who became a local celebrity during the Oilers’ 2024 Stanley Cup run, was first seen sitting behind the Oilers’ bench, before becoming a staple at watch parties in Edmonton’s Moss Pit. Front and centre, with two sequin blazers, long skating gloves, a hat that looks like the Cup, and 200 bobby pins holding it all together, she rode the highs and lows the team has faced in their recent playoff runs.

“This isn’t about the players who have been there—I will always love my boys,” Loewen continued. “This is about the organization’s decision to bring in this one player. I just cannot support that decision!

“I’ve cried in waves because I feel betrayed by an organization I have proudly loved and represented for years… I am still Mama Stanley. Mama Stanley belongs to ME—not the Edmonton Oilers organization. She represents BELIEVE, kindness, children, survivors and community. I will not abandon her or EVER compromise her values.”

Formenton was one of five hockey players charged and later acquitted after being tried in 2024 on sexual assault charges stemming from an incident that followed a 2018 Hockey Canada event. The 26-year-old will earn $850,000 on a one-year contract signed with the Oilers Wednesday. He’s spent three of the last four years playing in Switzerland’s National League, scoring 52 points in 88 games.

View this post on Instagram

Here’s her post in full:

“With a VERY, VERY BROKEN HEART, I am making an announcement I never imagined I would have to make.

I am deeply disappointed by the Edmonton Oilers’ decision to sign Alex Formenton.

Although he was acquitted in court, I cannot ignore my conscience or what this decision represents to me.

As a sexual assault survivor, I must stand by my morals and stand with the woman at the centre of this case.

For that reason, as long as Formenton remains an Oiler, I CANNOT AND WILL NOT support or cheer for this team.

This isn’t about the players who have been there—I will always love my boys.

This is about the organization’s decision to bring in this one player. I just cannot support that decision!

I did not make this choice lightly or simply out of anger.

I’ve cried in waves because I feel betrayed by an organization I have proudly loved and represented for years.

Losing Game 7 two years ago meant losing a Stanley Cup; this feels like losing a team I have loved with my heart for most of my life.

CLEAR: I am still Mama Stanley. Mama Stanley belongs to ME—not the Edmonton Oilers organization.

She represents BELIEVE, kindness, children, survivors and community. I will not abandon her or EVER compromise her values.”

Zach Laing is Daily Faceoff Edmonton’s managing editor and The Nation Network’s news director. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.

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Better Lait Than Never: The Oilers sign Alex Formenton and the reaction was exactly as expected

baggedmilk — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 02:00:55 GMT

It’s been another boring week around here with the Oilers and NHL at large still right in the middle of the off-season dead zone, but I’ve still got a fresh episode of Better Lait Than Never ready what little has happened anyway. On today’s podcast, I discussed some Oilers signing Alex Formenton, the boys are back in town, training camp, and more. Needless to say, it’s been a busy week around here.

I kicked off this week’s episode with a look at Alex Formenton after the Oilers announced this morning that they had signed the former Ottawa Senator to a one-year contract. Needless to say, given Formenton’s history, the news was not exactly well received by large chunks of the fanbase. Of course, the Oilers have a history of giving players their second chance, so this isn’t exactly a new approach for the franchise. The bigger question will be whether or not a guy who scored only 23 points in the Swiss League last year will even be worth the hassle.

Finally, I wrapped up this week’s episode of BLTN with a lively round of voicemails that were all over the map, and complete with an array of different topics. Finally, I capped things off with another please for you to join us on the upcoming Nation Vacation to Toronto, and also that you grab your tickets to the RIPNation event at the Pint on September 26th. It’s going to be a night of stories, memories, and laughs, and I’d love for all of you to be there with us.

Want to leave a voicemail for next week’s show? Do it here!

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