The Edmonton Oilers sit at a 7-7-1 record this season, and while they went 1-2 in last week’s three-game stretch, there were some encouraging signs along the way. They likely deserved a better fate against the New Jersey Devils if not for Jake Allen’s stellar goaltending, while a late-game miscue prevented them from picking up at least a point against the Vegas Golden Knights. However, they bounced back with a commanding 7-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks and with such an offensive burst against their Pacific Division rivals, could this be the spark that starts a winning streak?

Additionally, one of the biggest positives last week was Connor McDavid’s return after a three-game absence. He earns an honourable mention, especially after a strong three-point outing against the Canucks, where it looked like he’s starting to regain his wheels overall. Normally, that kind of effort should land him among the Oilers’ Three Stars of the Week, but below we highlight three of his teammates who had an excellent week.

Zach Hyman, who seems to be on the verge of putting his snake-bitten days behind him, cracks the Oilers’ Three Stars of the Week list at the number three spot, recording three points in three games last week, which made up 43% of his season tally so far.

According to Natural Stat Trick, against the Devils on Nov. 4, despite not registering any points, his line generated an 11-to-5 scoring chance ratio at 5v5, including a partial breakaway for Hyman, but Allen shut the door all night. However, the former 50-goal scorer found the back of the net against Vegas on Nov. 6 off a fortunate bounce off the stanchion at Rogers Place, and he made no mistake, burying it past Adin Hill.

Moreover, the Oilers’ winger picked up a couple of assists against the Canucks in ‘Vintage Hyman-esque’ fashion, parking his 206-pound frame in front of the net on the power play, causing a disturbance and whacking away at pucks. This resulted in Leon Draisaitl (at the tail end of the PP) and McDavid benefiting, both scoring the goals.

For now, at least, the bounces are finally going Hyman’s way after a tough start to the season. Any young player seeking a role model to emulate should look toward Hyman, as his hard work and commitment—giving 110% every shift —serve as the perfect example. What also stands out is how he handled the tough times—he didn’t sulk or show frustration by slamming his sticks but simply kept grinding, knowing things would get better—and they have. With goals coming from lucky bounces and his relentless battle in front of the net, it feels like things are starting to fall back into place in Oil Country.

Connor Brown earns second place on the list of the Oilers’ Three Stars of the Week after recording 75% of his total points for the season in just three games last week. His team was shutout against the Devils, but his line generated a 7-0 edge in scoring chances at 5v5, indicating that the opportunities were there and the points were bound to come soon.

That said, Brown picked up an assist against Vegas on Nov. 6 when he fed the puck back to the blue line, and Brett Kulak tipped home Darnell Nurse’s point shot. Once again, the analytics hinted at a potential upward trend in points, with his line generating a 9-3 SCF at 5v5 against Vegas.

Against Vancouver, Brown finally snapped his 10-game scoring slump. With the Oilers up by one in the final frame, the third line went to work with a very workmanlike effort, pounding away in front of the net, resulting in the winger scoring. And to add a bit more salt to the Canucks’ wound, Brown, taking a page out of Mark Messier’s playbook, streaked down his off-wing and unleashed a wrist shot for a goal—one that chased Kevin Lankinen from the crease to make it 7-2.

The 30-year-old finished with two goals against the Canucks, and nearly had a third after a golden shorthanded 2-on-1 opportunity with Vasily Podkolzin that didn’t find the back of the net, and he also led the team with five shots on goal. Overall, it’s been a slow start for several Oilers, Brown included, but hopefully, he can use his strong week to build momentum and start contributing more consistently on the score sheet.

With the offensive firepower the Oilers had to start the season, who would’ve guessed that defenceman Kulak would be tied for second in goals (four) just 15 games in? This can be attributed to a mix of several Oilers having slow starts while Kulak has been putting together a solid campaign. Last week, the Stony Plain, AB native tallied three points in three games, accounting for 50% of his season output, and with his defensive acumen also shining through, he takes the number one spot in the Oilers’ Three Stars of the Week.

The usual steady blueliner, known for raising his level of play in the playoffs with the Oilers, has taken it upon himself to bring that same intensity from day one this regular season, and this may be the best we’ve seen from him since joining the Oilers in 2022. Overall, he’s defending well, making sharp passes out of the zone and getting involved offensively.

Against the Golden Knights, he jumped into the play, keeping the puck alive down low, then worked his way toward the front of the net to get a tip on his defence partner Nurse’s point shot. In my 25+ years of watching hockey, I can’t recall a time when a D-man tipped in his partner’s point shot for a goal — but Kulak went out there and re-wrote the playbook.

Against the Canucks, Kulak, despite the underlying metrics not aligning with the eye test (30.77 SCF%), made some great plays all night and looked very confident, especially with the way he was jumping up into the plays.

He made a great breakout pass to Draisaitl, which ended up in a Viktor Arvidsson goal, and scored a goal himself by jumping up into the play and finishing off a pass from the Oilers’ captain, all while making several subtly strong defensive plays throughout the night.

Moreover, just adding a little more context to Kulak’s strong campaign, with a minimum of 50 minutes played at 5v5, he ranks 10th in the NHL among blueliners with a 60.44 scoring chance for percentage (SCF%). Additionally, as Cam Lewis noted, the D-man could very well be the answer to Edmonton’s second-pairing dilemma, having been paired with Nurse at various points this season, looking quite effective together.

With that in mind, are there any other Oilers you’d include on the Oilers’ Three Stars of the Week list? Share your thoughts!

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