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Oilers Thoughts: McDavid in turbo mode, Ingram’s resilience rewarded, Draisaitl’s goalless stretch, Hyman for Team Canada and more
Edmonton Oilers Connor McDavid
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Sean Panganiban
Dec 22, 2025, 12:30 ESTUpdated: Dec 22, 2025, 12:38 EST
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The Edmonton Oilers like to keep you on your toes — trades, goalie injuries, call-ups, and returns to the lineup, all during the busiest stretch leading up to Christmas. It’s pure hockey cinema.
To make things even spicier, add in the fact that Connor McDavid is playing lights out right now, and with the way he’s scoring, it’s like watching an Anthony Joshua vs. Jake Paul boxing match; it’s not if a knockout is coming, it’s just a matter of when. Having said that, it’s wild to think the Oilers’ captain could get any faster, but he certainly looks like he has, and we dive into that as he kicks off this edition of Oilers Thoughts.

Connor McDavid Looks Faster Than Ever

This is just your quarterly reminder not to take what we’re witnessing from Connor McDavid for granted. We’re so lucky to watch him make grown, professional hockey players — who’ve spent thousands of hours perfecting their craft — look like they just picked up the sport as a weekend hobby, the way he’s been flying around players lately, recording 26 points in his last ten games.
Now, over this last stretch of dominance, have you asked yourself, “Gee, does McDavid look even faster?” Because I know I have. There have been goals he’s scored that make it look like he was just shot out of a rocket — like his goal last week against the Pittsburgh Penguins, when he torched their defenders and tucked one past his former netminder, Stuart Skinner. Or the goal he scored last game against the Vegas Golden Knights, where he built speed through the neutral zone, received a pass from Draisaitl, flew around the Vegas defenders with ease, and tucked the puck past Carter Hart.
What’s also noticeable is the way he’s accelerating from a standstill, going from 0 to 100 with ease. On one occasion last game, he circled his zone a couple of times, almost like he was revving the engine, then hit full speed, blew past the defence, and nearly scored, drawing a penalty on the play.
Whatever he’s doing, I like it. My brain loves how aesthetically pleasing it is to watch this athlete just zig-zag around everyone on the frozen sheet of water with ease. And if you’re wondering whether McDavid is faster this season, he certainly is, at least according to the data.
Last season, his highest top speed was 23.97 MPH, whereas this season he’s already clocked 24.61 MPH, which is also the highest speed he’s reached since NHL EDGE began tracking the data in 2021-22.
McDavid’s Skating (via NHL Edge)
And to add to that, it’s not like you needed further proof of how fast the Oilers’ captain is, but in addition to leading the league in top speed this season, he also leads in two other skating categories: total skating distance at 147.27 miles this season, and speed bursts over 20 MPH, with 300.
McDavid has crept well into the league lead in points with 62 and currently sits third in the NHL in goals with 23. That said, since Dec. 4, he ranks first in the league with 12 goals, suggesting it likely won’t be long before he takes over the number one spot there as well.
Edmonton Oilers Connor McDavid
Dec 18, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) skates up ice past fallen Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov (91) during the third period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Ingram’s Resilience Rewarded with a Win

Connor Ingram played in 22 games for Utah last season before entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program on March 9 and was cleared on Aug. 20. The Oilers acquired him via trade on Oct. 1, and while playing for the Bakersfield Condors this season, he went 4-5-2 with a 4.04 goals-against average and an .856 save percentage. Those numbers didn’t exactly scream an NHL call-up, but the Oilers were forced to make one following Tristan Jarry’s injury.
He made his Oilers debut last game against the Golden Knights, his first since last February, and made 26 of 29 stops, finishing with a .897 SV%, and according to Natural Stat Trick, he stopped eight out of ten high danger shots against the Vegas Golden Knights and was a perfect 14 for 14 on long-distance shots against. In addition, he battled in the final frame, making 12 third-period stops, when his team could only muster three.
Simply put, Ingram made the stops he was expected to and gutted out the win for the Oilers. That said, he offered a unique perspective on his call-up back to the NHL, saying:
“There’s a lot of days I didn’t think it would ever happen again [playing in the NHL]. It’s just the truth of it. In this world, it’s a competitive game with 64 spots in the world to do this, so you don’t take it for granted any day you’re up here. It’s a huge honour.”
With Ingram’s 40th career NHL win, it was a feel-good story of perseverance and overcoming adversity. Head coach Kris Knoblauch mentioned Jarry will be out of the lineup for a couple of weeks, which, given Knoblauch’s history of estimating players’ return timelines, means it’s anyone’s guess. Still, the Oilers’ tale in net this season is shaping up to be a very intriguing one, and my gut tells me Ingram’s resilience story with the Oilers is far from over.

Spencer Stastney Appears to Be Earning the Trust of His Coaches

Defenceman Spencer Stastney has only played in six games since the Oilers acquired him from the Nashville Predators for a third-round draft pick, but in that time he’s shown he’s a reliable, low-event defender, moves the puck well, and is a great skater, as reflected by his 41 speed bursts above 20 mph, which rank in the 93rd percentile in the NHL, according to NHL EDGE.
Also, it seems Stastney is gaining the confidence of his coaches.
The newest Oiler was sent out with Darnell Nurse to protect the lead last game with just over a minute remaining in the third period. In that short time, he made a big block, pulled off a huge backhand clear with six Vegas attackers on the ice, and in the dying seconds of the game, dropped to the ice to block a shot, taking away the shooting option before the puck deflected out of play with just a second left. It was textbook defensive-style hockey.
That said, head coach Kris Knoblauch shared his thoughts on Stastney’s game against Vegas:
“Fantastic. He’s very agile, probably one of the better skaters in the NHL. The fact that he is a better skater, he can skate out of trouble, make a lot of plays, not high risk, very reliable. It’s only a handful of games so far, but his report card would be very positive.”
Not only does it speak volumes that Stastney was trusted to protect the lead with a minute left, but it speaks even louder that, as a left-handed shot, he was placed on the right side over right-handed blueliners like Evan Bouchard or Alec Regula.
Edmonton Oilers Spencer Stastney
Dec 20, 2025; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) reaches for the puck as Edmonton Oilers defenseman Spencer Stastney (24) defends during the first period at Grand Casino Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Draisaitl Remains Productive Despite Goalless, ‘Pissy’ Stretch

You’d think after a guy records his 1000th career NHL point, that his demeanour would be pretty happy, but in a couple of games since Leon Draisaitl achieved the feat against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec. 16, he’s seemed to be a little ‘pissy’ on the ice — of course, the reference from 2022 when a reporter asked him why he was being so pissy, in an interview.
That said, he seems to have been a little crankier than usual over the last two games, something we’ve seen before. Against the Minnesota Wild, he gave a cross-check to Jonas Brodin, which was a questionable call, but received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty — likely for not asking what the officials’ plans were for the holidays — and something more nasty, which added two more minutes in penalties, during which the Wild scored.
Last game against Vegas, the newly minted 1,000-point man took a hit from Tomas Hertl, and Draisaitl retaliated by slashing the Golden Knight on the mitts, which earned him another penalty. Overall, Draisaitl has eight penalty minutes in his last four games, compared to just two in his previous 13.
Though this is purely speculation, maybe he’s a bit crankier due to his scoring drought. Draisaitl hasn’t scored in his last eight games, his longest regular-season scoreless stretch since 2021, as Zach Laing pointed out. Not tickling the twine for long stretches is something the former four-time 50-goal scorer isn’t used to, and the longer it goes, the tighter he grips his stick. Adding to the frustration, he missed a wide-open net from his office last game against as well.
zach
zach
@zjlaing
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leon draisaitl's eight game goalless streak is his longest in the regular season since feb. 19, 2021 - mar. 6, 2021. he had a nine-game goalless streak in the 2024 playoffs, spanning from game five against dallas through the end of the cup final.

Bob Stauffer
Bob Stauffer
@Bob_Stauffer

Leon Draisaitl as little bit snake bit of late. Hasn't scored a goal in the @EdmontonOilers last 8 games... Though he is averaging 2 points-per-game (0-16-16)

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Am I concerned about Draisaitl’s goal-scoring drought? Absolutely not. Even the greatest players have slumps, and despite maybe deserving a lump of coal for the number of penalties he’s taken over the last couple of games, I have a feeling Santa will deliver him a goal in the upcoming game against the Calgary Flames. Nevertheless, he’s probably on one of the most productive goalless streaks in the league, having registered 15 assists in his last eight games.

Zach Hyman’s Play Over the Last 10 Games Says He Belongs on Team Canada

Zach Hyman has been on fire since Dec. 4, coincidentally the day he was reunited on a line with McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. His captain has also gone supernova during that stretch, recording 26 points in ten games, and Hyman has been highly productive as well, tallying 12 points, 13th most in the NHL over the same period.
Additionally, Hyman’s eight goals since Dec. 4 are tied for second-most in the NHL, trailing only his captain’s 12. He’s heating up at the perfect time, and hopefully Hockey Canada is paying attention. If they’re looking for a player for the upcoming Olympics who hits, scores, wins board battles, and has undeniable chemistry with McDavid, the former 50-goal scorer checks every box.
Additionally, since Dec. 4, at 5v5 with McDavid, he’s posted the following underlying numbers:
• 54.92 CF%
• 53.53 SF%
• 53.51 SCF%
• 57.73 HDCF%
• 13-8 goal share
The deadline to submit the roster for the upcoming Olympics is Dec. 31. Hyman has been one of the NHL’s top scorers over the last month, and the part-time author couldn’t have scripted a better story to increase his chances of being selected for Team Canada. I, along with the rest of Oil Country, am crossing my fingers that he does.

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