The Edmonton Oilers only have one more pre-season game to slog through before the big dance starts for real, and I am very ready to be done with the warmup season. The Flames are in town, and while I’m sure there will be a few moments and individual performances worth talking about, none of us should care who wins. All I care about is that our boys get a few more reps in, look a little less rusty come Tuesday, and everybody walking out of the rink healthy and ready for the season opener.

Staying healthy and taking a few twirls is pretty much all I’m hoping for with this one. The pre-season matters for the guys fighting for jobs and for the new coaching staff trying to get a feel for the group, but for the vets in the group, this is mostly about getting the timing and fitness back. We just need them to get their legs moving, get some touches, let the power play get a few at-bats if the opportunity is there, and let the goalies see some pucks. I still think there’s value in all of that, but we’re also close enough to the regular season that the biggest win is making it through the night without adding anyone to the injury list.

And I’m especially excited for Tuesday night because this feels like a massive year for the Oilers. Last season ended way earlier than anyone expected with a first-round loss to Anaheim, and now the boys are back with a new coach and the same expectations they’ve carried for years. We’re long past the point where anyone is going to be satisfied by simply making the playoffs. That’s not where this team is at anymore. The bar is set way higher for 2026-27, and that’s a mighty task to handle before we’ve even played a minute of meaninful hockey. This team has Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in their prime, and every season with those two is going to come with pressure.

That’s also why I’m curious to see how they look out of the gate. I know I’m supposed to be talking about tonight against the Flames, but all I can think about is what’s the come. Having Mike Babcock put his fingerprints on this team is fascinating to me, the line combinations are starting to take shape, and there are still a few guys hanging around trying to fight for jobs. Nothing has to be perfect by Tuesday, but I do want the Oilers to look like they’re ready to go for the first time in years. We’ve seen so many slow starts around here over the last few years years, and I think we all deserve to avoid another October where everybody is rationalize why the team looks half-asleep while other teams are pulling ahead in the standings.

As for tonight’s tune-up with the Flames, I’ll be watching for the simple stuff. I want to see some quality saves. I want to see some energy from the players who are fighting for gigs. I want the blue line to get another night together and maybe give Babcock a better idea of who should be playing with who. Mostly, though, I want everyone to get what they need out of this last pre-season game and move on with their health in hand. We don’t need heroics, and we don’t need anybody trying to win the Stanley Cup in September, we just need one more clean night before we get going for real.

It’s been the longest summer we’ve had in ages after getting bounced in Round 1, and I think everyone from the players to the fanbase are ready to stop talking about what the Oilers might look like and start seeing it for real. We’re kicking off a new era, and while there are still plenty of questions about the team that will only be answered in time, I’m endlessly excited that hockey is finally back. The expectations may not have changed, and I know there’s still one more pre-season job interview to get through, but that’s what makes Tuesday feel so exciting. Kool-Aid szn is a time for hope, and I can tell you that my cup is full of positive vibes as we inch toward the season opener.

So let’s get through this last one, get everybody home healthy, and start planning for what will be a very interesting next six months. We’ve got a few more sleeps to wait, a couple more practices to overstudy, and then Vancouver comes to town for points that actually count. That’s what I’m excited for. Ladies and gentlemen, it’s game day.

Podkolzin – McDavid – Draisaitl
Howard – Nugent-Hopkins – Hyman
Jones – Frederic – Kapanen
Formenton – Dach – Joseph

Ekholm – Bouchard
Walman – Murphy
Shea – Mukhamadullin

Levi

Gridin – Frost – Coronato
Honzek – Backlund – Farabee
Zary – Strome – Sharangovich
Tsyplakov – Pospisil – Klapka

Bahl – Nemec
Kuznetsov – Whitecloud
Middleton – Parekh

GAME DAY PREDICTION: For the first time this season, I am predicting a 4-2 Oilers win. Feels good to be back.

OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: Flames fans will spend most of the night talking about the Oilers because they care more about our franchise than they do about their own.

NOT-SO-OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: No one will see a Shakir Mukhamadullin goal coming, but because we talked about it here, you won’t be surprised at all.