The start of the 2024-25 NHL season is right around the corner, as the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils squared off in a pair of games in Prague, Czechia over the weekend. The rest of the league will begin their seasons this week, with the Edmonton Oilers hosting their opener against the Winnipeg Jets at home on Wednesday.

The hope this year for the Oilers is that they can have a better start than they did last season. The team came out of the gate with losses in 10 of their first 12 games and it took a 46-18-5 record under new head coach Kris Knoblauch for the Oilers to climb up to second in the Pacific Division standings by the end of the season.

The Oilers only had home-ice advantage in one of their four playoff series last spring. If they want to finish at the top of the Western Conference and make their path back to the Stanley Cup Final a little easier, getting off to a quick start would go a long way in helping that case.

Here’s what the first month of Edmonton’s season has in store…

The Oilers start with four games at home right off the hop. After hosting the Jets on Wednesday, Edmonton will face the Chicago Blackhawks and Calgary Flames for a weekend back-to-back, and then the Philadelphia Flyers will come to town on Tuesday to complete the homestand. That’s a nice and light schedule to start the year, so anything fewer than three wins here would be disappointing.

Edmonton’s first road trip of the season will see them take on a pair of Central Division teams. They’ll get their first look at Steven Stamkos with the Nashville Predators and then they’ll head to Dallas for a weekend matinee game against the Stars. These are a pair of tough opponents, so earning a split on this quick road trip would be reasonable.

The Oilers will have a couple of days off before returning home for two games against Metro Division opponents, the Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins. Edmonton and Carolina split their two meetings last season with the home side winning both times. They swept their two games with Pittsburgh, outscoring the Penguins 10-1 in the process. These are two games the Oilers should win.

After the game against Pittsburgh, the Oilers will head on the road for a back-to-back against two Eastern Conference opponents, starting with the Detroit Red Wings and finishing against the Columbus Blue Jackets. They’ll then have two days off before facing the Predators in Nashville for the second time in two weeks. These are also games the Oilers should win.

The Oilers have an excellent opportunity to get off to a quick start this season. They play six of their first eight games at home and only four of the ten teams they’re scheduled to play in October were playoff teams last year. At least eight wins should be the goal this month.