The Edmonton Oilers went 2-1 in their three games played last week and could have had a better fate if they had been able to solve Vegas Golden Knights netminder Adin Hill in the 1-0 loss on Dec. 3. Nevertheless, they’re on a two-game winning streak, and things are starting to look up for the Oilers, bringing their overall record to 15-10-2.
That said, here are some quick notes from last week—Troy Stecher is playing his best stretch of hockey in an Oilers uniform and scored his first goal while donning the orange and blue against the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 7. And how about the steady play of Darnell Nurse since returning from injury? He recorded an assist, a +2 plus/minus, and eight hits in three games last week. Also, it seems like Stuart Skinner is turning a corner this season, providing his team with the big saves they’ve been needing.
On that note, below we present the Oilers’ Three Stars of the Week, along with an honourable mention to an Oiler who has struggled to find his place on the team but seems to be finally starting to settle in.

Oilers’ 3rd Star: Leon Draisaitl

Last Week’s Stats – 3 GP – 2 G – 2 A – 4 Pts
Season Stats – 27 GP – 19 G – 17 A – 36 Pts
Oilers’ centerman Leon Draisaitl returns to the Oilers’ Three Stars of the Week this week, claiming the number three spot. The Cologne, Germany native went pointless in his team’s 1-0 shutout loss to the Golden Knights on Dec. 3, but he created good scoring opportunities, generating a 5-1 edge in high-danger chances.
Yet, the former Hart Trophy winner found his scoring touch again against the Columbus Blue Jackets a couple of nights later. He centered his own line but received the occasional shift with Connor McDavid. On one such occasion, the captain found him in the slot, and Draisaitl made a quick backhand move to beat Daniil Tarasov, making it look oh-so-easy.
Moreover, it seems the Oilers have been experimenting with different plays on the PP over the last stretch of games, including shifting players to new spots on the power play. Against the Blue Jackets, the on-ice besties connected again on the man advantage, with Draisaitl, who typically parks himself in his ‘office’ on the right side, finding his way into the slot and ripping home a McDavid pass to make it 6-3 and in the process, as Zach Laing wrote, he became the 56th player and first Oiler to score 150 power-play goals. Additionally, the centerman quietly registered a pair of assists against the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 7, bringing his point total to four in three games last week.
Moreover, one of the key reasons the Oilers are among the top faceoff teams in the league is because of Draisaitl, who posted a 68% win rate average on the dot during the three games last week and is 58% in the faceoff circle overall on the season. Additionally, with his two-goal effort against the Blue Jackets, he’s now tied for the scoring lead (19) in the NHL.

Oilers’ 2nd Star: Zach Hyman

Last Week’s Stats – 2 GP – 3 G – 0 A – 3 Pts
Season Stats – 22 GP – 6 G – 5 A – 11 Pts
What a week it was for Zach Hyman, scoring three goals and securing the second spot on the Oilers’ Three Stars of the Week. Also, as an author in his spare time, he might just be drafting his next how-to book, titled “How to Make Hockey Canada Regret Not Picking You for Team Canada.”
Hyman missed five games due to injury and made his return against Columbus, rejoining McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the top line. The Oilers were trailing 1-0 in the first period when the captain worked his magic, deking the Blue Jackets defender in the slot and sliding the puck over to his triggerman, Hyman, who made no mistake, scoring on Daniil Tarasov.
With the game 4-1 in the second period, the top line struck again, all three players touching the puck on a nice passing play, with Hyman finishing it off by roofing it over the Russian netminder. In total, the 32-year-old finished the night with two goals in the 6-3 win.
The game against the Blue Jackets suggested that Hyman’s 5v5 goal-scoring mojo might be back, but what about his power-play mojo? Well, we got an answer against St. Louis when the former 54-goal scorer parked himself near the net on the PP and tipped home a pass from McDavid—a connection we haven’t seen much of on the man advantage this season, but hopefully, with that PP tally, it’s a sign of things to come.
Overall, Hyman scored three goals last week, accounting for 50% of his total goals on the season. With a few games off to recover from his injury and possibly motivated by the Team Canada snub, the Zach Hyman everyone knows and loves just might be back on his game.

Oilers’ 1st Star: Connor McDavid

Last Week’s Stats – 3 GP – 1 G – 5 A – 6 Pts
Season Stats – 24 GP – 13G – 24 A – 37 Pts
Oilers’ superstar McDavid, who went pointless in the game against the Golden Knights despite many great chances and playing his second-highest total of the season (24:58 TOI), grabs the top spot on the Oilers’ Three Stars of the Week after tallying six points in three games last week.
That said, with his parents and wife in the stands for his 1000th-point celebration before the game against the Blue Jackets and Lenard, his beloved four-legged furry friend, also in attendance, it was never a question of if he’d put on a show, but how big it would be. Not surprisingly, McDavid did not disappoint, tallying a four-assist night.
All four of McDavid’s assists were slick, but the nicest was the first one, which tied the game 1-1 in the first period. During the Sportsnet broadcast, McDavid’s mom shared that she’s recovering from a toe injury, and her son couldn’t help but show some toe solidarity by pulling off a jaw-dropping toe drag around the Blue Jackets defender. Next, instead of shooting with a chance in the slot, he passed it to Hyman, who buried it.
In the next game against the Blues, with former Oilers Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg back in town for the first time since signing with St. Louis and with Edmonton up by one, McDavid scored off a Broberg misstep. The Blues defender attempted a clearing pass in his zone, but it bounced off Colton Parayko’s shinpad, landing right on McDavid’s stick. The centerman then put it between the legs of newly selected Team Canada netminder Jordan Binnington.
Now, I’m not sure if karma is the right word for it, but with Broberg signing with the Blues and leaving the Oilers last summer, that Broberg miscue and the captain finishing it off felt pretty satisfying, didn’t it, Oilers fans? Additionally, the newly minted 1,000-point man picked up his 123rd assist of the calendar year against the Blues, tying Mario Lemieux’s highest total for assists in a calendar year, which he set in 1992.

Honourable Mention: Jeff Skinner

Last Week’s Stats – 3 GP – 1 G – 2 A – 3 Pts
Season Stats – 27 GP – 5 G – 6 A – 11 Pts
The honourable mention this week goes to first-year Oiler Jeff Skinner, who’s been playing his best hockey of the season recently. Despite the loss to the Golden Knights, he stood out with strong defensive plays and noticeable chemistry with Adam Henrique and Mattias Janmark—a promising sign for a player who has struggled to find his fit on the team this season.
Before the next game against Columbus, I joined Aaron Bordato on “Pre Gaming with Bordzy,” and we discussed how he seems to be finally settling in with the team, buying into the Oilers’ style of hockey and using his linemates more effectively.
Earlier in the season, I wrote a prediction on what a successful season would look like for Skinner, mentioning that to be successful, he would need to weigh the options of shooting in volume versus looking for a better play to pass to a teammate, and that’s a trait he’s starting to show. He picked up the puck on the PP against the Blue Jackets, and perhaps earlier in the season, he would’ve attempted an individual effort to score. Instead, he found Mattias Ekholm coming in hot in the slot, and the Swede scored his third of the season on the play.
Later in the game, with the score 4-2 in the third period, we saw more of Skinner gelling with his linemates as the third line went to work down low. Henrique found Skinner in the slot, and he showed why he’s a former 6-time 30-goal scorer, using his edges and patience before tucking in his fifth of the season. Additionally, he picked up an assist against the Blues, working hard down low and passing the puck off the boards to Stecher for the insurance marker.
That said, if I can borrow the words of my colleague Bordato, the line of Skinner, Henrique and Janmark is starting to cook, whereas earlier in the season, they were baking like a sourdough loaf at a slow pace, taking their time to rise but not quite ready to serve up the goods. With games coming up against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Minnesota Wild and Golden Knights, the Oilers will need all hands on deck and big contributions from that third line.
On that note, Oilersnation, the question I have for you this week is—do you think Jeff Skinner should be bumped up to the top six, or should he remain on the third line?

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