The Edmonton Oilers celebrated the return of their captain, Connor McDavid, in style on Monday night as he delivered the game-winning goal in a <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/the-day-after-50-0-goaltending-continues-to-be-key-for-oilers-in-win-over-kraken">4-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken</a>. Now, the Oilers shift their focus to Thursday’s showdown against a familiar face, former Edmonton head coach Todd McLellan, who brings his resurgent Detroit Red Wings to town.

1. The Red Wings currently sit sixth in the Atlantic Division, just two points shy of a wild-card spot. Their turnaround under McLellan has been remarkable. Since Boxing Day, when Derek Lalonde was replaced, Detroit has gone 11-4-1, matching Edmonton’s record over that span. They’ve also led the league in goals scored and boast the NHL’s top power play during this stretch.
2. Key to Detroit’s resurgence are young stars Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin, who have elevated their play in recent weeks. Raymond has tallied 23 points (7 goals, 16 assists) in the last month, while Larkin isn’t far behind with 21 points (9 goals, 12 assists). Rookie forward Marco Kasper has also impressed, scoring seven goals in his last 16 games alongside Raymond and Larkin, nearly doubling his career total.
3. However, the Red Wings will be without a key weapon tonight. Patrick Kane was placed on injured reserve Monday with an upper-body injury, and J.T. Compher’s status remains uncertain after missing Monday’s game against the Kings. On a positive note for Detroit, Vladimir Tarasenko is expected to return to the lineup after skating with the team in practice.
4. Special teams could play a pivotal role in this matchup. Detroit’s power play ranks fourth in the league at 27.81%, significantly better than Edmonton’s seventh-ranked unit (24.39%). The Red Wings also draw penalties at a high rate, averaging 3.02 power plays per game. However, their penalty kill remains a glaring weakness, ranked 31st in the NHL at just 69.30%. Even with some improvement under McLellan, it’s still a concern at 71.9% over the past 16 games.
5. In goal, former Oiler Cam Talbot is likely to start for Detroit. The 37-year-old netminder has been solid this season, posting a .907 save percentage, 2.82 goals-against average, and two shutouts in 28 appearances. Against Western Conference opponents, the Red Wings are 8-7-3, with wins over Calgary, Winnipeg, and Los Angeles.
6. For the Oilers, head coach Kris Knoblauch made some <a href="https://oilersnation.com/combinations">notable lineup changes</a> during Wednesday’s practice. Jeff Skinner returns to the third line alongside Adam Henrique and Zach Hyman, a trio that has impressed in limited ice time, outshooting opponents 12-6 at five-on-five. Mattias Janmark moves to center on the fourth line, while Noah Philp shifts to the wing for the first time in his young NHL career. Meanwhile, Connor Brown has earned a promotion to the second line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid.
7. Speaking of Nugent-Hopkins, the veteran forward has <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/ryan-nugent-hopkins-stays-hot-jeff-skinner-scores-a-beautiful-goal-and-the-edmonton-oilers-are-winning-ugly">quietly been a driving force for Edmonton</a>. Since the start of 2025, he’s tallied 12 points in 13 games, including seven goals, just one shy of Leon Draisaitl’s team-leading total over that span. While taking on a more defensive role alongside Janmark and Brown earlier this season, Nugent-Hopkins has rebounded from a slow start and is now on pace for a 25-goal, 53-point campaign. 
In off-ice news, Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm was recently named an assistant captain for Team Sweden in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. He’ll be joined at the event by McDavid, who will represent Team Canada.
8. As Edmonton and Detroit clash tonight, expect fireworks between two teams finding their stride. With McDavid back in the fold and both clubs boasting firepower up front, this promises to be an engaging battle with playoff implications looming large.

Detroit Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan

The Edmonton Oilers celebrated the return of their captain, Connor McDavid, in style on Monday night as he delivered the game-winning goal in a <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/the-day-after-50-0-goaltending-continues-to-be-key-for-oilers-in-win-over-kraken">4-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken</a>. Now, the Oilers shift their focus to Thursday’s showdown against a familiar face, former Edmonton head coach Todd McLellan, who brings his resurgent Detroit Red Wings to town.



1. The Red Wings currently sit sixth in the Atlantic Division, just two points shy of a wild-card spot. Their turnaround under McLellan has been remarkable. Since Boxing Day, when Derek Lalonde was replaced, Detroit has gone 11-4-1, matching Edmonton’s record over that span. They’ve also led the league in goals scored and boast the NHL’s top power play during this stretch.

2. Key to Detroit’s resurgence are young stars Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin, who have elevated their play in recent weeks. Raymond has tallied 23 points (7 goals, 16 assists) in the last month, while Larkin isn’t far behind with 21 points (9 goals, 12 assists). Rookie forward Marco Kasper has also impressed, scoring seven goals in his last 16 games alongside Raymond and Larkin, nearly doubling his career total.

3. However, the Red Wings will be without a key weapon tonight. Patrick Kane was placed on injured reserve Monday with an upper-body injury, and J.T. Compher’s status remains uncertain after missing Monday’s game against the Kings. On a positive note for Detroit, Vladimir Tarasenko is expected to return to the lineup after skating with the team in practice.

4. Special teams could play a pivotal role in this matchup. Detroit’s power play ranks fourth in the league at 27.81%, significantly better than Edmonton’s seventh-ranked unit (24.39%). The Red Wings also draw penalties at a high rate, averaging 3.02 power plays per game. However, their penalty kill remains a glaring weakness, ranked 31st in the NHL at just 69.30%. Even with some improvement under McLellan, it’s still a concern at 71.9% over the past 16 games.

5. In goal, former Oiler Cam Talbot is likely to start for Detroit. The 37-year-old netminder has been solid this season, posting a .907 save percentage, 2.82 goals-against average, and two shutouts in 28 appearances. Against Western Conference opponents, the Red Wings are 8-7-3, with wins over Calgary, Winnipeg, and Los Angeles.

6. For the Oilers, head coach Kris Knoblauch made some <a href="https://oilersnation.com/combinations">notable lineup changes</a> during Wednesday’s practice. Jeff Skinner returns to the third line alongside Adam Henrique and Zach Hyman, a trio that has impressed in limited ice time, outshooting opponents 12-6 at five-on-five. Mattias Janmark moves to center on the fourth line, while Noah Philp shifts to the wing for the first time in his young NHL career. Meanwhile, Connor Brown has earned a promotion to the second line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid.

7. Speaking of Nugent-Hopkins, the veteran forward has <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/ryan-nugent-hopkins-stays-hot-jeff-skinner-scores-a-beautiful-goal-and-the-edmonton-oilers-are-winning-ugly">quietly been a driving force for Edmonton</a>. Since the start of 2025, he’s tallied 12 points in 13 games, including seven goals, just one shy of Leon Draisaitl’s team-leading total over that span. While taking on a more defensive role alongside Janmark and Brown earlier this season, Nugent-Hopkins has rebounded from a slow start and is now on pace for a 25-goal, 53-point campaign.
In off-ice news, Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm was recently named an assistant captain for Team Sweden in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. He’ll be joined at the event by McDavid, who will represent Team Canada.

8. As Edmonton and Detroit clash tonight, expect fireworks between two teams finding their stride. With McDavid back in the fold and both clubs boasting firepower up front, this promises to be an engaging battle with playoff implications looming large.

Oilers Game Notes 51.0: Todd McLellan’s Red Wings visit Edmonton

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