For the Edmonton Oilers, this has, once again, been a season of significant ups and downs. For their standards, they held mediocre records of 5-4-3 and 6-6-2 in the opening months of October and November, respectively. Then, they had a solid month of December, rocking a 9-5-1 record (.633 points percentage), and began January with a record of 3-1-1. However, they then lost three consecutive games heading into the Olympic break, with their most recently played game being a 4-3 loss to the Calgary Flames.

There are 24 games remaining in the regular season, and the Oilers enter this final stretch in the middle of a competitive Western Conference playoff race. Let’s take a closer look into this race and where exactly the Oilers stand.

To begin, here is a look at the Western Conference standings at this point of the season, with an additional column for each team’s projected points over 82 GP:

First, it is essentially safe to lock in which teams will finish top three in the Central Division, barring unforeseen circumstances.

The Colorado Avalanche have had a fantastic season, ranking first in the league with a brilliant 37-9-9 record and a 0.755 points percentage. Not only do they rank first in the Central Division, but also first in the entire league. After Colorado, both the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars are also having strong seasons, currently sitting second and third in the Central while ranking fourth and fifth in the league respectively. Each team holds a comfortable double‑digit lead over the next closest team in the division.

However, aside from the top-three teams of the Central Division, the Western Conference Playoff race is wide-open.

In the Pacific Division, the Vegas Golden Knights currently rank atop with a 27-16-14 record. However, their lead is far from safe, as they are only four points ahead of the Edmonton Oilers (2nd) and five points ahead of the Seattle Kraken (3rd) with plenty more games left to go. For what it’s worth, MoneyPuck has their odds of winning the division at about 48 percent; essentially a coin flip.

Interestingly, it is worth noting that, in terms of wins, Vegas ranks behind Anaheim and Edmonton, while they are tied with the San Jose Sharks and Seattle Kraken. Their first-place ranking is almost completely driven by their 14 losses in overtime. Overall, Vegas is only +1 at 5-on-5 this season. It is absolutely possible and realistic to imagine the Oilers surpassing them by the end of the season.

However, the Oilers are not the only team posing a challenge to Vegas for the top spot in the division. In fact, though the Oilers rank second in the division in terms of total points (64), they are fourth in points percentage (0.552). The Seattle Kraken and Anaheim Ducks are slightly ahead, with each team possessing a .563 points percentage.

The Kraken have had awful underlying numbers at 5-on-5, but they rank first in the league in 5-on-5 save percentage. Both Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer are having fantastic seasons and are the biggest factors for why Seattle has an outside chance of winning the division.

As for Anaheim, they have taken a big step forward this season, particularly offensively. Natural Stat Trick has Anaheim ranking 5th in the NHL in scoring chances per 60 at 5-on-5, even slightly ahead of the second-place Tampa Bay Lightning. Many of their younger players, such as Cutter Gauthier and Leo Carlsson, have seen a considerable improvement offensively this season. Beckett Sennecke is having an excellent rookie season, and newly added veterans such as Chris Kreider and Mikael Granlund have made a big difference.

Furthermore, don’t count out the Los Angeles Kings, who are at a 0.536 points percentage and aren’t far behind. Take note that the Kings, having recently added Artemi Panarin, could be a significantly stronger team down the stretch. Behind them, Utah, Nashville, and San Jose all remain in the wild‑card conversation to varying degrees.

Simply put, the Oilers will need to elevate their play over the final quarter of the season, particularly with many more divisional matchups ahead. Their current points percentage is projected to be the lowest it has been in the past seven seasons, including this one. While their playoff odds remain statistically favourable, nothing is guaranteed, and merely settling for a wild‑card spot could mean a first‑round matchup against Colorado. Securing a top‑three finish in the Pacific must be the clear priority.

Perhaps the extended break will benefit the Oilers players outside of McDavid and Draisaitl. The team should also return healthier overall compared to the beginning of the year, where Zach Hyman and Jake Walman missed significant time, while any additions at the trade deadline have the potential to provide a meaningful boost. Paul Coffey has also recently rejoined the staff as an assistant coach and could help to stabilize and improve the team’s defensive play and puck-moving.

Time will tell how it all plays out.

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