Oilers clinch berth in 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs

One of the league’s most notable franchises today is heading back to the postseason.

Thanks to a series of events on Saturday, the Edmonton Oilers officially clinched a spot in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Oilers entered the season with immense expectations, since the team had won the Western Conference in each of the past two seasons. Even though Edmonton lost to the Florida Panthers in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, many believed captain Connor McDavid could lead his troops back to the promised land.

Yet, early on, things didn’t seem to be going the Oilers’ way. As has become a tradition in the provincial capital of Alberta, the team struggled in October, leading many to wonder if Edmonton had finally done itself in and wouldn’t be able to recover as the team had in years past. However, after starting the 2025-26 season with a 6-5-4 record, the Oilers turned things around, climbing back up the Pacific Division standings thanks to stellar play from McDavid and defending Rocket Richard Trophy winner Leon Draisaitl.

McDavid is having another Hart Trophy-caliber season. With 47 goals and 86 assists for 133 points in 80 games, No. 97 is on his way to a sixth Art Ross Trophy, and his first since the 2022-23 campaign. Draisaitl had been having another solid run, scoring 35 goals and 97 points, but an injury but an undisclosed injury has kept him on the shelf since last month, with his status for the start of the postseason remaining questionable.

Even with McDavid and a supposedly healthy Draisaitl, the only way the Oilers are going to make another deep playoff push is if the goaltending is up to snuff. The team tried to make a change, trading Stuart Skinner to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Tristan Jarry. However, things have not gone quite as well for the new face in the room, leading to Bill Masterton nominee Connor Ingram playing the bulk of the games as of late, and he is the odds-on favorite to start game one of the postseason.

Edmonton now turns its attention to the Pacific Division, looking to win the team’s first division title since 1986-87. Heading into Saturday, the Oilers (40-30-10) sat first in the division, one point up on the Vegas Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks.