The Red Wings vs Oilers preview centers on a clash between a Detroit team trying to find consistency and an Edmonton club that has rolled to the best record in the Pacific Division. The two teams meet Monday, Oct. 26 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, with puck drop set for 9:30 p.m. ET. The biggest question heading in: can the Red Wings slow down a Connor McDavid line that has produced 33 points through 11 games, or will Edmonton’s offense pile up another lopsided win at home.
Red Wings Vs Oilers Game Information
- Date: Monday, Oct. 26
- Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: Rogers Place, Edmonton, AB
- TV/Streaming: ESPN+, DSN
- Series: First meeting of the 2026-27 season
How Have Both Teams Played Lately?
Detroit enters at 4-4-3 and sits seventh in the Atlantic Division with 11 points. The Red Wings have alternated wins and losses over their last five games, most recently falling 4-1 at Calgary on Sunday. Before that stumble, they beat Vancouver 5-2 on Oct. 23 and topped San Jose in a shootout on Oct. 17.
Edmonton is 8-2-1 and leads the Pacific with 17 points, though the Oilers have been streaky themselves. They lost 7-2 to Toronto on Saturday just one night after a 6-5 shootout win over Carolina. Edmonton also needed overtime to beat Minnesota on Oct. 21 and dropped a 4-2 decision to Utah on Oct. 16 before routing the Mammoth 6-2 two days later.
Who Are The Probable Starting Goalies?
John Gibson is projected to start in net for Detroit, while Tristan Jarry is listed as Edmonton’s probable starter. Neither assignment is official until the lineups are confirmed before puck drop. Red Wings goaltender Daniil Tarasov is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed issue and carries a return date of Oct. 26, meaning his availability for this game remains unclear. Edmonton’s Devon Levi remains on injured reserve with an undisclosed ailment and is not expected back until Nov. 9.
What Injuries Are Each Team Dealing With?
Edmonton’s injury list is the longer of the two. Defenseman Mattias Ekholm is out with an upper-body injury and has a return date of Oct. 31. Centers Jason Dickinson and Matt Savoie are both on injured reserve, with Dickinson targeting an Oct. 28 return and Savoie, dealing with a lower-body injury, not expected back until Nov. 24. Defenseman Alec Regula is also on injured reserve with a return date of Nov. 21.
Detroit is missing center Marco Kasper, who is on injured reserve with an upper-body injury and a projected return of Oct. 29, along with center Mason Appleton, also on injured reserve with a return date of Oct. 29. Defenseman Simon Edvinsson remains on injured reserve in a contract dispute, with a return date listed as Oct. 31.
By The Numbers
- Goals (season total): Red Wings 28, Oilers 48
- Points (season total): Red Wings 80, Oilers 124
- Shots on goal (season total): Red Wings 328, Oilers 280
- Shooting percentage: Red Wings 8.5%, Oilers 17.1%
- Goals against average: Red Wings 2.91, Oilers 3.55
- Save percentage: Red Wings .889, Oilers .875
- Power-play goals: Red Wings 8, Oilers 13
- Faceoff percentage: Red Wings 49.2%, Oilers 50.2%
- Penalty minutes: Red Wings 112, Oilers 97
What Is The Key Matchup To Watch?
Edmonton’s shooting percentage of 17.1% stands out next to Detroit’s 8.5%, a gap that explains how the Oilers have outscored opponents 48-39 despite allowing more shots against (297) than the Red Wings have (281). Leon Draisaitl leads Edmonton with 12 goals and Connor McDavid paces the league with 25 assists and 33 points, giving the Oilers two finishers who can turn limited chances into goals. Detroit’s defense has been efficient, posting a .889 save percentage and allowing just 2.91 goals per game, but the Red Wings have managed only 28 goals on 328 shots. How Gibson handles McDavid and Draisaitl in tight spaces, and whether Detroit’s top scorer Alex DeBrincat, who leads the Red Wings with 12 points, can generate offense against an Oilers defense that has already lost two blue liners to injury, will shape the outcome.
What To Watch
Detroit sits near the bottom of the Atlantic Division standings and needs a better conversion rate to climb out of a tie with Buffalo for seventh place. Edmonton, tied with Vegas atop the Pacific with 17 points, is looking to show its recent defensive lapses, including the 7-2 loss to Toronto, were an aberration rather than a trend. The season series between these two clubs begins Monday, giving both sides an early measuring-stick game before a long schedule ahead.
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