Early look · NHL 2026-27

Edmonton Oilers at Detroit Red Wings: game preview

EdmontonOilers2026-27: 2-0-1 · 5 pts · 2025-26: 41-30-11 · 93 pts · 14that

DetroitRed Wings2026-27: 1-2-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 41-31-10 · 92 pts · 16th

Puck drop2 Jan · 3:30 PM ET

VenueLittle Caesars Arena

All-time meetings163 completed

BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26

The thesis

One points apart last season

Edmonton finished last season 14th in the league on 93 points. Detroit finished 16th on 92.

Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.

Head-to-head

Meeting number 164

Across 163 completed games, Detroit lead the head-to-head 87-59-17.

All-time record87-59-17Detroit's record in the series

Meetings played163This is number 164

2025-26 series—

Last 53-2Edmonton

Last 5 meetings

See all: Last 5 meetings →

DateResultShotsPower playWinner

11 Dec 2025DET 1 – EDM 4——EDM

19 Oct 2025EDM 2 – DET 4——DET

30 Jan 2025DET 3 – EDM 2 SO——DET

27 Oct 2024EDM 3 – DET 2 OT——EDM

13 Feb 2024DET 4 – EDM 8——EDM

Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateEdmontonDetroit

19 Oct 20252-3-1 · 5 pts23rd5-1-0 · 10 pts3rd

11 Dec 202514-11-6 · 34 pts17th17-12-3 · 37 pts11th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 19 Oct 2025, Edmonton were 23rd in the league and Detroit 3rd. By 11 Dec 2025 it was 17th and 11th.

Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Detroit out-attempted Edmonton 134 to 96

Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.

Edmonton Oilers

96 att · 47 on goal · 6 G · 12.8%

Crease3 att · 1 G

Slot42 att · 4 G

Wing33 att · 0 G

Point17 att · 1 G

Neutral zone1 att · 0 G

Detroit Red Wings

134 att · 53 on goal · 5 G · 9.4%

Crease7 att · 0 G

Slot59 att · 3 G

Wing45 att · 1 G

Point19 att · 0 G

Neutral zone4 att · 1 G

GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Edmonton have created the better chances, last 10 games

Shot quality both ways: expected goals weigh every unblocked attempt by its chance of scoring. Finishing above zero means more goals than the chances.

EdmontonDetroit

3.31xG for per game3.23

2.10xG against per game2.85

61.2%xG share53.1%

+7.1FinishingGoals minus expected goals−2.7

−7.7GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+0.6

This season: 3 games for Edmonton, 3 for Detroit. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Every team’s xG →

Special teams

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

This season's rates first, then 2025-26 and the last meetings between the two. Power-play chances are counted from the penalty log with coincidental minors cancelled; faceoffs are each club's wins over draws taken.

All bars share one scale · 0–100%SeasonLast meetings

Edmonton

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2725.0%

Power play · 2025-2630.6% · 1st

Power play · last 5 meetings—

Penalty kill · 2026-2757.1%

Penalty kill · 2025-2677.8% · 20th

Faceoffs · 2026-2751.7% · 91/176

Drawn · 2026-2712 (4.00/gm)

Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-277 (2.33/gm)

PP goals · last meetings0

Detroit

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2725.0%

Power play · 2025-2622.6% · 12th

Power play · last 5 meetings—

Penalty kill · 2026-2761.5%

Penalty kill · 2025-2677.1% · 23rd

Faceoffs · 2026-2753.6% · 97/181

Drawn · 2026-2712 (4.00/gm)

Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-2713 (4.33/gm)

PP goals · last meetings0

Skaters

Skaters to watch

Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away.

Forwards to watch

See all: Forwards to watch →

PlayerGPGAPP/GP

97Connor McDavid32793.00

29Leon Draisaitl33251.67

92Vasily Podkolzin33251.67

93Alex DeBrincat32241.33

33Viktor Arvidsson32131.00

23Lucas Raymond30331.00

Points leaders

Defencemen to watch

See all: Defencemen to watch →

PlayerGPGAPP/GP

2Evan Bouchard34482.67

6Ryan Shea31231.00

14Mattias Ekholm30000.00

72Justin Faulk31120.67

53Moritz Seider30110.33

54William Wallinder10111.00

Defencemen stats

Goaltending

Who has stopped this matchup

Save percentage in the last meetings by goalie. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Edmonton

Expected starter after their game on 30 Dec: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Detroit

Expected starter after their game on 31 Dec: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Edmonton crease

EDM · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 30 Dec

Devon Levi.8102 GP · 2-0-0 · GSAx −3.6

Tristan Jarry.7391 GP · 0-0-1 · GSAx −4.1

No appearances against Detroit in the last meetings.

Detroit crease

DET · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 30 Dec

John Gibson.9033 GP · 1-2-0 · GSAx +0.4

No appearances against Edmonton in the last meetings.

Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.6 goals

No total is posted yet: it arrives with the game-day prices. Until then, the scoring rates and the recent meetings set the range.

Goals in the last 5 meetings

11 Dec 20255 · DET 1–4 EDM

19 Oct 20256 · EDM 2–4 DET

30 Jan 20255 · DET 3–2 EDM

27 Oct 20245 · EDM 3–2 DET

13 Feb 202412 · DET 4–8 EDM

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA

Edmonton5.674.673.443.28

Detroit2.332.672.943.15

Goals for and against per game. The estimate averages each team’s scoring with the other’s goals allowed, and leans on 2025-26 until a team has played 20 games.

Scoring rates suggest6.6Goals in this game

Last 5 meetings6.6Goals per game

Line—No total posted yet

Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

16 on the injury lists

Edmonton · injuries

Alec RegulaUndisclosedIRReturn24 Oct

Atro LeppanenUndisclosedIRReturn17 Oct

Frederik AndersenKneeIRReturn30 Dec

James StefanUndisclosedIRReturn10 Oct

Jason DickinsonFootIRReturn7 Oct

Matt SavoieLower BodyIRReturn24 Nov

Mattias JanmarkUndisclosedIRReturn15 Oct

Ryan Nugent-HopkinsLower BodyIRReturn13 Oct

Zach HymanUndisclosedOutReturn17 Oct

Detroit · injuries

Carter BearUpper BodyIRReturn10 Oct

Chase StillmanUndisclosedIRReturn9 Oct

J.T. CompherUndisclosedOutReturn9 Oct

Jacob Bernard-DockerUpper BodyIRReturn9 Oct

Marco KasperUpper BodyIRReturn20 Oct

Mason AppletonUndisclosedIRReturn13 Oct

Simon EdvinssonContract DisputeOutReturn10 Oct

Latest moves

See all: Latest moves →

1 Oct · EDM

Placed F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on injured reserve. Placed D Alec Regula on long-term injured reserve. Recalled F Josh Samanski under emergency conditions.

27 Sep · EDM

Placed G Matt Tomkins on waivers for the purpose of assignment to Bakersfield (AHL).

25 Sep · EDM

Loaned D Tomas Cibulka, Fs Connor Clattenburg, Quinn Hutson, Viljami Marjala, William Nicholl and Aku Raty and G Connor Ungar to Bakersfield (AHL). Waived for the purpose of assignment to Bakersfield Ds Josh Brown and Riley Stillman and F Eduards Tralmaks.

2 Oct · DET

Placed F Dylan Larkin on the non-roster injured reserve.

25 Sep · DET

Assigned Fs Ondrej Becher, Cameron Butler, Sheldon Dries, Noah Dower Nilsson, Dylan James, Jesse Kiiskinen, John Leonard, Sutter Muzzatti, Theo Rochette, Dominik Shine and Wilmer Skoog, Ds Ronnie Attard, Jacob Bryson, Shai Buium and William Lagesson and Gs Trey Augustine and Michal Postava to Grand Rapids (AHL).

20 Aug 2026 · DET

Acquired F Sutter Muzzatti from Nashville Predators for future considerations.

Injury report

Edmonton · 2026 draft

See all: Edmonton · 2026 draft →

#58Rudolfs BerzkalnsRound 2 · MuskegonC

#84Malcom GastrinRound 3 · Modo Jr.LW

#133Andrew RobinsonRound 5 · WindsorD

#180Caden HarveyRound 6 · WindsorC

Full draft

Detroit · 2026 draft

See all: Detroit · 2026 draft →

#23Jeffrey (JP) HurlbertRound 1 · KamloopsLW

#47Victor PlanteRound 2 · Usa U-18LW

#79Michal OrsulakRound 3 · Prince AlbertG

#108Adam LevacRound 4 · PeterboroughC

Full draft

Saturday 2 January · the full slate

See all: Saturday 2 January · the full slate →

DETThis game 7:00 PM ET

Updated after every final