NHL EDGE stats leaders for Edmonton Oilers

As part of NHL.com's 32 in 32 series, we will identify key EDGE stats for each team to preview the 2025-26 season. Today, we look at the impact of three advanced metrics for the Edmonton Oilers:

1. Skating and shot speed

The Oilers were second in the NHL in both 22-plus mile per hour speed bursts (174) and 20-plus mph bursts (2,250) last season. Forward Connor McDavid shared the League lead in 22-plus mph speed bursts (83) with Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche, and only MacKinnon (547) had more 20-plus mph bursts than McDavid (442). Other Oilers standouts in terms of 20-plus mph bursts during the regular season included forwards Leon Draisaitl (202; 95th percentile), Vasily Podkolzin (187; 93rd percentile), Zach Hyman (163; 88th percentile) and Mattias Janmark (163; 88th percentile). Janmark also reached a top skating speed of 24.36 mph, the sixth fastest burst in the NHL last season.

McDavid and Draisaitl shared the League lead in points during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs (33 in 22 games each) as Edmonton reached its second consecutive Cup Final. They became the fifth and sixth players in NHL history with consecutive 30-point playoff years, and ranked highly in 20-plus mph speed bursts (McDavid led category with 186, Draisaitl was third with 74).

Edmonton also led the NHL in 90-plus mph shots as a team (136) and 90-plus mph shots by defensemen (123) last season. Defenseman Evan Bouchard led the League in that category (74; 13 more than the next-closest skater), and also ranked highly at his position in top shot speed (98.83 mph; 94th percentile) and average shot speed (76.27 mph; 98th percentile). Defenseman Jake Walman, acquired from the San Jose Sharks in March, was also among the League leaders in 90-plus mph shots (44; fourth).

2. High-danger prowess

The Oilers led the League in high-danger shots on goal (703; 23 more than the next-closest team) and ranked fourth in high-danger goals (139) during the regular season. In terms of high-danger shots on goal, Hyman ranked second in the NHL (125; trailing Anders Lee of the New York Islanders, 131) while Draisaitl ranked third in the League in high-danger goals (25). McDavid, who also had 16 high-danger goals (91st percentile) during the regular season, led the League in high-danger shots on goal (29 in 22 games) during the playoffs. Edmonton also signed forward Andrew Mangiapane this offseason, and he brings past success in this area having ranked tied for fourth in the NHL in high-danger goals (27) when he scored 35 goals for the Calgary Flames in 2021-22.

On the opposite end of the ice, the Oilers also had success at defending opponents from high-danger areas. Edmonton allowed the fewest high-danger shots on goal (526) in the NHL, and also had the League's best high-danger shots on goal differential (plus-184).

3. Offensive zone time percentage

The Oilers were the only team in the NHL to rank in the top four in offensive zone time percentage at each strength last season; they were fourth at all strengths (43.8), tied for fourth at even strength (43.2), fourth on the power play (61.0) and third on the penalty kill (31.2). Edmonton had three of the top eight players in offensive zone time percentage at all strengths, led by McDavid (49.3; fourth) and followed by Bouchard (49.1; tied for sixth) and Hyman (48.8; eighth). Despite missing 16 of the Oilers' final 21 regular season games, defenseman Mattias Ekholm, ranked among the League leaders in offensive zone time at even strength (47.5; tied for sixth).

Edmonton ranked third in both 5-on-5 shot attempts percentage (53.9) and shots on goal differential (plus-5.0) last season, trailing only the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers in each of those categories. They also ranked third in wins when outshooting their opponents (36) behind only the Winnipeg Jets and Vegas Golden Knights (37 each). While the Oilers were outscored by 16 goals in the first period across the regular season and playoff combined, they outscored their opponents by 49 goals the rest of the game which led to 27 comeback wins including an NHL-best eight in the postseason. An elite offense led by two of the best players in the NHL, the Oilers have made two straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final, and the core remains largely intact to make a run at another.
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