The hockey gods could make fans’ heads spin with an Edmonton Oilers-Vegas Golden Knights first-round matchup in the 2026 NHL playoffs.
That would have been the case last season. Heck, two years ago, this matchup would have been arguably the best one of the Western Conference postseason docket.
But that’s not the case this season. Both clubs are on a collision course, not because there’s one other vastly superior team grabbing the Pacific Division lead, but because both clubs have significantly underwhelmed this season.
Last year, the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars met in the first round of the 2025 NHL playoffs. That matchup happened because the Winnipeg Jets had a season for the ages. The club ran away with the Central Division title, leaving the Avalanche and Stars to duke it out in an epic, seven-game series.
But in this case, the Anaheim Ducks are hardly running away with the Pacific. If the Golden Knights of the Oilers had wanted to grab the division title, they could have. But they haven’t. The Ducks have a five-point lead on the Oilers for first place in their division.
Meanwhile, the Golden Knights are struggling to stay afloat. The only reason Vegas isn’t at risk of missing the postseason is because no other team in the Pacific seems to want to step up.
That weakness in the Pacific is what promises to make the Oilers-Knights meeting in the NHL playoffs a dud. It won’t be a superstar matchup filled with nail-biting games. It’ll more likely be a case of two teams struggling to get their stars to command games.
Oilers Will Miss Draisaitl in NHL Playoffs
The Oilers will certainly miss Leon Draisaitl in the NHL playoffs. The club has been mum about Draisaitl’s injury situation. The official narrative is that he could be back in the lineup at some point before the end of the regular season.
But after seeing him limping around at a football match in Germany, it’s doubtful that Draisaitl will be ready to hit the ice in a couple of weeks.
And Connor McDavid, as talented as he is, can’t carry the team singlehandedly. Yes, the Oilers got some much-needed depth scoring on Tuesday night against the Utah Mammoth. But one has to wonder how far that will take the Oilers in the NHL playoffs.
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Vegas Underwhelming Despite Talented Lineup
Pound-for-pound, the Golden Knights can stack up to a team like the Oilers. But their stars just haven’t been able to live up to the hype.
The most evident stumbling block for the Knights is their goaltending situation. Adin Hill and Akira Schmid have held the fort down well enough. However, Hill’s 3.03 GAA and .868 SV% in 23 games this season are sounding off alarm bells.
Meanwhile, Schmid is a little better, posting a 2.59 GAA and .893 SV% in 34 games. So, does that mean Schmid should be the guy in the NHL playoffs for Vegas?
It’s a tough call. It’s hard to pass up on a guy who’s won a Stanley Cup for an unproven young goalie. But if the Golden Knights want to have a chance, they’ll have to roll with the goalie who’s playing better, and that’s Schmid.
Overall, the Oilers-Golden Knights matchup in the NHL playoffs could be a snoozefest. Whoever gets past the second round could very well run into one of the tougher teams from the Central Division, like the Mammoth.