In recent years, the Edmonton Oilers have struggled to begin seasons, which makes a 3-0-1 record in the team’s first four games a welcome start to the Mike Babcock era, especially with the injuries they’ve suffered in the early going.

An entire top-six line of Matt Savoie, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Zach Hyman has missed time, and Jason Dickinson is just ramping up after setbacks with his ankle that stem from last season.

After a zany first two games that saw the Oilers outscore the Vancouver Canucks 14-13, Edmonton has not allowed a five-on-five goal against in their last two games. Devon Levi is exuding confidence between the pipes, becoming the first netminder since Mikko Koskinen to win their first three starts in Oilers silks. Other than Koskinen, only Andy Moog has won his first four starts.

Meanwhile, Evan Bouchard is breaking NHL records that have stood for over a century in defenceman scoring, Connor McDavid has a career-best 12 points in four games, and Leon Draisaitl and Vasily Podkolzin are all off to superb starts offensively, dominating when they’re on the ice.

With that said, there have been excellent starts in franchise history. Here are the best:

1983-84

Scorned after their first taste of the Stanley Cup Final, the Oilers started 1983-84 with a renewed focus to finish the job.

They do so in style with a 7-0 start to the season, including an 8-6 win over Winnipeg, an 8-3 win over Detroit, and a 10-7 win over Vancouver (sound familiar?). They would lose or tie the next three games before going on an eight-game win streak to sit at 15-2-1 by Nov. 12.

Overall, this was a record-breaking season with a franchise-record 57 wins that still stands, and an NHL record 446 goals that has still not been touched. Wayne Gretzky had points in the first 51 games, a point streak that hasn’t been remotely approached, scoring 61 goals and 153 points before going pointless until Jan. 28. Lifting Lord Stanley was in their future. 

1984-85

How do you follow up a Stanley Cup? Don’t lose.

The Oilers tied the opening game 2-2 against the Los Angeles Kings, then rattled off a six-game and four-game win streak broken up by one tie. In fact, they’d go unbeaten in their first 15 games, and suffered their first loss on Nov. 11 against the Philadelphia Flyers after going 12-0-3. This was an NHL record at the time but has been bested twice since then by the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks and 2006-07 Anaheim Ducks. The Oilers went largely unchallenged throughout the playoffs, and this team was voted the greatest of all time in 2017 as part of the league’s centennial celebrations. 2001-02

The year prior, the Oilers started the season well with a win and tie against perennial powerhouses Detroit and Colorado, and would finish with the most points in 13 years. But I’d argue 2001-02 was a better overall start for Craig MacTavish’s group despite the disappointing finish. 

After trading Doug Weight in the off-season, Edmonton suffered a 1-0 loss in the Battle of Alberta opener, but would rattle off four straight wins against Phoenix, Chicago, Colorado, and Nashville, scoring 16 goals in those games. They’d start 6-2-1 and 13-5-2-1 and on Dec. 16 would be sitting first in the Northwest Division.

But only two wins in a 14-game stretch throughout January into early February undid a lot of the good. Despite finishing with the second-best goals against in the league, and getting all-star-worthy goaltending from Tommy Salo, the Oilers would narrowly miss the playoffs. 

2016-17

A new building, a healthy Connor McDavid, and a new vibe. The quantum leap out of the darkness started with back-to-back wins against Calgary as the Oilers went 7-1 in their first eight games and contended for the Pacific Division lead throughout. Cam Talbot’s stellar goaltending gave Edmonton the sturdy backbone they’d need to make the playoffs for the first time since 2005-06, and top 100 points for the first time since 1986-87. 

2021-22

One of the most topsy-turvy seasons in Oilers history began with five straight wins as Edmonton tried to build upon back-to-back playoff appearances that ended early. Those wins would continue, as Edmonton found victories in nine of their first 10 games, then sat 16-5 at roughly the quarter point of the year. But then things got dark, quickly.

They’d win just twice in their next 15 games, giving back all the cushion they’d created in the standings, and sealing the fate of coach Dave Tippett. Enter Jay Woodcroft, who steadied the ship, and the Oilers went 26-9-3 under his tutelage and went all the way to the Western Conference Final.  

Michael Menzies is an Oilersnation columnist and co-host of Pregaming and Postgaming. He’s also been the play-by-play voice of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the AJHL since 2019. With seven years of news experience as the Editor-at-Large of Lakeland Connect in Bonnyville, Menzies collects vinyl, books, and stomach issues. Follow him on X at Menzies_4.PRESENTED BY DERRICK DODGEThere’s a new chapter beginning at Derrick Dodge, and the momentum is real. Under new ownership, the dealership is bringing fresh energy, a renewed focus on customer experience, and a bold, forward-thinking approach to vehicle buying. This change marks the start of an exciting new era, built around transparency, trust, and putting customers first. To celebrate this transition, every vehicle purchase comes with a trip for two to Las Vegas. Whether you’re shopping for your next vehicle or simply curious about what’s changed, Derrick Dodge is moving forward with confidence, purpose, and a clear vision for the future.