OilersNation has reported:

The Edmonton Oilers carry a five-game winning streak into a home-and-home series against the Utah Mammoth, a stronger test after a six-game stretch against Pacific Division opponents. Edmonton is first in the NHL in points percentage, while Utah has opened the season 5-2 and is looking to build on last year’s 43-33-6 record and wild-card appearance. The Mammoth then will be followed on Edmonton’s schedule by Minnesota, Carolina and Toronto.

The Oilers have won with strong performances from their leading players and contributions from less prominent parts of the lineup. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm have set the pace, with their defensive attention also drawing notice. But outside the top line, Edmonton’s play has not always been polished, and the results have come while the team manages significant injuries.

Edmonton has made the most of its short-handed roster so far, with younger players and depth forwards taking on larger roles. Owen Michaels has had notable moments, and Ryan Shea has provided steady, low-profile work while playing heavy minutes. The Oilers are also waiting for Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jason Dickinson to return to form, with Matt Savoie’s eventual availability another potential boost.

Hyman is “really close,” and Nugent-Hopkins is expected to be approaching a return as the players reach the two-week windows mentioned for their recoveries. That makes a debut against Utah, either in the first game or Saturday’s rematch, possible, though no return date was confirmed. Dickinson is also among the players Edmonton is working to get up to speed.

Goaltender Devon Levi has helped keep the team’s run going. He is 3-0 over his last three games, with a 1.34 goals-against average and a .956 save percentage. His 39-save performance helped secure one of the wins, and he is one victory away from the longest winning streak to begin an Oilers career.

“Honestly, like it’s pretty impressive how we’re able to score ballistically and also play like a really solid defensive game,” Levi said after the game. He also described the message from head coach Mike Babcock: “The message that (head coach Mike Babcock) sent is that we have better. I mean, if that’s our bad game, that’s a great game. That’s a great bad game.”

Vasily Podkolzin has been another major contributor. He scored a career-high 19 goals in 2025-26 and has seven goals in six games this season, putting him on pace to pass that previous mark. Playing on the wing with McDavid and Draisaitl, he has also scored three of Edmonton’s five power-play goals.

Ty Emberson, meanwhile, provided an important setup on McDavid’s goal that made it 3-0 against the Los Angeles Kings. Emberson has been a less prominent name in the lineup, but the play showed how a depth player can contribute to Edmonton’s success. Babcock said: “I didn’t think at any time we were fantastic tonight, but McDavid and the big boys were great.”

Edmonton’s fourth line of Michaels, Alex Formenton and Mathieu Joseph received second-line usage against Los Angeles, including 10:40 at five-on-five. Michaels’ recent success at the faceoff dot slowed: he won one of 11 draws in that game after going a combined 21-for-29 over the previous two. Kailer Yamamoto, whose NHL career had been uncertain, has found a place in Salt Lake City with a two-year, $1.75-million contract and three points in two games for Utah.

The Mammoth have matched their early results with offensive production. They have scored at least four goals in every victory, including Tuesday’s 5-4 home win over Toronto, when they held off a late comeback attempt. Utah head coach Andre Tourigny said the team responded well after a long road trip.

“After a long road trip like we had, it’s always tough to find your emotions and your second gear, but I thought our guys did a really good job,” Tourigny said after the Toronto game. He is the NHL’s fourth-longest-tenured head coach.

Utah entered the season widely tipped to take another step toward becoming a legitimate playoff team in the Central Division. The roster includes a young core and recent additions Vincent Trocheck, Sebastian Cossa and Anders Lee. Trocheck’s arrival has strengthened the top six, joining a group with Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller on the leading line, and playing alongside Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley on another.

Schmaltz and Keller each have nine points. Trocheck has praised the experience of playing with his linemates: “It’s just a blast,” he said. “I have so much fun it doesn’t seem real at times.” Lee, in his first season away from Long Island, has two goals and five points. Before the games the previous night, he led the NHL in high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes.

Utah’s young players are signed to comparatively inexpensive contracts compared with deals signed after Leo Carlsson’s contract, a factor that has appealed to Trocheck. The organization spent years developing draft picks under the Arizona Coyotes name, and it still has several high draft picks who have not reached the NHL, as well as extra selections.

The Mammoth moved on from JJ Peterka after one season, deciding the fit was not right and targeting more experience. They used three second-round picks and other pieces to acquire Mackenzie Weegar, and a first-round pick to obtain Cossa. The results of those moves remain to be seen.

Utah’s roster also includes Barrett Hayton, a former fifth overall pick. The New Jersey Devils pursued him in the off-season and signed him to a one-year contract offer, which the Mammoth matched. Hayton is on a four-game point streak but has not scored a goal during it. Defenceman Mikhail Sergachev is in his third season with Utah and has recorded consecutive 50-point campaigns for the first time in his career. He has nine points, the third-highest total among NHL defencemen.

The Mammoth’s power play has converted at a 34.5 per cent rate, second-best in the league and above Edmonton’s 23.8 per cent. The difference makes penalties against Utah a concern for the Oilers. If Hyman returns, Babcock will also have to decide how to arrange the power play: Podkolzin has been playing in Hyman’s spot, while Kasperi Kapanen has filled in for Nugent-Hopkins in the bumper position. Podkolzin could be considered for the slot, though that role may not suit his skills as well as other options.

Utah is healthier than it has been, though Michael Carcone’s status remains uncertain after he was listed day-to-day. The Oilers have had the advantage in the head-to-head record since the Coyotes became the Mammoth, going 5-0-1. Their most recent April meeting ended with a 6-5 overtime win for Utah.

McDavid has 1,237 points through 800 career games, the third-highest total at that point behind Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. He has also become the ninth player in NHL history to record 50 four-point games. His 17 points lead the league, ahead of Bouchard’s 14.

The Utah series will give Edmonton a measure of how its early success holds against a more experienced and defensively deep opponent. The Oilers have built a winning habit despite injuries, but the upcoming run of games will bring a step up in competition.