The Edmonton Oilers have scored 14 goals in their first two games of the 2026-27 season but have allowed 13, prompting new coach Mike Babcock to take responsibility for the team’s defensive problems. Edmonton collected three of four possible points against the Vancouver Canucks, but its early defensive results echo a weakness that troubled the club for much of last season.

“I think it’s coaching. I think it’s coaching,” Babcock said Friday morning after practice when asked about the defensive issues. He said he did not want the team giving up so many goals, but added that the results gave the Oilers something to address and improve. “If it wasn’t this early, I might be (worried), but we’ll get back to work and worry about it later.”

Babcock and his staff put renewed emphasis on defensive play at Friday’s practice as Edmonton prepared for Saturday evening’s game against the Seattle Kraken. They focused in particular on defencemen Jake Walman and newcomer Shakir Mukhamadullin. Walman was benched for part of Thursday’s 9-7 win in Vancouver and finished the game minus-3; Mukhamadullin had a minus-6 rating through two games.

Walman said he wanted to move past his mistakes quickly. “Sometimes that happens,” he said Friday. “You have to get back to your game as quickly as possible. Nobody wants to correct his mistake more than the guy on the ice, and that’s me.”

The veteran defenceman and his teammates did not single out goaltenders Tristan Jarry or Devon Levi for the goals allowed. Jarry conceded six goals on 23 shots in Edmonton’s 6-5 overtime loss at home, while Levi gave up seven on 22 shots in the Vancouver victory.

“When you let in that many goals, it’s a team thing for sure,” Walman said. He recalled that in the first game Edmonton allowed three or four breakaways and a couple of two-on-one odd-man rushes, saying the resulting percentages were not favourable. “It’s great to be scoring goals. We know we can do that, but the next step in our game is keeping it out of our net.”

Walman said the team was still working to bring together new elements of its play. He said the Oilers were making progress “bit by bit” and were on their way to putting it all together.

Thursday’s game became difficult to manage after Edmonton led 8-2 midway through the contest, then had to hold on for the win. Walman said the coaches had been reminding players not to ease off, but the game’s momentum shifted as goals against accumulated. “For whatever reason, last game it just compounded a bit. When we let in a couple of goals, it just kind of spiralled a bit.”

The Canadian Press first published the report on Oct. 2, 2026.

Based on reporting by Global News Edmonton.