Venue: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia
Puck drop: 10:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. PT)
Broadcast: Sportsnet (Pacific/One options), ESPN+
This is the second half of a home-and-home series. Vancouver stunned Edmonton 6-5 in overtime on Tuesday in the Oilers’ home opener (Paul Cotter OT winner). The Canucks host their home opener looking to sweep the set, while Edmonton seeks its first win of the season.
Projected Lineups / Current Rosters
Oilers projected lineup
Forwards:
Alex Formenton / Isaac Howard – Connor McDavid – Zach Hyman
Vasily Podkolzin – Leon Draisaitl – Kasperi Kapanen
Max Jones / Colton Dach – Mathieu Joseph
Owen Michaels – Trent Frederic (depth variations) Defense:
Mattias Ekholm – Evan Bouchard
Jake Walman – Connor Murphy
Ryan Shea – Shakir Mukhamadullin Goaltenders: Devon Levi (possible) or Tristan Jarry / backup
Canucks projected lineup:
Forwards:
Jake DeBrusk – Elias Pettersson – Jonathan Lekkerimäki
Liam Öhgren – Marco Rossi – Brock Boeser
Drew O’Connor – Max Sasson – Linus Karlsson
Arshdeep Bains / Paul Cotter – Brendan Gallagher Defense:
Zeev Buium – Filip Hronek
Jamie Oleksiak – Tom Willander
Elias Pettersson (D) – Luke Schenn Goaltenders: Kevin Lankinen (expected) / Leevi Meriläinen Rosters reflect opening groups with recent call-ups and adjustments.
Injury Reports
Oilers:
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (lower body) – out / IR (expected ~2 weeks; missed opener)
Matthew Savoie (lower body/undisclosed) – out / LTIR (longer-term, mid-to-late November range)
Alec Regula (undisclosed) – out / LTIR
Frederik Andersen (knee) – out / IR (longer-term, late December range)
Jason Dickinson (foot), Mattias Janmark (undisclosed), others – various shorter absences
Canucks:
Thatcher Demko (hip) – out / IR (rehabbing surgery; hopeful return before Christmas)
Filip Chytil (shoulder) – out / IR (week-to-week range)
Additional depth notes (e.g., MacKenzie MacEachern, Akil Thomas, Jack Thompson on non-roster/IR lists)
Both sides are missing key contributors, with Edmonton short at center and Vancouver without its top goalie.
Recent Team Forms
Oilers: Opened with a dramatic 6-5 OT loss at home (Bouchard 5 points with a hat trick; Podkolzin 2 goals). McDavid and Draisaitl recorded assists but no goals. High-event style under new coach Mike Babcock. Strong offensive talent but early defensive lapses and goaltending questions.
Canucks: Opened with a shocking 6-5 OT road win at Edmonton (Cotter 2 goals including OT winner). High-scoring, opportunistic performance on limited shots. Coming off a tough 2025-26 season (near bottom of the league). Home opener momentum is high.
Key Player vs. Player Matchups
Connor McDavid / Zach Hyman vs. Elias Pettersson / Jake DeBrusk / Canucks top defense: Elite speed and skill against Vancouver’s top checking and blue line (Hronek, Oleksiak).
Leon Draisaitl / Vasily Podkolzin / Kasperi Kapanen vs. Marco Rossi / Brock Boeser line: Dominant line from the opener (strong shot differential) against Vancouver’s secondary scoring.
Evan Bouchard vs. Filip Hronek / Zeev Buium: Bouchard’s offensive explosion (5 points) against Vancouver’s top pair.
Paul Cotter / Brendan Gallagher depth vs. Oilers bottom six: Cotter’s heroics from Tuesday; physical, opportunistic play.
Goaltending: Tristan Jarry or Devon Levi vs. Kevin Lankinen. Both sides have uncertainty (Jarry struggled in the opener; Demko out long-term).
Special teams and transition: High-event style favors McDavid/Draisaitl power play; Vancouver showed clinical finishing on fewer chances.
Series History
Long rivalry with mixed results. Vancouver leads the season series 1-0 after the OT win. All-time Canucks hold a slight home edge in some historical marks. Recent meetings have been high-scoring and competitive; Oilers generally hold the talent edge but Vancouver has pulled surprises.
Betting Trends
Extremely high-scoring opener (11 goals) suggests another over-friendly game. Edmonton’s star power makes them favorites despite the OT loss and injuries. Vancouver’s home opener and momentum create underdog appeal. Public leans Oilers; sharp money mixed on the total and puck line.
Game Odds
Edmonton Oilers – 220
Vancouver Canucks 6.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, September 30, 2026
