NHL Game Preview: New York Islanders (25-16-5) vs. Edmonton Oilers (23-16-8)

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The New York Islanders (25-16-5, 55 points, 2nd in Metropolitan Division) visit the Edmonton Oilers (23-16-8, 54 points, 1st in Pacific Division) in an interconference matchup with playoff positioning at stake. The Islanders aim to rebound from a recent loss amid injury concerns, while the Oilers look to build on a strong home record despite their own absences.

Venue Location

Rogers Place, Edmonton, AB (Capacity: 18,347).

Puckdrop is scheduled for 9:00 PM ET (Broadcast: ESPN+, MSGSN, SN1, TVAS).

Injury Report

Injuries are hampering both teams, particularly in forward and goaltending depth, which may force adjustments to lines and special teams.

New York Islanders:

C Bo Horvat (lower body): Out at least a week; expected back around Jan. 21.

RW Kyle Palmieri (knee): On IR; expected out until at least Feb. 26.

LW Pierre Engvall (ankle): On LTIR; out indefinitely.

G Semyon Varlamov (knee/lower body): On IR; expected out until at least Feb. 26.

D Alexander Romanov (upper body): Out for the season; on IR.

C Jean-Gabriel Pageau (upper body): Day-to-day; recently returned but monitoring.

Edmonton Oilers:

C Adam Henrique (undisclosed): On LTIR; expected out until at least Feb. 25.

G Tristan Jarry (lower body): Recently activated from LTIR; available but monitoring.

D Jake Walman (lower body): Recently activated from LTIR; week-to-week but available.

Key

Player Matchups to Watch

This contest pits offensive superstars against defensive challenges, with goaltending depth tested amid injuries.

C Mathew Barzal (NYI) vs. C Connor McDavid (EDM): Barzal (11G, 26A, 37P; 21:04 TOI/G) drives NYI’s transition with elite speed. McDavid (30G, 52A, 82P; 22:53 TOI/G) is EDM’s dominant force, on a 20-game point streak.

LW Anders Lee (NYI) vs. D Evan Bouchard (EDM): Lee (10G, 16A, 26P; net-front presence) excels on power plays. Bouchard (11G, 35A, 46P; 24:41 TOI/G) quarterbacks EDM’s blue line with offensive flair.

D Matthew Schaefer (NYI) vs. C Leon Draisaitl (EDM): Schaefer (13G, 17A, 30P; 23:56 TOI/G) is a dynamic rookie D for NYI. Draisaitl (25G, 42A, 67P; 56.6% FO) dominates faceoffs and scoring for EDM.

G Ilya Sorokin (NYI) vs. G Connor Ingram (EDM): Sorokin (solid starter, recent games) faces ~30 SA/G. Ingram (recent wins post-recall) anchors EDM amid Jarry’s return.

Recent Team Forms

New York Islanders (6-3-1 in last 10 games, +5 goal differential):

The Islanders have won four of their last five but dropped their latest; averaging 3.4 goals/game in last 10. Road form: 11-8-3.

DateOpponentResult
Jan 13@ WPGL 4-5
Jan 10@ MINW 4-3 (OT)
Jan 8@ NSHL 1-2 (SO)
Jan 6vs NJDW 9-0
Jan 3vs TORW 4-3
Jan 1vs UTAL 2-7
Dec 30@ CHIW 3-2 (SO)
Dec 28@ CBJL 2-4
Dec 27vs NYRW 2-0
Dec 23vs NJDW 2-1

Edmonton Oilers (5-3-2 in last 10 games, +4 goal differential):

The Oilers are consistent at home (11-5-4), averaging 3.7 goals/game in last 10. They split recent back-to-backs.

DateOpponentResult
Jan 13@ NSHL 3-4 (OT)
Jan 12@ CHIW 4-1
Jan 10vs LAKL 3-4 (SO)
Jan 8@ WPGW 4-3
Jan 6vs NSHW 6-2
Jan 3vs PHIL 2-5
Jan 1vs BOSL 2-6
Dec 31@ WPGW 3-1
Dec 30@ CGYL 2-3
Dec 28vs CGYW 5-1

Series History

The Oilers hold a 35-32-21-9 all-time edge over the Islanders (including playoffs), with a 32-29-21-9 regular-season record. NYI is 6-3-1 in the last 10 meetings. The Islanders won the most recent 4-2 on Oct. 16, 2025. At Rogers Place, EDM is 16-13-5-2 vs. NYI. Recent games average 5.8 goals, with 6 of last 10 over 5.5.

Betting Trends

Moneyline: EDM is 21-18 as favorites; NYI is 8-10 as road underdogs.

Puck Line (Spread): EDM covers 55% as favorites; NYI covers 50% as underdogs.

Total (Over/Under): Over has hit in 6 of EDM’s last 10 (avg. 6.1 goals/game) and 5 of NYI’s last 10 (avg. 5.9). Head-to-head leans over (6 of last 10 over 6).

Trends: Islanders are 6-3-1 in last 10 but 2-4 vs. EDM lately. Oilers are 5-3-2 in last 10, 4-1 at home vs. sub-.500 road teams.

Game Odds

New York Islanders         6.5

Edmonton Oilers              – 162

Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, January 14, 2026