PREVIEW: Oilers at Ducks

The Edmonton Oilers return from the Olympic break on Wednesday when they visit the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center to open a three-game California road trip.

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ANAHEIM, CA – The playoff push begins now.

The Edmonton Oilers are officially back from the Olympic break on Wednesday as they embark upon their final 24 matchups of the regular season and open a three-game road trip against the Anaheim Ducks.

The Blue & Orange lost their final three games prior to the Milano Cortina 2026 pause, dropping a 7-3 decision to the Minnesota Wild, 5-2 defeat to the Toronto Maple Leafs and 4-3 setback to the Calgary Flames.

They're still in second place in the Pacific Division – four points behind the Vegas Golden Knights in top spot – but sit just one point ahead of both the Ducks and Seattle Kraken, and four ahead of the Los Angeles Kings. The Oilers will also visit the Kings on Thursday and San Jose Sharks on Saturday as part of the Golden State swing.

"We've only got 24 games left, and we are right on the line of making or not making playoffs," Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said following Tuesday's practice in Orange County. "Especially this road trip, there's not a stretch of games that are probably more important than they are right now playing the California teams."

"We know the position we're in," echoed forward Leon Draisaitl. "We've got to win games, we've got to bank in points and secure our spot in a playoff race."

Draisaitl rejoined his Oilers teammates in Anaheim on Tuesday after captaining Germany at the Winter Games in Milan. The Cologne native scored two goals and five assists in five appearances as his team was eliminated by Slovakia in the quarterfinals.

"Representing your country at a stage like that is special, and getting to play with some of my childhood friends and guys that I grew up with, that doesn't happen every day for me," he said of the experience.

"I think we had a better chance at having a better result. I didn't think we played our best towards the end, but nonetheless a great experience to play at that level and be able to see what the differences are from guys that play in Germany to the top end guys in the NHL. It was great. It was a lot of fun."

One of the top highlights for Draisaitl in Italy came before the tournament even started when he had the honour of carrying the German flag for the opening ceremonies.

"That was really, really cool," he said. "Probably one of the coolest things I've ever had the chance at doing. Walking in to 75,000 people and the Olympic rings hanging over you, that was pretty cool."

The other Olympian currently on the Oilers roster, Connor McDavid, arrived in Anaheim later in the day on Tuesday after competing in Sunday's gold-medal match for Canada against the United States.

While Draisaitl is expected to suit up against the Ducks, McDavid's return may not be as imminent. The captain will likely skate on Wednesday morning and then a decision on his game status will be made.

"We had some discussions in January about the possibility of what happens when the tournament ends, when he flies back, how he feels about coming back and playing immediately," Knoblauch explained. "A lot of it has to do with how he's feeling injury-wise, health-wise, energy-wise probably the biggest factor. There's a lot up in the air still and nothing's been ruled out."

Fellow forward Kasperi Kapanen is not expected to play against the Ducks or Kings as he recovers from an undisclosed ailment, but Knoblauch said the Finn will most likely suit up Saturday in San Jose.