Calgary Flames vs. Edmonton Oilers Picks and Prediction for Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Pacific Division rivals get their seasons rolling North of the Border and we’re getting you ready with our Flames vs. Oilers predictions for Wednesday night. Calgary (41-27-14 in 2024-25) is coming off of its best season in three years but still came up short of a postseason berth. Edmonton (48-29-5 in 2024-25) made a sixth straight playoff run last season and a second consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final, though they came up empty once again. These two begin their new pursuit with a 10:00 EST puck drop from Rogers Place in Edmonton. Looking to win big this hockey season? We have the best NHL Picks to help you out!
Flames ready for next step
In their second season under head coach Ryan Huska, the Flames were solid, winning their more games since 21-22. They finished strong, winning 11 of their last 16 games but narrowly missed out on the playoffs, losing the tiebreaker to St. Louis for the final spot in the Western Conference.
Last season’s version of the Flames was not the most potent offense side, averaging just 2.68 goals per game, fourth-fewest in the NHL. It wasn’t for a lack of effort as they were seventh overall in the league with 2,414 shots. On special teams, they scored 49 power play goals, 17th in the league, and seven short-handed, tied for 12th. Nazem Kadri, who led the team with 35 goals and 67 points last season, returns to center the top line alongside Joel Farabee and Adam Klapka. The team will be a bit shorthanded to open the season, with Jonathan Huberdeau – second on the team with 62 points last season – opening the season on the IL with an undisclosed injury.
On the defensive end, the team had a 2.88 goals against average, tied for 15th in the NHL. The 2,371 shots against them were the 11th most in the league last season. Short-handed, they struggled, with a 76.1% penalty kill percentage, 25th in the league. MacKenzie Weegar returns as the top defender for the club, but all eyes are on 19-year-old Zayne Parekh, the No. 9 pick of the 2024 draft, who will start with the team after making his NHL debut last April. Dustin Wolf, second in the Calder Trophy race last season, gets the start between the pipes on opening night. Last season, he was 16th in the NFL with a 2.64 goals against average and he had a 29-16-8 record. Devin Cooley, who has just six NHL games under his belt, will serve as the team’s second option in net.
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Injury notes
- LW Jonathan Huberdeau (undisclosed) out until at least Oct. 9
- RW Martin Pospisil (undisclosed) out until at least Oct. 11
- LD Ilya Solovyov (non-injury related) out until at least Oct. 9
Can Oilers clear final hurdle?
Two seasons under the guidance of Kris Knoblauch as head coach have led the Oilers to two consecutive Stanley Cup Finals appearances, though no title just yet. They finished third in the Pacific and sixth in the Western Conference, then went on to post a 14-8 record in the postseason.
Edmonton finished 11th in the league in scoring last season, averaging 3.16 goals per game. No team had more than their 2,622 shots and they scored 51 times on the power play and five times shorthanded. Connor McDavid enters his 11th season with a brand-new two-year extension in his pocket. The Oilers’ star scored 26 goals in 67 games last season, his lowest output since his rookie season. He still finished with 100 points for the eighth time in his career. Leon Draisaitl led the league with 52 goals and was tied for third with 106 points last season. The team made a trade with Tampa in the offseason and acquired Hobey Baker Award winner Isaac Howard, who will add depth.
The team was 14th in the league a year ago with a 2.87 goals against average. They did a decent job of limiting opposition chances, giving up 2,211 shots, the ninth fewest in the league. The defense remains almost completely intact, with Alec Regula coming over from Chicago to fill in a gap on the second unit alongside Darnell Nurse. Evan Bouchard, second on the team with 53 assists last season, and Mattias Ekholm remain a solid top defensive duo. Stuart Skinner (2.81 GAA in 24-25) and Calvin Pickard (2.71 GAA in 24-25) are both back to handle the goaltending duties. Skinner, who worked 51 games last season, was dealing with the flu but should be a go for the opener.
Injury notes
- RW Mattias Janmark (undisclosed) IR
- RW Zach Hyman (wrist) IR
- LD Jake Walman (undisclosed) day-to-day
Flames vs. Oilers Picks
Money Line Pick for Flames vs. Oilers
- Oilers -1.5 (+112) (5 units)
Last season, the Oilers went 2-1 SU when these two met. Edmonton boasts one of the more potent 1-2 punches in the game with McDavid and Draisaitl. Calgary is going to have their hands full right out of the gate with just those two, but the Oilers throw much more at you than that, so I’m expecting the defending Western Conference champs to come out flying. They have something to prove, they are at home, and they are up against one of the more porous defenses from a season ago. The Oilers are 7-3 SU in their last ten games against Calgary. We’re going to the puck line on this one, since four of Edmonton’s last five wins over the Flames have come by two goals.
Take the Oilers with the puck line at home.
Over/Under for Flames vs. Oilers Picks
- Over 6 (5 units)
In three meetings last season, the two teams tallied a combined six goals only once, with the other two meetings seeing a total of five goals scored. This game features seven players who scored at least 20 goals last season and each team has one 35-plus goal scorer. The Oilers bring the league’s top goal scorer from last season, Draisaitl, to the table, and he potted three against their division rival last season. In the last five meetings between these two in Edmonton, they’ve averaged 6.6 goals per game, so they tend to get a bit more offensive when they play at Rogers Place.
Take the over.
