Montreal Canadiens vs. Edmonton Oilers Picks and Prediction for Thursday, October 23, 2025
Use Code WWWC Montreal Canadiens (5-2-0) vs. Edmonton Oilers (3-3-1)
The Montreal Canadiens head to Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, on Thursday night to face off against the Edmonton Oilers in a cross-conference showdown with the puck drop at 9:00 PM ET, so we’ve prepared the Canadiens vs. Oilers prediction to get you covered.
Montreal and Edmonton start their two-game regular-season series. They split a two-game set last season, with each team emerging victorious on the home ice. Montreal blanked Edmonton 3-0, and the Oilers responded with a 3-2 overtime victory.
Read more about this Canadiens vs. Oilers prediction, and check out all our NHL picks for Thursday’s slate. The Oilers are firm -235 moneyline favorites with a total of 6.0 goals.
Wednesday’s games have been excluded from the analysis. This preview was published before Wednesday’s results, and the Canadiens started their four-game road trip on Wednesday night, taking on the Calgary Flames.
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The Canadiens lean on their offense
The Montreal Canadiens just finished a four-game homestand with a 3-1-0 record. After a couple of overtime wins over the Seattle Kraken, 5-4, and the Nashville Predators, 3-2, and a 4-3 loss to the New York Rangers, the Canadiens beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-2 this past Monday.
Buffalo outshot Montreal 32-31 on the night, but Jakub Dobes had a big game in the crease. The 24-year-old netminder advanced to 3-0-0 on the young season, and Dobes now boasts a 1.64 GAA and a .939 save percentage.
Dobes was confirmed for Wednesday’s clash against Calgary, so we will see Sam Montembeault between the pipes on Thursday. Montembeault is 2-2-0 with a pedestrian 3.26 GAA and a .857 save percentage in 2025-26.
The Canadiens rank 15th in the league in goals against (2.86 per game) and are 14-for-19 with the man down (tied for 22nd in the NHL). They score 3.57 goals per game (5th) despite going 4-for-23 with the man advantage (tied for 22nd). Nick Suzuki leads the way for Montreal with a goal, nine assists, and a plus-6 net rating.
The Oilers are off to a slow start
Once more, the Edmonton Oilers are struggling early in the season. The reigning Stanley Cup vice-champions have dropped four of their first seven games, tallying seven points in the process. The Oilers just finished a five-game road trip with a 2-3-0 record.
Last Tuesday, the Oilers put an end to their three-game losing streak. After consecutive defeats against the New York Islanders 4-2, the New Jersey Devils 5-3, and the Detroit Red Wings 4-2, the Oilers outlasted the Ottawa Senators 3-2 in overtime.
Edmonton blew a two-goal lead at Ottawa, but Jake Walman’s power-play goal lifted the Oilers over the Sens. Connor McDavid scored his first goal of the season, while Stuart Skinner advanced to 2-2-1 on the season, posting 19 saves on the night. Skinner holds a strong 2.17 GAA and a .909 save percentage, and Calvin Pickard is 1-1-0 with a 2.54 GAA and a .865 save percentage.
The Oilers score 2.57 goals per game (tied for 26th in the NHL) and allow 2.71 goals in return (tied for 12th). They are 5-for-20 with the man advantage (10th) and 16-for-20 with the man down (15th). McDavid is the team’s best point scorer with eight (G1, A7), but he has a minus-2 net rating. Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins have scored four goals each.
Canadiens vs. Oilers Pick
Spread Pick for Canadiens vs. Oilers
- Edmonton Oilers -1.5 (5 units)
Sam Montembeault is considered the Canadiens’ number one, but he’s been bad thus far. Interestingly, he’s faced exactly 22 shots in three of his four starts this season. On the other side, the Oilers desperately need more from their offense, especially five-on-five.
This is a tough spot for the Canadiens and a nice chance for the Oilers to get things going. Montreal will have to deal with fatigue on the second night of a back-to-back, and I don’t trust Montembeault, so give me the Oilers at the puckline.
Edmonton’s defense has been shaky thus far, but the Oilers’ offense will be a key factor in this matchup.
Over/Under Pick for Canadiens vs. Oilers
- Over 6.0 (5 units)
I expect the Oilers to outscore the Canadiens, whose offense looks lethal early in the season. As I mentioned, Sam Montembeault has struggled through his first four starts, so I’m backing the Oilers to get things going up front. Both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are elite, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is off to a solid start to the season.
Montreal cannot count on defenseman Kaiden Guhle and winger Patrik Laine. Even though Laine has recorded just one assist in five appearances this season, the Canadiens have done a great job, posting the fifth-best shooting percentage in the NHL (13.7%). Montreal is eighth in the league in expected goals for, and Edmonton ranks ninth in this category.
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