EDMONTON — Nikolaj Ehlers arrives at Rogers Place with his scoring touch back and the Carolina Hurricanes perched near the top of the NHL standings, but the winger sees another level still available to the defending Stanley Cup champions.
Carolina, 8-2-1 and leading both the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference, meets the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night in a matchup of early-season heavyweights. Edmonton is 7-1-1, and the clubs bring two of the League’s most productive attacks into the building for a 9 p.m. ET faceoff.
Ehlers has collected three goals and two assists over his past four games, lifting his season line to eight points in 11 outings. The burst began with the winner in a 3-2 victory against Winnipeg on Saturday, then continued Tuesday when he scored twice and added an assist in Carolina’s 6-3 win at Vancouver.
“Our game is simple,” Ehlers said following Wednesday’s practice. “We want to do the right things every game, but I don’t think we’re all the way there yet. When we play the way we have to play, we’re a very difficult team to play against.”
The 30-year-old knows what that version of the Hurricanes can accomplish. In his first Carolina season, Ehlers helped the club win its first Stanley Cup since 2006. He produced 26 goals and 45 assists in all 82 regular-season games, then added eight goals and 10 assists across 18 playoff appearances. He is now in Year 2 of a six-year contract worth $51 million, carrying an $8.5 million annual cap hit.
Carolina has opened this season with the fourth-ranked offense at 3.82 goals per game while allowing only 2.45 per night, fifth fewest in the NHL. Still, Ehlers pointed to details away from the puck — clean exits, support in the defensive zone and getting pucks deep — as the difference between controlling play and handing opponents transition chances.
“It takes all five players on the ice to defend properly, get it out and then enter the offensive zone the right way,” Ehlers said. “When we don’t, when we fail to get pucks out or help each other, we create turnovers and odd-man rushes against us. We’ve allowed too many of those.”
His return to Winnipeg gave the trip an added layer. Ehlers spent his first 10 NHL seasons with the Jets, and his first game back last season carried the emotion of a tribute video, a standing ovation and a reunion with the fans who watched him develop. This time, he said, the nerves were gone.
“It was more fun this year,” he said. “Playing in front of that crowd again and against players I was with for 10 years, I really enjoyed it.”
Edmonton brings the League’s hottest attack
The Oilers present an even tougher checkpoint. Edmonton leads the NHL at 4.56 goals per game, powered as usual by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. McDavid has six goals and 20 assists for a League-leading 26 points in nine games, becoming the fastest player in NHL history to reach 20 assists in a season. Draisaitl has eight goals and eight assists.
Ehlers saw plenty of Edmonton during his Winnipeg years and knows there is no simple matchup plan for McDavid and Draisaitl.
“We just have to shut those two guys down, which will be easy,” Ehlers said with a laugh. “They’re incredible players, and they have depth, too. There are a lot of good players over there, but obviously you have to do a little more against those two.”
Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour has seen Ehlers’ value extend beyond the points. He called the speedy winger a major addition and highlighted the game-breaking play that helped Carolina edge Winnipeg when the result was still in the balance.
“He’s dynamic,” Brind’Amour said. “We needed somebody to make an extraordinary play, and he did.”
Brind’Amour also stressed that Ehlers’ instincts can be overlooked because of the skating and skill that jump out first. The veteran has settled into a leadership role in Carolina’s room, bringing both production and a detailed understanding of the club’s two-way standard.
“He’s a very smart player,” Brind’Amour said. “That might get missed a little because of his speed and talent, but he’s highly intelligent.”
For Carolina, Thursday is another measuring-stick night: a chance to test its defensive structure against the most explosive offense in hockey, and for Ehlers, another opportunity to show that his latest scoring run is only getting started.
