As the Edmonton Oilers stare down their final 13 games of the regular season, they’re leaning on contributions up and down the lineup to propel them into the playoffs. With Leon Draisaitl out for the rest of the season, it’s especially important everyone is taking that extra step at this point. One player who has really done his part and has fit seamlessly in the lineup is new addition Jason Dickinson.
Related: Oilers Continue to Succeed Without Draisaitl
Acquired at the 2026 Trade Deadline from the Chicago Blackhawks, Dickinson immediately took over as the team’s third line centre. His defence-first mindset is exactly what the management was looking for and he’s providing. It’s something that’s not always visible on the scoresheet, but with the Oilers picking up speed lately it’s certainly not going unnoticed.
Dickinson by the Numbers So Far
The defensive style Dickinson plays has proved to be effective thus far in Edmonton. He has recorded 25 hits and seven blocked shots in just seven games with the team while committing just one defensive zone giveaway over his last 10 games. He is extremely smart with the puck and protective of his own end. He’ll do what it takes to make a play.
Jason Dickinson rocks 💪
He drops Parker Kelly, eats a hit, and gets the puck out of the Oilers’ zone.
📹: Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/u5wYhjorMb
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) March 11, 2026
Dickinson is also disciplined. He leads the team in takeaways and has taken only two penalties since his arrival in Edmonton. He plays a clean game, but is also very aggressive and will latch on to anyone that is a threat.
The Blackhawks are certainly missing his impact as they stumble to the end of their season. Dickinson had the best face off percentage at just under 50% (among players with multiple draws taken) and is still inside the top 10 in the blocks and giveaways categories. The fine work he’s doing with the Oilers isn’t a flash in the pan as he’s been solid all season.
Dickinson has seven goals and 15 points through 54 games this season, including two points with Edmonton. With plenty of time left, he should eclipse his point total of 16 from last season. Though not known for offence, he provides enough for a bottom-six centre.
Oilers Need Dickinson to Keep It Up
Draisaitl being out until the end of the regular season is a huge blow on all fronts, but it forces the Oilers to push even harder in the defensive end. Dickinson is an integral piece of that as we can see and he’ll need to keep his play up. Every little stick check and extra hit he makes is important. The Western Conference is still tight and anything can change in a few games.
Since his arrival, the Oilers’ defence has gotten better. In their past 10 games, they rank eighth in the league in expected goals against and expected goal differential. They also rank first in faceoff win percentage in that same time. It’s fair to say Dickinson has given a boost in that last department specifically.
The Oilers are definitely still giving up goals, surrendering the sixth-most in the league over their last 10 games. However, they seem to have figured out their goaltending and have also found some combinations that work in both the defence and forward groups. Things are improving and those “expected” numbers prove it.
So far the trade has been a win for general manager Stan Bowman. We’ll see how Dickinson (and hopefully Colton Dach) stand out the rest of the way for Edmonton.
