Smith made 36 saves on 38 shots in a 3-2 shootout win over the Canucks on Wednesday.

EDGE Analysis

The 39-year-old goalie was excellent for the first 50 minutes of the game before allowing two late goals to the Canucks. Smith regained his composure in overtime and stopped four of five shootout attempts to earn the win in the season opener. He was better than expected in 2020-21 with a 21-6-2 record, a 2.31 GAA and a .923 save percentage in 32 games. Mikko Koskinen figures to get a decent share of playing time to keep Smith, fresh, but the latter is the goalie to roster in this tandem. The Oilers' next game is Saturday versus the rival Flames.