Flames vs Oilers Picks and Prediction – 3/30/2025

The Battle of Alberta is back Saturday night as the Calgary Flames (34-26-11) visit the Edmonton Oilers (41-26-5) at Rogers Place. Calgary is coming off a 5-2 loss to Dallas, but had won four straight before that, including back-to-back overtime wins over Seattle and the Islanders. Edmonton’s in a tougher spot, dropping a 6-1 blowout to Seattle and losing four of its last five. Hit the ice running with our NHL picks.

Calgary has picked up steam lately with strong performances from Nazem Kadri, who leads the team with 30 goals and is coming off a two-goal effort. Jonathan Huberdeau has a team-best 58 points, and MacKenzie Weegar leads with 34 assists. The Flames are averaging 2.61 goals per game while allowing 2.94. Dustin Wolf is expected in goal and has 24 wins with a 2.67 GAA and .909 save percentage. The power play is clicking at 21.5%, and the penalty kill sits at 74.6%. Calgary will likely be without Connor Zary, Anthony Mantha, and Justin Kirkland due to injuries.

Defensively, Calgary has been average, allowing just under 29 shots per game while giving up nearly three goals a night. They’ve played tighter hockey lately, but staying disciplined is still a concern with 708 penalty minutes. The penalty kill has been vulnerable, and special teams might be tested against an Oilers power play that ranks top-five in the league. 

The Oilers are stumbling, with a rough week that included back-to-back losses to Dallas and Seattle. Even worse, they’ll be without their top guns—Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl—who are both sidelined until next week. That’s a massive blow, considering Draisaitl leads the team with 101 points and 49 goals, while McDavid has a team-high 64 assists. Stuart Skinner is day-to-day, so Calvin Pickard may get the nod in net.

Defensively, Edmonton is allowing 2.94 goals per game but giving up only 27.2 shots per night. The Oilers’ penalty kill sits at 76.5%, slightly better than Calgary’s, and their power play is stronger at 25.4%. With McDavid and Draisaitl out, secondary scoring will need to step up, but that’s a tall task in a rivalry game. 

This one comes down to timing and health. The Flames are playing well and are mostly intact. Kadri is heating up, and Wolf has been sharp in net. Edmonton’s missing McDavid, Draisaitl, and Skinner, which guts the core of its offense and stability in goal. The Flames' defense has looked better lately, and they’ll have the edge in special teams without the Oilers' stars. Final Score Prediction: Calgary Flames win 4-2.