Well folks, training camp has opened, preseason hockey is here, which means the dawn of a new Oilers season is upon us. And this is a big one. What many, including the Oilers themselves, are labelling as a "Cup or bust" season. Will they do it? We have 82-games to get through first before we even think about that question.
Last season record: 50-23-9 (2nd in division, 2nd in Western Conference)
Key additions: Connor Brown, Lane Pedersen, Brent Sutter (PTO), Sam Gagner (PTO), Adam Erne (PTO)
Key subtractions: Nik Bjudstad, Kailer Yamamoto, Klim Kostin
So yeah, as I said above, it's a cup or bust season for Edmonton. After being eliminated in back to back years by the eventual Stanley Cup Champions (Colorado in 2022, Vegas in 2023), most everyone in the NHL feels that this is the year Edmonton HAS to win a Stanley Cup. Me persoanlly? I know they won't do it, but it's great that the players have that mindset. With that in mind, they've got a lot of work to do. They lost some key players in Bjudstad, Kostin, and Yamamoto, while their most notable addition is McDavid's former teamamte from Erie in Connor Brown. That being said, not much needed to change for the team. Most of the pieces are in place, it's just they need to get going.
Projected Lineups:
Kane - McDavid - Brown
Nuge - Draisitl - Hyman
Foegle - McLeod - Holloway
Janmark - Ryan - Caggiula
Ekholm - Bouchard
Nurse - Ceci
Kulak - Desharnais
Skinner
Campbell
Heading into this season, the Oilers made some changes to their front office staff. Jeff Jackson (McDavid's former agent) is now the President of Hockey Operations for the Oilers. And his impact was immediately felt, as he has helped establish an anlytics department in Edmonton. This should, in theory, help Edmonton identify talent throughout the league (and in their organization) that can contribute to a Stanley Cup victory. Furthermore, according to media sources close to the organization, Jay Woodcroft and co. are going to return to their 1-1-3 style of play. This was the style they implemented when Jay first started coaching the team after his hiring in Feb of 2022. They got away from that style last season, for some reason, so to see them return to that style is a welcome change.
On ice performances from players are also looking to improve. I'm especially looking to improvement from Jack Campbell and Vincent Desharnais. Some rookies are also looking to impress. Dylan Holloway in particular is one I'd like to see come in and start contributing immediately. And then there's the established guys. Kane didn't have a terrible season, but injuries limited his contributions and I expect him to come in and be the Kane we saw after he signed in 2022. Foegle had a rough start, but solid finish and I expect more from him. And then there's Connor and Leon, who are just studs and continue to be. Both of them had rough playoffs. Draisitl didn't score a goal after Game 2 vs Vegas, and Connor was kept in check for most of the playoffs, limiting his abilities (which is understandable since LA and Vegas basically had three guys on him at all times).
So, of course, that leaves the big question. Will Edmonton be the cup champs. No clue. Hockey is this weird sport where things change on a dime. Where one day your the best team in the world, and the next your absolute garbage. They have to contend with 25 American teams and 6 Canadian ones to achieve ultimate glory. Everyone is saying "cup or bust" and I'm sitting here going "win a game in the conference finals". My realistic expectations for this team are solid two-way hockey all season long, a berth in the western conference finals, and then we'll go from there.
