With the start of the NHL regular season quickly approaching, there are many storylines to track. Every team across the league has its own set of questions, hopes, and doubts. No different are the Edmonton Oilers who come in as one of the league’s elite teams. With that in mind we polled our readers: who is the Western Conference’s top team?
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Oilers clearly the front runner
Perhaps unsurprisingly, this poll of Oilers fans has left us with the result that the Oilers are the class of the West. With back-to-back 100-point seasons, back-to-back seasons advancing past the first round, the Oilers achieved a level of consistency perhaps unseen for the franchise since the glory days of the late 1980s.
Of course, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl headline a potent offence, but the Oilers boast one of the stronger bluelines across the league as well. Putting it all together, it’s completely justified that Oil Country is confident in their chances this season. While there will be adversity along the way, and it won’t be as clear cut as this poll makes it seem, the Oilers are as good a choice as any team in the West.
Golden Knights have a fighting chance
The reigning Stanley Cup champs, the Vegas Golden Knights are clearly still among the class of the league. Since joining the NHL in 2017–18, the only consistent thing about the Knights have been their on-ice excellence, among the league’s most consistent teams through that stretch. Coach Bruce Cassidy enters his second season with the team after his year one triumph, and there is little reason to think that the Knights won’t at least mount a valiant title defence.
Often teams around the league try to emulate certain traits of the current champions, and the Knights do have some notable returning hallmarks setting the golden standard of the league. With a deep blueline, featuring a ton of size, the Knights spread the wealth between their pairings.
Similarly, up front the Knights spread the wealth through a lineup with a lot of size. Often Nic Hague and Zach Whitecloud, referred to as the third pair, and the trio of William Carrier, Nic Roy, and Keegan Kolesar thought of as the fourth line. Neither unit is truly befitting of such monikers, an illustration of the depth, but also of a commitment to their identity.
Despite the championship, and Oilers fans getting an up close and personal look at the Knights in the Oilers second round defeat by their hands last season, there is not much respect given in this poll. While repeating as Stanley Cup champions is an accomplishment that borders on dynastic in the modern NHL, the Knights have a strong chance at the feat.
Can the Kings be contenders?
Having lost to the Oilers in back-to-back first-round playoff series, it might be understandable that Oil Country gives little respect to the Los Angeles Kings here. That being said, both series were tightly contested, and the Kings appear to be on the rise thanks to an ongoing infusion of high end draft talent meshing with a storied core.
Even with expected steps forward from the likes of Quinton Byfield and Arthur Kaliyev, the Kings added Pierre-Luc Dubois to round out a ferocious group of top-nine forwards. Between the Selke worthy talents of Anze Kopitar and Phillip Danault, the scrappy play of Trevor Moore and Viktor Arvidsson, as well as the high flying talents of Kevin Fiala and Adrian Kempe, the Kings undoubtedly have a solid mix of forwards.
The blueline has some potential upside, with Brandt Clarke looking to assert himself as an offensive force from the back end. Joining an already stout group is also Tobias Bjornfot, who might be ready for a full time NHL role. In all, there is very little question about the Kings skaters.
The biggest area of concern is the goaltending. The Kings moved on from the expensive and ineffective tandem of Jonathan Quick and Cal Petersen midway through last season, but chose to spend elsewhere letting playoff starter Joonas Korpisalo walk in free agency. For now, it will be Pheonix Copley, who performed quite well last season, and Cam Talbot, who has provided quality goaltending behind strong defensive teams in recent seasons.
Don’t underestimate the Stars
For the past three seasons, the Dallas Stars have boasted one of the NHL’s top lines, as Roope Hintz centres Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski. While the old guard of Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin might be a bit pricey for their current effectiveness, this this offset by a myriad of value deals, from veterans like Matt Duchene to young players like Wyatt Johnston.
Jake Oettinger is one of the rising stars of NHL goalies, and widely expected to find his way into Vezina discussions over the next five to ten seasons. With a trip to the Cup Final in the 2019–20 bubble playoffs and a trip to the Western Conference Final last season, the Stars have a decent amount of playoff success in their recent past as well, serving as a proof of concept for their deserved place in this discussion.
The biggest area of concern might be depth on the blueline. After perennial Norris candidate Miro Heiskanen the Stars might leave something to be desired. Esa Lindell, Ryan Suter, and Jani Hakanpaa represent various levels of physical and defensive abilities, but it might be the development of younger players like Thomas Harley and Nils Lundkvist that ultimately earn the Stars more respect here. Injuries aside, adding a bonafide defender to the back end might be the most expected addition the Stars look for in season.
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
