With less than a month to go until the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Western Conference matchups are far from set. The Edmonton Oilers will mostly likely finish second in the Pacific Division, but there is a world where they go on a heater and catch the Vancouver Canucks who sit in first.
Below them in the division, the Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights are battling for third place. Whoever doesn’t finish third will most likely finish as the second wild card team, though the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues sit just three and four points out of that spot as of writing this.
What does this mean for the Oilers? Well, it means they have no clue who their first-round matchup will be. It could be one of five teams.
Let’s play out the scenarios.
If the Oilers stay in second
The most likely scenario is Edmonton stays put at second in the Pacific and plays whoever finishes third. Vegas and Los Angeles are in a battle for the spot, and whoever comes out on top would get a first-round date with the Oilers, assuming they stay in second.
Being the higher seed, Edmonton would get home ice advantage.
The Oilers and Golden Knights have only played twice this year, splitting their matchups. They’ll play again on April 10 in Edmonton.
Of course, Vegas eliminated the Oilers in the second round of last year’s playoffs with a 4–1 series win. The Golden Knights also loaded up at the deadline, landing Noah Hanifin, Tomas Hertl, and Anthony Mantha. They would be a tough first-round matchup, but it seems like everyone in the West would be at this point.
Maybe the Oilers’ motivation for revenge would help them in a series against Vegas.
The other possible matchup if Edmonton maintains its spot in the standings is a date with the Los Angeles Kings. Edmonton leads the season series 2–1, with another matchup set for March 28.
The teams also played each other in last year’s first round, where Edmonton eliminated L.A. in six games. Either matchup will feature one team looking for revenge for last year.
The Kings got off to a hot start this year, but had a brutal end of December and early January, losing eight in a row at one point. Their play has picked up recently, as they are 6–3–1 in their last 10.
If the Oilers catch the Canucks
The Oilers sit eight points back of Vancouver for first in the Pacific, but have three games in hand. Vancouver just lost their star goalie Thatcher Demko, so they could scuffle a bit to end the season. If they do, and Edmonton stays hot, the Oilers could definitely end up in first.
If this happens, they will either play the first or second wild card teams in the West.
This adds Nashville to the picture.
The Predators are the hottest team in hockey. They have points in 15 straight games, going 13–0–2 in that span. They’ve moved from outside the playoff picture to basically locked into the first wild card spot.
Even though the Oilers have won two of three against Nashville, the Predators will be a scary matchup for anyone at this point. No team wants to face a surging, confident group like them in round one.
The unlikely wild card spots
There are another two teams who could steal the last wild card spot: the Minnesota Wild and the St. Louis Blues.
Just three and four points back respectively, both teams have won six of their last ten to tighten the gap between them and Vegas, who hold the final playoff spot. If the Golden Knights continue to struggle, either team could squeak in.
We all remember what happened in 2019 when the Blues battled to get a playoff spot late. Even if their roster isn’t the same, a team that has been playing for their lives heading into the playoffs is always hard to knock off.
The Wild have played through some terrible goaltending this year, with a team save percentage of .899. They haven’t given up more than three in a game in over a month, though, and have the star power to make a run in the playoffs.
Neither team controls their own destiny, but can capitalize if Vegas scuffles down the stretch.
What to make of it all
The Western Conference is stacked, and any first-round matchup will be difficult. Whether it be the loaded Golden Knights or Kings, the hot-as-ever Predators, or the scrappy Blues or Wild, the Oilers will have their hands full.
Unless they collapse to end the year, though, Edmonton will have home-ice advantage in any of these matchups. That’s a great sign for the team who is 22–8–3 at home this year.
No matter what, the first round will be a fun one. We’re most likely going to see the Oilers match up against a team they played in last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, making round one that much more exciting.
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
