Before the new NHL season gets underway, we wanted to turn to our team to ask some burning questions on what to expect of the Edmonton Oilers. Let’s get right into it!
Where do you think the Oilers will finish this season in the Pacific Division?
Alias Savin: First: Oilers will finish first in the Pacific Division. While Vegas Golden Knights will continue to be a contender and Vancouver Canucks will look to build on a strong season, I believe that if the Oilers’ defence clicks, then this is the year we finish first in the division.
Sean Laycock: They will likely finish a very close second. It’s hard to be better than the Golden Knights and there are a couple weaknesses on the Oilers’ roster that may cause some difficulties over the regular season. The types they’d likely shore up closer to the deadline.
Faiz Virji: I think this is the time the Oilers finally finish first in the division. Last years winner in Vancouver could certainly see their PDO luck take a step back, in addition to the health issues of Thatcher Demko. Vegas also has goaltending questions, as Adin Hill no longer has Logan Thompson as a safety net, and Ilya Samsonov is hit or miss.
Greg Babinski: The Oilers are the best team in the Pacific, though the Golden Knights are no slouches. Especially without a disastrous start to the season, this team should be a favourite for the Presidents Trophy.
Shaedon Shergill: The Oilers, who have historically started seasons slow, have never won the division title in the 97 era. That will change this season. The team should hopefully know by now that slow starts to the season are catastrophic and this is still one of the deeper teams they’ve had in recent memory. They’ll finish first in the Pacific.
Khalid Keshavjee: I’m going to be a contrarian and say the Oilers finish second in the division. The Golden Knights have just too much star power in their lineup and with good goaltending, they look like a powerhouse. I would imagine the Oilers finish just behind them when it’s all said and done.
Who will lead the Oilers in goals this season?
Aliaks Savin: Leon Draisaitl. I want to first acknowledge the sensational season that Zach Hyman had last season with with 54 goals playing alongside Connor McDavid. McDavid himself has also scored 64 goals two seasons ago and has skills to do so again. However, Draisaitl had just signed a contract extension and after being paired with offensive minded wingers, I predict he will eclipse the 50-goal mark and lead the Oilers in this category.
Sean Laycock: Draisaitl will be back. Fresh off his extension, Draisaitl will hit his stride early on and coast to another 50+ goal season. Hyman is likely to regress a bit, leaving the door open for an extra motivated Draisaitl to light the league up from the goal line.
Faiz Virji: With the new contract that he describes as “responsibility” rather than pressure, Draisaitl is going to get back to the 50-goal mark, and while I think McDavid scores way more than the 32 he did last year, I think Drai takes the title this year.
Greg Babinski: Even though McDavid and Hyman are legitimate threats for 50 goals, Draisaitl should have better even strength linemates this season, which should be enough to lead the Oilers in goals.
Shaedon Shergill: With a healthy McDavid, I believe he’ll score at a similar rate he did in the 2022–23 season. At the bare minimum, I sense a 50 to 55- goal season from the captain.
Khalid Keshavjee: After seeing what Auston Matthews did last season, I can see McDavid saying “anything you can do I can do better” and pushing for the scoring title. Assuming he remains healthy, I can see him turning it up a notch and leading the team in scoring.
Who will be the team’s MVP this season?
Aliaks Savin: McDavid. I just don’t know how I could bet against him. Draisaitl is a close second in my books, but McDavid is the best hockey player on the planet and in my right mind, I cannot pick anyone else.
Sean Laycock: Aside from the obvious MVP being McDavid, I want to give a shoutout to Mattias Ekholm. An absolute rock on Edmonton’s defence, good at almost everything, plays insanely tough minutes against the best opposition, and is relied on heavily to be the leader and mentor of the defensive group. They would not be anywhere near as strong without him, and with three new defenders (counting Troy Stecher as new as he barely got a chance to play last season) on the blueline, his leadership and experience is going to be vital.
Faiz Virji: McDavid. It really can’t be anyone else.
Greg Babinski: McDavid is the boring answer, but it shouldn’t be taken for granted how special it is to have a player of his calibre.
Shaedon Shergill: Kinda a given, but it’ll be McDavid year in and out unless Draisaitl has a monster season like he did in 2019–20. You can sense the hunger from him after the devastating Game 7 loss to the Florida Panthers and I think he explodes for a ~160-point campaign.
Khalid Keshavjee: This team rides or dies with McDavid. If he’s good, the team is good. It absolutely has to be him.
Which prospect will play the most games for the Oilers this year?
Aliaks Savin: While Matt Savoie is the best Oilers’ prospect at this time, Noah Philp has made a very strong case to start the season with the team. I think that he is mature enough to continue improving his game to match the Oilers’ bottom six needs.
Sean Laycock: Ty Emberson, he only has 30 games played in the NHL so far, but with his likely spot being on the second defensive pairing, he is bound to play a full season. Philp and Raphael Lavoie are less likely to be lineup regulars and could sit as a healthy scratch for periods of time between appearances, if they stay in the NHL all season.
Faiz Virji: Depends on the definition of “prospect” but the easy money is on Emberson. He is all but pencilled into the starting lineup and unless he struggles mightily, I don’t think he comes out.
Greg Babinski: I’m not counting Emberson as a prospect. Philp is the choice, as anyone who takes a deeper look into what he brings to the ice will come away very impressed. If anything, there is a chance that he could push for a third-line role, perhaps bringing many of the same traits the Oilers lost in Dylan Holloway or, to an extent, Ryan McLeod.
Shaedon Shergill: Savoie but won’t play a lot until we reach the playoffs, similar to Dallas’ Logan Stankoven. I really hope the Oilers have learned from their mismanagement of Holloway and have a plan in place for Savoie. Hopefully, playing top minutes 5v5 and on the power play in Bakersfield before graduating to the NHL come March. Philp is an older guy so I don’t count him as a prospect, but should play 60-70 games as a “rookie.”
Khalid Keshavjee: I feel like Philp is the guy (mostly because I feel like Emberson is a cop-out answer). Philp had an outstanding camp and should slot in as the team’s fourth line centre. I’d love to see him stay in that role all year long.
How will the Oilers fare in the playoffs?
Aliaks Savin: Stanley Cup Win. Oilers will learn from their mistakes in June and McDavid’s Cup or Bust mentality will finally lead the Oilers to the promise land: 2024–25 Stanley Cup Champions.
Sean Laycock: The expectation is Stanley Cup or bust. Anything short of hoisting the ultimate prize will be a disappointment at this point. It is going to be absurdly difficult to make the Cup Final two years in a row, however, especially with some of the teams they will have to fight through to get there. They could very easily lose out in the second round depending on the matchup.
Faiz Virji: Stanley Cup winners. I’m manifesting it.
Greg Babinski: Across Oil Country there is only one unit of measurement, the Stanley Cup itself. The Oilers absolutely have what it takes to make it one win further this season, but the journey to reforge their identity cannot be overlooked.
Shaedon Shergill: This is the year. They were oh, so close last year despite being down 3-0 in the series. They’ll add at the deadline and they’ll use the pain and lessons from last year to motivate them for their run in 2025. The cup is coming home to Edmonton.
Khalid Keshavjee: Not to be a debbie downer, but I don’t think the path to the cup will be as easy this year as last. I feel like the team makes it through the first two rounds, but ends up dropping in the third round in a very tight seven game series.
Hockey is back
We’re just days away from the Oilers hitting the ice in competitive action. The offseason is over and there’s a palpable excitement to see what this team really is. The puck drops soon and we’ve got Oilers coverage and more, all season long.
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
