One win short of glory last season, the Edmonton Oilers got virtually as close to a Stanley Cup as possible. Of course, it will not be entirely the same group tasked with following up their resilient performance. As the season opener draws nearer, let’s take a look at how this Oilers team looks on paper and what we might expect from them.
Forwards
Nugent-Hopkins — McDavid — Hyman
Janmark — Draisaitl — Arvidsson
Skinner — Henrique — Brown
Podkolzin — Ryan — Perry
Extras: Kane, Savoie, Philp, Hamblin, Jarventie
Unsurprisingly, the Oilers forward group is the primary strength of their team. While the group is quite deep, everything begins with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. McDavid centres one of, if not the best line in hockey, as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman have the quality and chemistry to bring the most out of each other. Another 50-goal season for Hyman should not be the expectation, but he has consistently improved in each season as a professional.
Meanwhile, Viktor Arvidsson joins as a fairly ideal winger for Draisaitl. With equal parts skill and will, the only thing not to like about Arvidsson is his injury issues. Jeff Skinner was thought to be another offensively minded winger to give the trio more firepower, yet finds himself lower in the lineup for now. Given Draisaitl’s elite skills, finding him complementary skill sets might be just as important as staking his line with more scoring.
Skinner finds himself instead with Adam Henrique. The veteran was re-signed after an impressive stint with the team last season. His ability to control play, contribute on both special teams, and play centre or wing makes him a key piece to this middle six. Connor Brown and Mattias Janmark were fantastic on a line with Henrique, a trio bursting with defensive capabilities. The Skinner-Janmark switch evens out the lines, for now.
Vasily Podkolzin joins as a fourth line presence. Veterans Derek Ryan and Corey Perry should help Podkolzin find more success than he did with the Vancouver Canucks, and the trio might even be able to control possession in their limited minutes. Perhaps not to the level that was expected of him on his draft night, but there is some hope that Podkolzin can be a regular contributor, and even push up the lineup.
The Oilers have intriguing depth, even after losing Raphael Lavoie on waivers. Evander Kane is injured for some time, and might even be moved if he does return. Kane has been a negative possession player, but his scoring and physicality are at least tangible contributions. Matthew Savoie is the Oilers top prospect, a dazzling speedy offensive dynamo. Savoie needs more time to develop, but could step into a top six role once he is ready for the big time.
Perhaps the most impactful player for this season is Noah Philp. Desperate his older age for a rookie, and his unconventional developmental path, Philp has a lot of attributes that will make him an integral part of this forward group at some point this season. A right shot centre, Philp is excellent on faceoffs, well regarded defensively, and a contributor on the penalty kill. Do not let this description pigeonhole him into a fourth line only role, as Philp has the speed, shot, and enough puck skills to project further up the lineup in the future.
Defence
Ekholm — Bouchard
Nurse — Emberson
Kulak — Stecher
Extras: Dermott, Brown, Gleason
There is some symmetry between the forward and defence groups, as the Oilers blueline is built behind a solid foundation. The duo of Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard return as one of the top defensive pairings in the league. While they were already about as good as could ever be hoped, there is a chance that Bouchard still has room to grow. He enters the season as a legitimate Norris Trophy candidate.
Darnell Nurse finally has a new partner, a point of contention for many across Oil Country the pst few seasons. While relatively unknown, Ty Emberson appears to be a very functional partner for Nurse. The fact that Coach Kris Knoblauch has familiarity with him should inspire some confidence. When it is all said and done, this might go down as one of Stan Bowman’s better trades, clearing cap space, adding draft capital, getting younger, and potentially getting the better player in one fell swoop.
Meanwhile, Troy Stecher returns and is primed to be Brett Kulak’s partner. Stecher has routinely found his way into the regular lineup for playoff teams over his years bouncing around the league. While not the most exciting on paper, he is quietly effective and perfectly capable of handling a regular third pairing role.
There is some depth for the Oilers to work with, now with Travis Dermott and Josh Brown joining a group that also includes Ben Gleason. Brown is a big defender, though not as good as Vincent Desharnais. Dermott is interesting, a left shot with some experience playing on his weak side. Max Wanner seems like a long term option, entering his second AHL season. At some point the right shot will start coming up in conversations for NHL time, but for the contending Oilers it is still a bit soon.
Goalies
Skinner
Pickard
Rodrigue
It is quite likely that most will see the goaltending as the Oilers’ weakness once again. Throughout nearly the entirety of the McDavid era Oilers this has been the case, but the reputation is a bit overstated. While lacking a true Vezina Trophy candidate, the Oilers have gotten good value from their crease.
For his part, Stuart Skinner has overachieved expectations in each of the past handful of seasons. Skinner has become a real option to become team Canada’s starting goalie for a best-on-best tournament. Yes, he has had some ups and downs, but he has earned more leeway than he receives, as virtually every poor performance leads to a referendum on his abilities. Skinner is still a young goalie, and most others in his age range with as firm a grip on a starting role are praised and heralded to a much greater extent.
Calvin Pickard is far from the most appealing backup option around the league, though the Oilers seem convinced that he can handle the role. It does underscore how much the team relies on Skinner, and how little support they offer him. At the very least the Oilers project to be among the league’s better defensive teams, as they were last season, which will make both their jobs easier.
Olivier Rodrigue has shown a lot with the Bakersfield Condors over the past couple seasons. His preseason was not outstanding, but he is likely only an injury away from an NHL debut. The Oilers will hope that he does not find his way into an NHL game, and being ready for a full time backup role might be a bit too steep an ask, but it is not impossible that he can push Pickard.
Prediction
First in the Pacific Division
Through a tumultuous and unpredictable offseason the Oilers have been able to assemble an impressive team. There are areas that can be upgraded, but at full health the Oilers do not have any glaring holes. There is some depth up front, so trade deadline additions are a bit more likely to be on defence or in goal.
The star players will shine bright, as usual, punctuated by the greatest power play in modern history. Part of what helped the Oilers win the Western Conference last season was their excellence on the penalty kill, and reforging that identity will be crucial to building on their success from last season. Perhaps more than anything else, the Oilers will have to live in the moment and avoid looking too far ahead. There is no reason for the team to start as poorly as they did last season.
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
