The Connor McDavid/Leon Draisaitl era of the Edmonton Oilers has become known for several things. The Evander Kane portion of this era netted three trips to the Western Conference Final, and two Stanley Cup Final appearances. December and January have seen the Oilers turn into something resembling the 80’s dynasty. While you’re at it, you can throw in being in the mix for the Pacific Division title until season’s end.
But what the past three seasons especially have become known for is lethargic walks out of the gate. Lousy beginnings of seasons have cost both Jack Campbell and Jay Woodcroft their respective jobs. It has also meant that, rather than establishing divisional supremacy, those midseason surges simply place the Oilers back into the playoff picture as they fight to get back into the Pacific’s top three.
A solid start to the season isn’t everything, as this franchise has proven time and time again. But it can help them condition better for the playoffs, and end a nearly 40-year drought of not finishing atop the standings. So what do the Oilers need to do to start 2025–26 off on the right foot?
Get all of your mistakes out of your system in preseason
Any candidate who runs for Mayor of Edmonton will have made mistakes before, but the goal is to not make any after you officially begin your campaign. The same can be said for sports, where an error-prone stretch hinders your place in the standings. This is something that has plagued the Oilers in the early going in recent years.
The defence, in particular, has been guilty of being far too flawed in starting a season. This leaves the goalies behind them hung out to dry (they aren’t absolved of blame, be patient). Furthermore, it places even more pressure on the offence to score lots of goals, which won’t happen every night. Years past, this kind of trend was simply a “systematic flaw”. But after the defence figured things out in the 2024 playoffs, this trend veered into being regression.
In last night’s game, Evan Bouchard was at fault for two turnovers in the early going. At least committing those in September won’t cost you two standings points. Committing those in October and beyond can change the course of a game, and in turn a season. Don’t get upset at the team if they look like a wreck against the Seattle Kraken and Vancouver Canucks later this week; it might actually be of benefit to work out the kinks in the system. Do get upset if these mistakes are still happening by Thanksgiving.
Goaltending cannot afford to fall flat
Jack Campbell had two straight seasons of crummy starts to a season. Stuart Skinner got pulled on opening night last year. As mentioned, the defence in front of them did them zero favours in either case. But so, too, did they themselves, in not being able to make a save.
New goaltending coach Peter Aubry will have been working with both Skinner, and Calvin Pickard, for a month now to try out new tweaks to their style of play. While it wasn’t inspiring to see Skinner have a subpar outing last week, it bears reminding that he’s adjusting. Coming into camp fifteen pounds lighter, and with a new voice to listen to, is an adjustment. Anyone who says otherwise is either a machine, or never had the true school experience of going from Elementary to Junior High.
Regardless, like the defence, Skinner and Pickard have to get all the ugly out of the way now. Once October eight comes around, the show is for real, and anything below a .900 save percentage won’t be good enough. Certainly, the debacle of 2024 Opening Night cannot at all be repeated.
Depth contributions always help
One thing that was notable to last season’s 2–4–1 start to the season was the lack of scoring. It’s been proven repeatedly that the Oilers have to be more than “the team of McDavid and Draisaitl.” Last season, they decidedly weren’t.
Through three losses to open, Edmonton had a grand total of three goals to show for it. Through seven games it looked slightly better, but then you look deeper into it, and outside of McDavid and Draisaitl, just four forwards and two defencemen had scored. Of those players, only Brett Kulak and Jeff Skinner had more than one goal. Considering McDavid had no goals until the fifth game, and just one tally through six, that’s a recipe for disaster.
For moments when McDavid and Draisaitl look human, depth scoring has to pick up the slack. Even if the defence and goaltending play brilliantly, winning several games 1–0 or 2–1 are just as bad as trying to win a bunch of 5–4 games.
Use the upcoming mini-roadie to forge some camaraderie
The Oilers have a splendid opportunity before them. The final two preseason games on the docket for the team are in the Pacific Northwest, as they play Seattle and Vancouver. This presents a chance for the team to do some early bonding, and get into the right mindset for October.
Team chemistry can get a little bit undervalued. But it makes a team far more likely to win when everyone wants to go to war for their teammates. It’s part of why the Oilers have been so strong the past couple of years.
This year though, there’s a bit more turnover than in years past. Several newer faces have joined the team, as part of a larger youth movement, and they’ll need to get acclimated to the new setting. A bit of team-bonding in the PNW could go a long way, not just in that endeavour. But in getting the team into regularseason mode right out of the gates.
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
