With a new NHL season underway, spirits across Oil Country are renewed. There have been a lot of interesting changes to the Edmonton Oilers reality this past offseason, as they look to reforge their identity. Though eternal glory remains elusive, the Connor McDavid led Oilers have authored an incredible story on their journey.
Still, the rest of the league can say the same. With all teams still undefeated hope runs unbridled for but a moment longer. The Oilers path begins with their own division, housing the most heated rivalries and the most likely playoff opponents.
Let’s take a look at what the Oilers have to contend with in a ranking of the Pacific Division teams.
Rebuilders in the division
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks hold the distinction of being the lone rebuilding team in the division. The mood is not low, as the roster begins to turn over to the young talent joining the ranks of the NHL. The core must emerge from within, and the good news is that there are promising signs. The Sharks will be an exciting team to watch for this reason, but the future of the blueline is less clear.
In net and up front the team’s future will be on display, but given that defencemen generally take longer to come into their own this could be a longer term issue. Still, if their young forwards are ready to be stars they might quickly become relevant. Perhaps the dream is good progress this season, one last high draft pick before trying to transition into a playoff hopeful. Fans of teams around the league might enjoy seeing them on the schedule for a few reasons.
Teams in transition
Seattle Kraken
The Kraken have been wading in the waters in the middle for much of their existence. They have some good prospects, but in truth none have been able to fully grab the mantle of being the expansion team’s first star player. There will be chances, as they have an interesting prospect system, including several who are knocking on the door of an NHL role.
There will have to be a decision on some veteran players as the season rolls along. The Kraken have enough structure in their lineup to be feisty, and there might not be many outright holes. Entering the year with a new coach and GM, the impetus for change looms. The Kraken will hope that their young players keep growing, and that some kind of identity begins to form around them.
Calgary Flames
The Flames have done well to get younger, and have a good amount of depth at forward. Their transition has been less aggressive than most, never being a true rebuilder. There is some talent, but little to truly rely on an offensive focal point. Recent drafts have given the team some interesting prospects, but remain only future speculations at this point.
If the Flames want to find success this season they will have to be sound defensively. The roster has enough defensive talent to help Dustin Wolf, who might be their best hope for the present and the future. They were quite respectable last season, despite missing the playoffs, but one or two standout performances from younger Flames could ignite spirits.
Anaheim Ducks
Likewise, the Anaheim Ducks look for change from within. Though much of the attention from the outside focuses on adding expensive veterans, the Ducks seem ready to take the next step. As much as the team results have not been there recently, there have been great signs from the Ducks young players, who might be ready to take over the identity of the team.
All of a sudden the Ducks have everything they need, at least on paper. Strength at centre and defence, a lot of size and skill throughout, and one of the division’s better goalies. The Ducks would do well to make the playoffs, but the ingredients are there to make it interesting.
Teams with high expectations
Los Angeles Kings
With a new GM Oilers fans will be familiar with, the Los Angeles Kings remain first-round fodder for the Oilers. In their efforts to elude the fate that has consistently befallen them since their mini rebuild, the Kings turned to veterans to fill out their roster.
It’s a bold push, sending in the chips on the golden hour of a storied core. The Kings are living in the moment as much as the true contenders of the division, and clearly see themselves as such. The Kings got older this offseason, and it would be hard for the team to play much better than it did last season. The Kings raced clean, earning home ice in the playoffs, and even took a two-game series lead. All that said, this might be the best chance the Kings have for a long while.
Vancouver Canucks
The soap opera of the Vancouver Canucks continues. The Canucks have some star players, a strong and sustainable blueline, and a lot of baggage. With an assistant promoted to head coach, the Canucks are looking for change within the room. The team needs to find a way to come together to weather the storms that inevitably come throughout a regular season schedule.
The abyss often looks dark, as nearly every core piece of the team has been in trade rumours over the years. For one reason or another there has been volatility. That includes some strong years, where the Canucks have been a formidable playoff team. It should not be forgotten that at their best the Canucks are a ferocious side. Needless to say the Canucks will remain an interesting situation to monitor.
Cup contenders in the division
Vegas Golden Knights
Not far removed from a Stanley Cup themselves, the Vegas Golden Knights roster deserves respect. Losing a defenceman and gaining a winger might change the balance one way or another, but this is a stacked roster headline by three great centres and two great defensive wingers. There might be some hoping for other parts of the roster, but there seems to be enough to find an answer.
The Knights have had a long stretch of sustained success, and there is little reason to think that will not continue. The combination of blueline and goaltending questions is a bit worrisome, but their winning culture should be more than enough to sustain them.
Edmonton Oilers
While the Oilers continue to find ways not to win their division, they deserve top spot. Of course playoff wins against the Kings and Knights last season is as close to a certificate of this as possible. Over the course of the Connor McDavid era the Oilers have made stops in all of these tiers, a reminder of the challenges that most teams face to be in this position.
There will be twists and turns ahead, but the Oilers have all but proven themselves with a Stanley Cup win. The stakes will be high, as will the emotions, but Oilers fans should expect another season of high quality hockey either way.
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
