With two of the best players currently in the National Hockey League on their roster, the Edmonton Oilers are poised to make a run for Lord Stanley’s Cup in 2022-23. Will they be the team that brings the cup back to Canada for the first time in 30 years?
The Edmonton Oilers Dynasty Years
The last time a Stanley Cup banner was raised in Edmonton was in 1990. Thirty-two long years ago when a guy by the name of Mark Messier was on the team. That was the end of the dynasty years for Oilers fans that saw them win the Cup five times total. Wayne Gretzky was there for four of the five Cups and if it weren’t for his trade to LA in the summer of 1988 who knows how many they could have won? Hall of Fame players up and down the roster. A coach and management team that seemed to be ahead of the times. The Oilers had it all.
Two of the Best in the NHL
Fast forward thirty-two years, the Oilers have two potential Hall Of Fame forwards in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. These two players have dominated the NHL since they entered the league in the 2015-16 season. The Art Ross Trophy seems to have a permanent residence in Alberta’s capital since that season (Nikita Kucherov the exception in 2018-19) with McDavid winning four and Draisaitl with one. These two dominate the game at every level and seem ready for the next step. An appearance in the Stanley Cup Final. The first for Edmonton since their unlikely run in 2005-06 that was led by Chris Pronger.
Oilers Better Between the Pipes
Jack Campbell took advantage of his extra playing time last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He finally got his payday when he signed a five-year, $25 million deal in July. Campbell is a huge improvement from the aging Mike Smith who played in 28 regular season games last season at the age of 40 and was less than stellar in the playoffs. Smith’s goaltending partner, Mikko Koskinen had a very poor season for the Oilers and was told that his services were no longer required in Edmonton. Stuart Skinner will be Campbell’s backup and should be able to eat up enough minutes to give “Soupy” some rest when needed.
Is Edmonton’s Kane Able
Edmonton has a decent supporting cast upfront with Zach Hymen, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Jesse Puljujarvi. Playing alongside McDavid and Draisaitl probably doesn’t hurt their cause to improve on point totals nightly. The big question mark coming into this season could be Evander Kane. Kane joined the Oilers midway through last season and was almost a point-per-game player. Nobody has ever questioned Kane’s talent. It has always been about his off-ice issues. If Kane can keep his issues away he could make the Oilers even more potent offensively. Kane is more than able to change a game on his own as was seen in the playoffs last season against Calgary.
Questions on Defense
Defense is where the Edmonton Oilers find themselves with more questions than answers. Darnell Nurse should have recovered from a hip injury he suffered in the playoffs. He puts up big minutes nightly and will be expected to do the same this season. Evan Bouchard chipped in 43 points in his first full NHL season and should be able to improve on those numbers with more experience. After that, it’s a bit of a crap shoot on the blue line. Tyson Barrie can show flashes of brilliance at times and then look awful the next shift. Cody Ceci is OK at best and might be a third-pairing player at this point in his career. With no salary cap space, defense is a major area of concern for the Oilers. The team that beat them in the Western Conference Final, the Colorado Avalanche, is vastly superior on defense and it isn’t close.
Edmonton Oilers Must Do It Now
Head coach Jay Woodcroft will look to pick up where he left off last season after he took over from Dave Tippett in February. The Edmonton Oilers won two rounds in the playoffs and seem to be headed in the right direction. The problem is they may not have done enough to surpass the team that swept them aside last spring. Most teams have cap issues so this is nothing new in today’s NHL. What is new is the Oilers are close for the first time in thirty-plus years. They are quickly losing time on McDavid’s career and need to be in a win-now mentality. Can GM Ken Holland add a defenseman somehow? If he doesn’t there will not be a Stanley Cup Parade down Jasper Avenue in Edmonton at the conclusion of next season.
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