Rogers Place, home of the Edmonton Oilers, is a place where miracles regularly happen on the ice. There is a collective intake of breath as Connor McDavid, Oiler captain and the league’s number one superstar, grabs the puck. Night in and out, he does the seemingly impossible, defeating and often embarrassing elite competition as the goals and assists pile up. Beyond McDavid, Leon Draisaitl is always amongst the league leaders in points and scoring, and the supporting cast around them is stronger than it has ever been before. It’s a good thing too because Edmonton is unquestionably in “win now” mode.
The Oilers were sent home by the eventual Stanley Cup champions each of the last two seasons. Nothing to be ashamed of, but it does suggest that they had a shot at their own post-season victory if they’d found a way past the Colorado Avalanche (2022) or the Vegas Golden Knights (2023). You have to beat the best to be the best, and in spite of having the best player on any league roster, Edmonton has yet to prove they’re the best team. Might this be the year that all changes?
Roster Changes
Let’s start with who isn’t there anymore:
- Jesse Puljujarvi – Regardless of your thoughts on the player’s handling, attitude or development curve, the JP saga has ended. It’s for the best because he couldn’t consistently unlock the skill that seemed to lurk beneath the surface of his game. Best of luck Bison King.
- Kailer Yamamoto – Yams had heart, and he may yet turn out to be a productive NHL player, but his offense came in spurts and his playing style does not mesh well with the size of opposing defensemen in this league. As a result, Yamamoto was often in and out of the lineup, and I suspect that some of the time when he was in, he was hurting, which might explain the scoring.
- Tyson Barrie – Barrie’s absence was felt in the Vegas series, and while none could argue that the big return piece, Mattias Ekholm, wasn’t a great addition to Edmonton’s roster, it remains to be seen if Evan Bouchard can step up for a whole season (and beyond). Barrie is also a great person, and I suspect he’s missed in the locker room.
- Other less significant departures include Klim Kostin, Devin Shore, Slater Koekkoek, Tyler Benson, Nick Bjugstad, and the perennially injured Ryan Murray. Worth noting that Mike Smith and Oscar Klefbom’s LTIR contracts have expired, which will have some cap implications for Oilers management to deal with.
As for incoming players, it’s an interesting mix:
- Connor Brown – Brown signed a one year deal, hoping to find magic and earn a longer contract with his old pal from junior passing him the puck. Connor McDavid’s line-mate for a his final year with the Erie Otters, Brown produced 128 points including 68 goals. He’s never come close to NHL equivalency but has managed 20 or more, once with the Maple Leafs and then again with the Ottawa Senators. Brown missed most of last season with a lower body injury and so the big question is whether or not he’ll bounce back.
- Former Oiler Drake Cagguila has returned on a two-way deal and the team also added defenceman Ben Gleason on a similar contract.
- Training camp invites have been extended to Brandon Sutter, and fan favourite Sam Gagner to PTOs (professional tryout contracts) and it will be interesting to see if either veteran can earn a spot at the expense of the minor leaguers looking to make the jump to pro.
Goaltending questions?
It might seem that goaltending should be listed as a team strength given Stuart Skinner’s rookie season. The hometown kid was nominated for rookie of the year after all. But Skinner’s postseason looked shaky, and he finished too many of his starts on the bench. Maybe it was just nerves, it’s a big stage for any player and a lot of pressure, but Skinner is the clear starter over Jack Campbell, so he needs to deliver victories. If he struggles again, given the Oiler’s cap pressures and Campbell’s salary, there isn’t an easy fix available.
In front of the goalies, the defence should return in good shape. Ekholm now leads the D-corps as a legitimate number one and Evan Bouchard looked really good with such a capable partner beside him. The other pairings should see veterans Darnell Nurse, Codi Ceci, and Brett Kulak mixed with Philip Broberg and David Desharnais. A decent group, with more depth than some recent years.
Sample size is important, and Skinner was very good for much longer than he was bad. That bodes well for a return to high performance. His contract is up in 2026, with Campbell locked in until 2027, so the Oiler’s new CEO Jeff Jackson, and whoever sits in the general manager’s chair, will have to sort out the salary situation eventually. That is tomorrow’s problem however, all that matters for these two net minders is keeping pucks out of their net, and letting the superstars do their work on the other end of the ice.
New CEO, New Outlook
Jeff Jackson was brought on board this summer, and he will slowly mold the team in his preferred image. Both Ken Holland and Bob Nicholson are likely to take a step back in the near future, but the team that needs to win now will be the one they built. Jackson has indicated he wants to modernize the franchise, already increasing the organization’s focus on advanced statistics with a couple early hires.
He’ll continue to make changes behind the scenes, but his main focus will be the retention of his team’s two superstars. Draisaitl is the first whose contract will expire, and the dollar figure and term on any extension he signs will set the bar for the other deal. Retaining the services of Connor McDavid has to be the reason that Oiler’s owner Daryl Katz brought 97’s long time agent on board, and how much easier will those conversations be if they’re around keeping a championship group together, versus looking back at a decade of missed opportunities.
Divisional Rivals
The Oilers remain a favourite to win the Pacific division. The Golden Knights remain the team to beat as Cup champions, and the LA Kings will hold a grudge after being sent home in Round One for the second year in a row. The Seattle Kraken, in spite of their very strong 2022-23, still have to prove it wasn’t a fluke. The Ducks, Sharks, Flames and Canucks will all be looking to take a step forward, but no team boasts a duo comparable to 97 and 29.
Home ice advantage needs to be captured, as the relatively easy competition in the first round of the playoffs could allow for vital rest and recovery on the way to a deep playoff drive. We can be sure that magic will happen when McDavid and the Oilers’ lethal power play are on the ice, but for players and fans alike, regular season heroics aren’t what matters. Win games, stay healthy, and then find a way to capture the Cup.