SPORTS TALK: McDavid and Draisaitl need to take the Oilers to the promised land
By Greg Buchanan
As the NHL rolls into a brand new season, all hockey eyes in this area will be focused on the Oilers. Can they do it again and get to the Cup Final? The Edmonton Oilers still have plenty of work to do to make the Stanley Cup Final once again, but they won’t exactly have underdog status if they do return to the big dance.
Edmonton last won the Stanley Cup in 1990, while a Canadian team last won it in 1993 when the Montreal Canadiens were crowned champions. But that could all change come 2025.
It’s a matter of when - and not if – McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are not going to be denied.
The media picks are Oilers-heavy, with 46.4% of the media across North America picking Edmonton to win it all this year. Meanwhile, 100% of their staff picked the Oilers to return to the postseason, one of just six teams to get the unanimous vote.
Meanwhile, 42.9% of that media poll felt like the New York Rangers would be the league’s runner-up, which would be quite the matchup of two of Wayne Gretzky’s former teams.
You look at the Oilers squad this season compared to last season, and I truly believe they got better. They respected the gift of having Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the same team at the same time, and they did what they needed to do. That hasn’t always been a guarantee in Edmonton. Now, they’re starting the season in pole position as the top-ranked team in projections for 2024-25.
That’s what the model believed last season too, though this time there’s an even more bullish sentiment toward Edmonton’s chances.
The team’s projected point total lands at 110.2, up from 107.2 and one of the highest totals this model has ever spit out during the preseason. As for winning it all, Edmonton’s Stanley Cup chances jump from 15 percent to 21 percent, also among the highest.
This Oilers team is scary good on paper. Most juggernaut teams get worse in the summer thanks to the salary cap. The Oilers arguably got better — a frightening thought for the rest of the league. It’s why their forecast is so high across the board.
Now, more than ever, McDavid is surrounded by teammates who seem up to the task. A No. 1 defenseman and a money goaltender have both emerged. Players like Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson — top-six wingers, true secondary scorers — have been added to the mix. McDavid, though, remains the gravitational force. It’s time to prove that it’s Edmonton’s year. It’s time to prove that it’s his.