For the second straight year, the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings will face off against one another in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Similar to last year, the Oilers are being considered favorites in this series, though the Kings proved to be a difficult out for them last time around, as the two battled it out for a full seven games.
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What makes this series such an anticipated one is that both teams have made some major improvements from just a season ago. For the Oilers, the addition of Mattias Ekholm has made them nearly unbeatable, while the Kings had a major acquisition over the summer in Kevin Fiala. Assuming he is healthy and good to go, he could prove to be a difficult player for Oilers defenders to shut down.
As mentioned, however, the Oilers are being considered favorites in this series, and for good reason. Not only did Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl combine for an unfathomable 281 points on the season, but Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also broke the 100-point barrier, marking the first time since the 1995-96 Penguins (Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Ron Francis) that a team has had three players top the 100-point mark.
With that said, it is quite obvious those three will continue to be a problem for teams in the playoffs. What hasn’t been talked about as much, however, is that the Oilers have a number of other highly talented players on their roster that are capable of helping out the big guns, and make no mistake, they will be needed. Here are three players that could prove to be major x-factors for the Oilers in this series.
Evander Kane
After joining the Oilers midway through the 2021-22 season, Evander Kane became an immediate threat for the Oilers and finished that year with 22 goals and 39 points in 43 games. He upped that production even further in the playoffs with 13 goals and 17 points in 15 outings. Given his success, he was rewarded with a four-year extension in the summer, though his 2022-23 campaign was a rather disappointing one.
Kane struggled to stay healthy in 2022-23, and as a result was limited to just 41 games. While he wasn’t bad by any means, it was clear that the missed time had an effect on his game, as his production dropped to 16 goals and 28 points. Despite the down year by his standards, he feels like a player who could be ready to break out right away.
Much like he did a year ago, Kane is a player who seems to thrive on the big stage. His physical presence makes him an intimidating player to go up against in a seven-game series, and he holds a type of confidence that makes it seem as though he believes he can be the best player on the ice on any given night. That self-belief is what has made him such a good NHL player for a long period of time, and should help in the postseason when perhaps other younger players are entering the games with more nerves. Don’t be surprised to see him produce similar numbers to what he did a year ago.
Evan Bouchard
Since playing his first full season as an NHLer in 2021-22, Evan Bouchard is somewhat of a polarizing player amongst the Oilers fanbase. His offensive skill is incredibly impressive for a 23-year-old and has resulted in him putting up a combined 83 points over the past two seasons. His defensive play, however, is a work in progress.
At times during even-strength play, Bouchard has a tendency to get exposed in his own zone. He lacks the physicality to be an intimidating defensive presence, and can at times get caught puck-watching and be out of position as a result. However, he seems to be at his best when paired with a steady, veteran presence, and has gotten that recently in Ekholm.
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Since the Oilers acquired Ekholm and paired him with Bouchard, the young defenseman seems much more at ease, and is playing with more confidence. His mistakes in the defensive end have been limited, but even more noticeable is the fact that his offensive game, which struggled at times earlier in the season, is back and better than ever.
Part of the reason for this is the fact that he now runs the Oilers’ first power play unit due to Tyson Barrie being traded. Being a part of that dangerous group will put him in a great opportunity to produce at a high level in the playoffs. He has a chance to really make a name for himself here if he plays like he has shown at times he is capable of.
Stuart Skinner
As good as the Oilers are offensively, they will need help from their blue line and goaltending as well. This Kings team has two great shutdown centermen in Anze Kopitar and Phillip Danault, meaning this series may not be as high scoring as some are expecting. That means the Oilers will need to rely on Stuart Skinner to be at his absolute best night in and night out.
If his regular season is any indicator, Skinner should be up for the challenge. In 50 games this season, he recorded a solid 2.73 goals-against average (GAA) along with a .914 save percentage (SV%). Even better is that he has been playing his best hockey as of late, having allowed just five goals over his past five starts. That said, the rookie has yet to play in the postseason at the NHL level, so it remains to be seen how he will react when the stakes are at their highest. If he can continue to produce results similar to what he did throughout the regular season, the Oilers should be able to come out on top.
Kings Not an Easy Out
Though the Oilers are being considered a potential Stanley Cup-winning team by many, it seems that the Kings are not receiving the credit they deserve right now. This is a very good team, one that finished just five points shy of the Oilers in the standings this season. While McDavid and company are the more talented team on paper, this series is one that feels like it has the potential to go the distance once again, meaning the three x-factors listed above will play a large part in determining the end result.