Are the Edmonton Oilers a better team than they were a season ago? I think they might be. A year ago this week the Oilers were riding an incredible 16-game winning streak and preparing for the NHL All-Star Break Feb. 1-3. They were hoping to tie the NHL record of 17 consecutive wins set by the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins and were preparing for their game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Feb. 6. Well, the Golden Knights had other ideas and beat the Oilers 3-1 stopping their quest for the record in its tracks. However that didn’t stop the 29-16-1 Oilers with a .656 winning percentage (P%) from riding their momentum all the way to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.
Fast forward to this season, the Oilers have a 32-15-3 record and a slightly better .670 P% heading into their Jan. 30 home game against the Detroit Red Wings. There’s been no 2-9-1 start to the 2024-25 NHL season, no 16-game winning streak — just a steady rise to the top of the Pacific Division standings. Compare that to last season when the Oilers were in third place in the Pacific Division on Feb. 1 trailing the 34-11-5 Vancouver Canucks and 30-15-6 Golden Knights in the standings. The Oilers have a lot of things working in their favour this season. Leon Draisaitl is having an MVP-calibre season and is playing the best hockey of his career, the team is playing well defensively, and Connor McDavid looks as focused as I’ve ever seen him. Are the Oilers a better overall hockey club than last season’s version of the team? Possibly.
Youth Out – Experience In
At this time last season the Oilers roster featured Vincent Desharnais, Cody Ceci, Warren Foegele, Dylan Holloway, Evander Kane, and Ryan McLeod. Only Kane remains with the Oilers but has been on the injured reserve all season. All that youth and speed, including Philip Broberg — who played 12 regular season games for the Oilers — were either not re-signed, picked up by offer sheets or traded.
Their replacements this season include: Viktor Arvidsson, Kasperi Kapanen, Noah Philp, Vasily Podkolzin, Jeff Skinner, Ty Emberson, and John Klingberg. You could also add Adam Henrique and Troy Stecher who were added late last season. Many feel the Oilers lost speed, and aggressiveness but added experience. Has that made the Oilers slower? Yes. Are the Oilers wiser and more patient now? Yes. Are they better? Hmmm…
Oilers Are in a Better Position to Win This Season
Even though the Oilers lost some speed and youthful exuberance, I think they’re a better team this season. And, after accumulating some long-term injured reserve capital this season, they’re poised to bring in some bona fide help for the stretch run and most likely the playoffs in 2025. The biggest question in Oil Country is what will Oilers general manager (GM) Stan Bowman do on or before the March 7 2025 Trade Deadline?
A lot depends on John Klingberg’s trial run over the next few weeks. If he can get back to the way he played for the Dallas Stars in the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Bowman will spend his money in other places other than the blue line. Kane should be back in the line-up by April, which will add scoring, grit, and toughness. So will Bowman go goalie shopping? With Bowman’s moves so far in his first season with the Oilers — bringing in Podkolzin, Emberson, and Klingberg while promoting Philp — it feels he truly has his finger on the pulse of what this team needs. It wouldn’t surprise me if he was after a goaltender, however if in the end, Bowman and the Oilers stick with Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard as their guys going into the playoffs, I will trust him, the coaching staff, and the scouts.
Related: Oilers Might Go After a Goaltender Before Trade Deadline
I believe Bowman has been doing his due diligence by examining every square inch of the Oilers’ roster to see where he can bring improvement. So far this season, the proof is in the pudding as the Oilers have been at or near the top of the Pacific Division for close to a month. I think with Bowman at the helm, the Oilers roster will improve before the playoffs, and we’ll see the results on the ice and in the standings. Does it guarantee McDavid will hoist the Stanley Cup in June? No. However, it does increase the odds the Oilers have as good a chance as any team to win it all, and that’s music to the ears of fans in Oil Country this season.
