The best player on the planet plus Leon Draisaitl. A squad depth that has not been seen for many years, a top newcomer for the defense. But also question marks in the goal and the defensive. What about the chances of Leon Draisaitl and his Edmonton Oilers being a serious contender for the Stanley Cup? An analysis.
Leon Draisaitl is one of the great hopes of the Oilers.
IMAGO/USA TODAY Network
Last Friday’s “Trade Deadline” is over, and the rosters of the NHL teams for the playoffs are in place. After about 80 percent of the regular season, a picture is slowly but surely emerging of how the fight for the Stanley Cup could continue from mid-April. Also for the Edmonton Oilers and Leon Draisaitl, on whom German hopes rest.
This speaks to a deep playoff run for the Oilers:
Connor McDavid: The 26-year-old is arguably the best hockey player in the world and has been since the days of the greats Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux in the ’80s and ’90s. The Canadian currently has 54 goals this season and 124 points. A best value in his career, after only 65 of 82 games in the regular season! 150 scorer points are realistic, this has not been the case since Lemieux in the mid-90s. Last season, when the Oilers made it to the conference finals, McDavid was able to step it up a notch in the playoffs. On a good day, he’s capable of defeating an opponent almost single-handedly.
Leon Draisaitl: Like McDavid, the 27-year-old shone in the play-offs last season despite playing with a syndesmosis injury. In top form, the German is the second-best player in the league behind McDavid. In the scorer list he is second with 96 points, including 41 goals. Draisaitl can play on McDavid’s wing or as a center on his own row.
The Framework: If all players are fit, coach Jay Woodcroft is spoiled for choice. In addition to the two superstars, there are numerous top performers, especially on the offensive. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (78 points) is having the best season of his career, as is Zack Hyman (72 points). With the long-injured Evander Kane, the Oilers have a strong trump card going into the playoffs. And in Nick Bjugstad, they signed a useful attacker for the third or fourth line of attack at the trade deadline. In the 3-2 win in Buffalo on Monday, he won all ten faceoffs – a discipline in which the Oilers repeatedly show weaknesses.
Ekholm gives the team more defensive stability and balance
Mattias Ekholm: The Swede could be the missing piece of the puzzle on the way to the title. For the 32-year-old defenseman, the Oilers gave up offensive defender Tyson Barrie to the Nashville Predaotors at the trade deadline. A high but good price, as Ekholm gives the team more defensive stability and balance. Evan Bouchard has recently flourished at his side, as he did last season under the now retired Duncan Keith. In addition, Ekholm takes Last from Darnell Nurse, previously the top defenseman for the Oilers. Clearly, the Oilers are a better team with Ekholm.
Die Western Conference: There are currently no clear favorites in the West. Defending champion Colorado Avalanche should remain the ultimate, but doesn’t look quite as strong as it did in 2022. There’s no opponent the Oilers need fear in a best-of-seven series. But: During this season they lacked consistency. If they don’t find them in the play-offs, the dream of a cup can quickly go haywire, because…
This speaks against a cup win for the Oilers in 2022/23:
Die Defensive: These are more important than ever in the playoffs. Along with the Vancouver Canucks and the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Oilers are the only team that hasn’t even managed to keep a clean sheet. They concede over three goals per game. Can the offensive compensate for this? The outnumbered game needs to improve urgently. What good is the best power play in the NHL if the stats on the other hand spit out 25th place in a penalty kill?
The situation in the gate: A strong goalkeeper is part of a good defense, especially in ice hockey. The post between the posts has been a problem with the Oilers for many years. Ahead of the season, they hoped to settle it with Jack Campbell, handing the former Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender a five-year, five-million-euro contract. But Campbell is completely disappointed except for a good phase in January, the Oilers can usually not score as many goals as they concede with him. So the hope rests on “rookie” Stuart Skinner. The 22-year-old, drafted by the Oilers, is having a strong first season, even earning an Allstar Game nomination. But can he bear the burden alone? The last rookie to lead a team to cup victory was Jordan Binnington with the St. Louis Blus in 2019.
Injuries: At their best, the Oilers are a threat to any team. But injuries can change everything quickly and are almost inevitable in the play-offs. Especially in defense, nothing can happen to the Oilers behind the first seven defenders, they have practically no one up their sleeves. When they lost to Colorado last season, Draisaitl and Nurse played badly and the squad didn’t offer any alternatives.
Die Eastern Conference: Should the Oilers actually make it to the finals of the Stanley Cup, a top team from the Eastern Conference, which is better this season, would be waiting there. The outstanding Boston Bruins, Toronto, New York Rangers, Carolina, Tampa Bay have all upgraded powerfully. Anyone who prevails here will go into the cup final with a lot of euphoria and will be difficult to beat.
In addition to Draisaitl, the German playoff hopes should rest primarily on Philipp Grubauer and his Seattle Kraken. The team is one of the big surprises in just its second season, even ahead of the Oilers in the Pacific Division. The recently outstanding Tim Stützle with his Ottawa Senators, Moritz Seider (Detroit) and JJ Peterka (Buffalo) have to tremble for participation, for Nico Sturm (San José), Lukas Reichel (Chicago) and Thomas Greiss (St. Louis) the end the season early.
