Heartbreak, disappointment and defeat. Those three things were what Oilers fans felt when the team left the ice in Vancouver back in early April. There was also a sense, at least for me, that this team was doomed, it wasn’t going anywhere and there would be no changes.
Then it happened, ping pong balls made the city of Edmonton happier than a college kid who just won the biggest beer pong tournament of his life. With a small stroke of luck, the Edmonton Oilers won the NHL’s draft lottery and the right to draft superstar Connor McDavid.
That started a domino effect of changes in Edmonton. Soon thereafter, Bob Nicholson took over as CEO after a year long forensic audit of the organization. Then came Peter Chiarelli, who was shockingly named GM to replace Craig MacTavish. Then it was Todd McLellan, the big name coach who left San Jose after a strong tenure in California.
Andrej Sekera, Cam Talbot, Mark Letestu, Lauri Korpikoski, Eric Gryba and Griffin Reinhart all joined the party on the ice this summer and then, like it never left, the belief and hype returned to Edmonton.
I believe that this summer was the turning point, that this Oiler organization is about to finally begin it’s long overdue turn north up the NHL’s standings. For fans of this team, after nine years of heartbreak, things are finally looking good in Edmonton. The results won’t come overnight, but progress should finally become apparent.
Why Is 2015-16 Different?:
For years, the Oilers were run by managers that, quite frankly, were not qualified for the job. Steve Tambellini might have been the worst GM in NHL history, and I’m not kidding. He failed to add a single NHL player via trade or free agency that made any kind of impact in Edmonton.
Craig MacTavish was not qualified as a GM either. Yes, he was a great coach and is a terrific hockey guy, but he just wasn’t ready to take the reigns of a professional team, especially one that needed to turn around immediately.
The never ending coaching carousel doesn’t help either, you need stability in terms of the voice and the system, but Edmonton hasn’t had that since MacTavish left in April of 2009.
Now, the Oilers have both of those things. They have a savvy veteran GM who has built a powerhouse before in Peter Chiarelli, and they have stability behind the bench with a strong system and veteran voice in Todd McLellan. The off-ice issues that have plagued this team are finally fixed.
The team also, finally, has depth at center and a franchise player. Connor McDavid is at a different level than those before him, he’s got the chance to be the best Oiler since Mark Messier left. When you add that kind of talent to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Anton Lander, you get center depth.
The Oilers will also have a strong young core entering their prime years. Players like Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle join veterans like Benoit Pouliot, Teddy Purcell, Mark Letestu, Andrej Sekera and Mark Fayne, who are in their prime years and still have a lot to give.
McDavid will join other tremendous young talents like Oscar Klefbom, Anton Slepyshev and eventually Leon Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse. That is a very strong group ready to break into the NHL.
Looking at Edmonton’s roster this year compared to last year, it’s very easy to see that this club is improved. The dead weight is mostly gone and some real NHL players have been added.
The Biggest Question Mark:
In between the pipes is still a question mark for the Oilers. Peter Chiarelli made two very calculated bets in adding Cam Talbot and Anders Nilsson this summer, but neither has proven they can be a starter in this league. Talbot looked good last year in a lengthy stretch, but this will be his first true look as the number one guy.
Nilsson dominated the KHL last season and had a great camp, but his last stint in North America was a total disaster and he’s no sure thing as the backup for the Oilers.
That said, I truly believe that Cam Talbot can provide this team with at least average goaltending this season. He played behind an average at best defense in New York and looked very good to my eye when I saw him live a number of times. If he can do that, then Edmonton will have a much better season.
Anders Nilsson, by the way, reminds me a little bit of Tim Thomas, who Chiarelli had while he was in Boston.
The X-Factor:
The Oilers have three defenders who can be classified as top-four guys in the NHL. They are Andrej Sekera, Oscar Klefbom and Mark Fayne. The Oilers need one more guy to step up, and Justin Schultz is the best bet right now. He’s got the tools to be a very good defender, but he simply hasn’t put them together.
Can Todd McLellan unlock the player? I’m not sure, but he looked vastly improved in training camp and he knows this is likely his last shot in Edmonton. If Schultz can finally take a step forward, Edmonton’s defense will be better than anyone imagined this season.
The Prediction:
Without doubt, the Edmonton Oilers will be a better hockey team this year. That being said, there will still be painful nights and there are still holes on this roster. Edmonton’s defense simply is not good enough right now to compete in the western conference, that’s just a fact.
I think we will see substantial improvement in the wins/losses column, but I’m not sure how far they will jump in the standings.
I’ve picked Edmonton to finish fifth in the Pacific division, coming in ahead of both Arizona and Vancouver. I’ve picked them to finish 10th in the west as well.
Too high? Too low? What are your predictions?
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