As the 2024 NHL regular season winds down, the three Western Canadian teams in 2024 NHL Stanley Cup playoff positions are in decent shape. In the NHL’s Western Conference, each of the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, and Winnipeg Jets securely hold down playoff spots. Here we will focus on the Edmonton Oilers update and look at how their performance as of late translates into them rounding into playoff form.
McDavid Leads the Oilers as They Prepare for the Post-Season
Despite there being some holes in the Oilers lineup, make no mistake this team is a 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Contender. Anytime your lineup boasts the likes of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard, you will be in any playoff series. To that point, McDavid was just honoured with the NHL’s First Star of the Month award for March. In fact, his 31 points in 15 games was the most productive March by anyone since Jaromir Jagr of the Pittsburgh Penguins way back in 2000-01. This has helped catapult McDavid up the NHL’s scoring race as he currently sits third with 126. Unfortunately, after a tough loss to the Dallas Stars last night 5-0, both he and Mattias Ekholm had point streaks ended. McDavid’s was eight games, while Ekholm’s had been five.
No Update Required on the Edmonton Oilers Injury Front
One aspect that has greatly contributed to the Oilers success this year is they have stuck with their guys. And it is paying off. Also, as their lineup is currently, they have been incredibly healthy. Cody Ceci and Brett Kulak recently got back into the lineup and now the lineup as a whole is healthy. Furthermore, for the Oilers, 13 skaters are listed as having played 70 or more games with the club this year. As a result of their success, they continue to hum along at a .721 win % under current Head Coach Kris Knoblauch.
When it comes to the playoffs, there is optimism. They are in a position where this group can take the mentality that they have been there before. First of all, Connor McDavid is up to 49 career playoff games. In addition, Draisaitl would love to build on his 13 goals in 12 playoff games from the 2023 playoffs. Additionally, they have gained playoff pedigree in the form of Corey Perry. Perry has one Stanley Cup ring to go along with his 164 career playoff contests. Also, acquiring Adam Henrique really brought in depth to this forward group. The 34-year-old centre can be utilized in multiple situations and has 47 points on the year. Finally, Evan Bouchard is nearly a point-per-game player this season on their blueline. The top pairing of Bouchard along with Ekholm is as strong as it gets.
No, It Isn’t All Striking It Rich for the Oil
With all the positives, there are still a few things to work on ironing out the kinks. They can struggle with consistency as exemplified in their loss against Dallas. They still need more reliable production from their depth forwards upfront. For example, after Ryan McLeod‘s 12 goals, which has him seventh on the team’s forward group, Perry is next at six. That’s why adding Henrique and Sam Carrick as well was so necessary. Also, the goaltending is prone to inconsistencies as well. Yes, Stuart Skinner has a marvelous 33-14-5 record on the year. However, a .906 SV% means there are still nights where he struggles. Therefore, if Edmonton is to go on a run, they simply need everyone to play their best. The top-end guys are there, is there enough time left in the regular season to get everyone else on board? Fans in Northern Alberta certainly hope so.
Main photo: Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports
