The Edmonton Oilers’ stars will always be indirectly and directly linked to the stars of the Toronto Maple Leafs. With two teams loaded with offensively talented forwards, questions surround whether each team has too much money tied up in their top forwards that neither can win a Stanley Cup. So far, neither team has, but with the early exit by the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, the Oilers have a chance to change the narrative surrounding players like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
The debate shouldn’t really be a debate at all. As Oilers Now host Bob Stauffer pointed out on Sunday, the stats comparing the playoff production of McDavid to Auston Matthews and Draisaitl to Mitch Marner aren’t close. But, because neither team has won a Stanley Cup with these four stars on their rosters, there will always be the excuse that point production doesn’t matter since no one has won an NHL championship.
Looking at the Differences Between the Oilers and Maple Leafs
As Stauffer showed, McDavid and Draisaitl have a huge edge on paper over Matthews and Marner. McDavid has played 54 playoff games and has 87 points (Points/GP: 1.61). Draisaitl (amazingly) has played the same number of games and has the same number of points. Matthews has played in 55 games, has 48 (Points/GP: 0.87) and Marner has played in 57 games and has 50 points (Points/GP: 0.88). The difference in production is quite staggering.
Some will argue that McDavid and Draisaitl are carrying the team and that Edmonton isn’t a contender without them. That narrative is only partially true. Like any team with major stars, they’re better because those stars are a part of the roster. Take them away and those teams don’t win. It’s not about whether a team is better with elite talent — that much is obvious. It’s whether that elite talent can lead a roster to victory.
Edmonton has gone farther than Toronto in several playoff years, meaning if the Leafs’ big guys had stepped up, perhaps the Leafs wouldn’t have been booted so quickly. Toronto needed more from their top stars and those top stars didn’t provide it. Questions about depth become somewhat irrelevant when those paid the most to step up fail to do so. In fairness, the Oilers’ stars have yet to lead their team to the Final and win. There’s a long way to go, but McDavid and Draisaitl still have a shot at it.
Are the Oilers Deep Enough in 2024?
Clearly, Toronto didn’t have the right mix. It’s fair to argue health was a factor in their series with Boston, but it wasn’t the only factor. Had it been, talk of the Maple Leafs making drastic roster changes wouldn’t be the storyline coming out of Saturday’s loss to the Bruins. In the past, Edmonton didn’t have the right mix either. Whether it was goaltending, insufficient defense, or a lack of forward depth, the Oilers got handled by more potent teams after getting through the first couple of rounds.
What about this season? Questions about depth aren’t as big a factor. There is some concern that the depth isn’t as strong as a team like Colorado, but the depth is definitely there. The Oilers have four strong forward lines, with guys sitting in the press box that could easily be on the ice and deserving of a spot. Their blue line is deeper, with a veteran like Mattias Ekholm and an emerging star in Evan Bouchard. Goaltending has been steady, with three netminders able to play in Stuart Skinner, Calvin Pickard, and Jack Campbell.
There should be no excuses this season. Not with the stars playing as well as they are, the Oilers getting production from 10 different scorers in the first five games, and everyone knowing their role and playing their part.
Can the Oilers Finally Shift the Leafs vs. Oilers Star Debate?
Winning the Stanley Cup isn’t remotely about how much better the Oilers stars are than the Maple Leafs. It’s probably the last thing on the minds of guys like McDavid and Draisaitl. At the same time, putting the debate to bed might be a nice cherry on top of an NHL championship.
Honestly, there shouldn’t be a debate about which team has the more elite talent. It’s Edmonton and it isn’t close. It’s about which leadership group can finish their respective story first. Toronto’s story ended in disappointment. The Oilers are trying to bring their season a fairytale ending. If they can do so, the narrative that Edmonton’s big guns can’t win goes away.