The common criticism of the Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl era Edmonton Oilers has been that they are good but not great. They have a top-heavy roster that can get them to the playoffs but not get them over the hump and win the Stanley Cup. They are now only seven wins away from doing just that.
This season and the playoffs have proven that this Oilers team is different. They are built to win the Cup, and after splitting the first two games of the Western Conference Final, they are on track to win it all. This is the best the Oilers have looked since drafting McDavid nearly a decade ago, and this is the roster that can finally help the best player in the league lift the greatest trophy in sports.
Oilers Defense is Built For The Playoffs
This is the most noticeable difference with the Oilers compared to previous seasons. Usually, their defense falls apart in the playoffs, as it’s been the culprit of their last three playoff exits. In the 2021 First Round, they allowed 14 goals in four games against the Winnipeg Jets, and in 2022, they allowed 22 goals in the Western Conference Final, where they were swept by the Colorado Avalanche. Last season, they weren’t swept by the Vegas Golden Knights, but they allowed 22 goals in the six-game series, including nine in the last two games to lose the series.
This season, the defense has been the reason they’ve won games and been a force in the playoffs. Against the Vancouver Canucks, the Oilers allowed only 20 goals in the seven-game series, with only three goals combined in the final two games, and in the first two games against the Stars, they’ve only allowed five goals.
It all starts with Evan Bouchard. He’s entering the prime of his career and has emerged as the Oilers’ top two-way defenseman, shutting down offenses in the defensive zone and making the biggest impact at the point. Then there’s Darnell Nurse, Cody Ceci, and Mattias Ekholm, who round out the unit and, most notably, help out their goaltender by limiting the shots on the net.
The best part about the Oilers’ defense is that they have the ideal mix of stay-at-home defensemen, scoring defensemen, shots blockers, and fast skaters who can both limit opponents on the rush and move the puck up the ice. On top of that, they are playing defense the right way as they stay in their gaps and play the shooting lanes. It gives them a great defense to pair nicely with an offense that has been one of the best in the league for the past few seasons.
Knoblauch As The X-Factor
The Oilers finally have a head coach capable of making the adjustments needed to win it all. After going through established names like Todd McLellan, Dave Tippett, and Jay Woodcroft, who they knew from within the organization, they stuck gold (or oil) with the Kris Knoblauch hire. Just one example of his adjustments going a long way came in Game 4 of the Second Round, where he started Calvin Pickard but then went back to his starter, Stuart Skinner, to close out the series, a decision to save the Canucks.
Related: Knoblauch’s Path to Become Oilers’ Game-Changing Coach
Then there’s how he’s coaching the defensive unit. He has the unit playing gap sound and tight defense, especially near the net. they dare opponents to take shots from difficult angles or hold the puck and not shoot at all, something the Canucks learned the hard way as they averaged only 21.2 shots on the net in the series.
Knoblauch is the type of coach the Oilers have needed for a long time. More importantly, he’s showing that the American Hockey League (AHL) has a handful of coaches who are capable of coaching at the NHL level, even in their first stint. The Oilers made one of the best midseason hires, and it’s given them an edge even as they go up against well-coached teams in the playoffs.
Oilers Have Depth
The Oilers are known for having a top-heavy roster, and their salary cap allocation reflects that as well. McDavid’s contract has a $12.5 million cap hit, Leon Draisaitl’s is $8.5 million, and Nurse has a $9.25 million cap hit (that’s the one that stings since it leaves them with little room for error). Despite the minimal cap flexibility, they have the depth that can make a difference, and it has.
The offense is finding goals from their depth skaters, whether it’s Dylan Holloway scoring three goals in the playoffs or Warren Foegele and Mattias Janmark adding two goals and four assists to the bottom six. Likewise, the defense is stepping up beyond just the top pairing on both ends of the ice. Bouchard has scored five goals and 16 assists but Ceci, Ekholm, and Brett Kulak have combined for six goals and nine assists in the playoffs as well, giving the Oilers a spark at the point.
This series against the Stars requires their depth to step up, especially considering their opposition has eight skaters who scored 20 goals or more this season and are arguably the most well-rounded team in the NHL. Through two games, the depth has stepped up, and it’s why the Oilers are in the driver’s seat to advance to the Stanley Cup Final, something they haven’t done since the Cinderella run in 2006.
Oilers Are a Battle-Tested Group
It’s hard to ignore how this team looked two years ago in the Western Conference Final. They weren’t ready and prepared for a series that would require both speed and physicality, and it showed. They were outmatched by the Avalanche in a series that wasn’t close, as they were outscored 22-13 in a four-game sweep.
Fast-forward two seasons, and they know what it takes to win the Western Conference Final. More importantly, they know how to adapt to win in the playoffs. They can win those grind-it-out games and the defensive battles that both Game 1 and Game 2 were. They ideally want to win the fast-paced games with McDavid leading the way, but led by their star player, they can slow games down and win with possession as well.
The Oilers Last Hurdle For a Cup
They are in the middle of what will be a hard-fought series with the Stars, and if they advance, they will face the winner of the Rangers and Panthers series. In the past, the elite players on their roster got them there, but the depth would let them down. Now, the depth is the reason they are in the conference final, and their best players, who have stepped up, have to finish the job.
McDavid must continue making an impact on both the offensive and defensive end of the ice. Draisaitl must find the back of the net but also step up as a puck mover and find open skaters with cross-ice and centering passes. Zach Hyman has emerged as the team’s top scorer with 54 goals this season and 12 in the playoffs, making him a player the Oilers will lean on for a spark on offense.
There’s no questioning of the Oilers’ top players and their capabilities. Now, they have to go out and take over in the playoffs, starting with Game 3, which will be in front of a raucous crowd at Rogers Place.
