The beginning of the new season is almost upon us.
It is a tall order in front of the Edmonton Oilers. Since 1994, not one Western Conference team has ever three-peated in consecutive years.
But here is why the Oilers have a chance to make history.
That and more in this edition of…
9 Things
9. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins starts chasing another legendary Oiler on Wednesday. That will be career game 960 for The Nuge. Ryan Smyth played 971, the second most in franchise history. Kevin Lowe is #1 at 1,037.
8. Matt Savoie and Ike Howard will try to break the Oilers Calder Trophy drought. It may take a franchise record-setting performance to do so. Blair MacDonald holds the Oilers rookie mark for points in a season with 94 (1979-80). Next is Jari Kurri (75 points in 1980-81). Jason Arnott had 68 in 1993-94.
7. Connor Ingram will wear #29 in Bakersfield. If and/or when he gets recalled by the Oilers, he will have to switch! That was a smart piece of business by G.M. Stan Bowman. I know some wanted Ingram claimed on waivers. But that would have been a much bigger gamble than this, and a higher cap hit.
6. Andy Slaggert will leave his position as Hockey Coach at the University of Notre Dame to accept an opportunity in the Oilers organization. Slaggert had coached at Notre Dame in one role or another since 1993 and also played there for two years in the 80’s. A renowned recruiter, I expect he will join Edmonton’s scouring operations.
5. I took a glance at a Bakersfield Condors lineup this past weekend. In one game the centers were Viljami Marjala, Josh Samanski and James Hamblin. The Condors have not been blessed with a bunch of skill the past couple years. But to have those three down the middle is far more exciting. And an AHL club with Hamblin as its 3C will be very competitive.
4. Zach Hyman continues to work his way back from the separated wrist in last year’s playoffs. Late last week, he hopped on the ice just after the main practice and was taking shooting drills. Things are going well. November 1 was the most common date thrown out there for his return. But I have heard Hyman has a chance to be back a bit earlier than that.
3. Oilers Head Coach Kris Knoblauch signed a three-year extension this past week. It was announced Friday, but I believe the business had been done a bit prior to that. It is reported to be worth $2.75m annually. That puts him in the middle tier of NHL coach salaries. Newcomers are often around $1m, but a veteran guy like Mike Sullivan in New York makes $6.5m. If you ask me, $2.75m for the first guy since Scotty Bowman to get to the Stanley Cup Finals in his first two cracks at it is a real bargain.
2. The Oilers kick off the 2024-25 NHL Regular Season with the Battle of Alberta and the Flames Wednesday, October 8. The Oilers and Flames have faced one another 270 times in the regular season. While Edmonton has a decided edge in Stanley Cups, the Flames have outdistanced the Oilers in head-to-head season series. The Oilers overall record is 118-124-19, a .489 PTS%. And Edmonton has played Calgary the second most of any NHL club. Vancouver is first at 272. And the Oilers lead that series 139-99-19.
1.The Edmonton Oilers have unfinished business. Some folks will take that to mean, specifically, the Florida Panthers. And yes, the Cup Champions have vanquished the Oilers in consecutive seasons in the Finals. But it is not so much the guy who beats you as what he beat you for. Rivalries and revenge are fun and all, but the end goal is not to beat the team you lost to. It’s the trophy that’s the thing. Who really cares who you defeat in the process? There is a fair bit of chatter about whether this Oilers roster is even as good as last year’s or even the season before that. And that is fair enough. I see the Defence as being clearly better. The goaltending may be status quo but there are more options now. I think the key will be at forward. There has been a fair but of turnover up front. Depending on how final cuts go today (Sunday) there could be three or four rookies (‘real’ rookies or first-tie NHL-ers) on the squad. Can they be better than the guys they are replacing?
Sometimes, “better” is not as critical as “different”. The likes of Perry, Kane and Klingberg were good pros and useful pieces however all on the back end of their careers and had made their money already. But Matt Savoie, Ike Howard, Alec Regula and others are young and full of piss and vinegar. They are not the clones of Broberg and Holloway. But they bring the same energy and enthusiasm that developing players do. Let me tell you, that can be infectious. And it can show your captain the future. But most importantly…they have the chance to get better. Those departed veterans? Had already seen their best days.
The Oilers need to start competitive, yes. But over the longer run: Can the kids cut it? Will one goalie really step up? Will it Emberson or Regula at 3RD? Can Hyman recover fully? Will Connor and Leon go full Connor and Leon? Which deadline adds may there be? Etc.
See, in the end, it is not how good of a team you have on paper but how well you play. Can this new group put it all together, at just the right time?
We are about to find out.
This article is not AI generated.
Recently, at The Cult…
LEAVINS: Oilers lose final pre-season test to Vancouver in OT 3-2.
STAPLES: Kris Knoblauch extended in Edmonton three more years
LEAVINS: Young guns show well despite the 4-2 road loss in SEA.
STAPLES: Demotions, Promotions in Oilers camp
Bruce McCurdy, 1955-2025.
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