by Will Rogers
Thursday, Sep 28, 2023The Edmonton Oilers have a history of hockey success. Their passionate fans expect their team to be good. Those expectations are realistic given that the Oilers have arguably the best player in the world. Connor McDavid topped the 150 point (64 goals, 89 assists) mark last season. With McDavid expected to have another monster campaign, the Oilers are favored to win the Pacific Division. Can they break through and take the next step?
The Oilers have enjoyed plenty of recent regular season success. The postseason has largely been a different story. Last year, they got knocked out in the second round by the Vegas Knights. Before that, they were swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Finals. In each case, the team which defeated them went on to win the Cup.
Another strong regular season is in the forecast. The Oilers are projected to reach 105.5 to 106.5 points, depending on which sportsbook one is looking at. McDavid gets most of the headlines but his co-star Leon Draisaitl (52 goals, 76 assists) is also a bigtime producer. The Oilers made some tweaks to the supporting cast and are feeling confident.
It seems like McDavid's been around a long time but he's still only 26. He's already done everything except win the Stanley Cup. The Oilers superstar knows that needs to change: "I think hockey is a team game, but with that being said, all those great guys have won before and it’s certainly something that we’re after in Edmonton ... I certainly feel that the greats have all won and that’s what you have to do."
Speaking of "the greats," McDavid was 15 when he first met Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby. Crosby, now 36, has achieved the ultimate success. He was the first overall pick 10 years before McDavid was drafted number one. Connor would like to meet Crosby again, when it really counts: "I’ll take a Cup Final against anybody. But against Sid, it would be incredible."
Draft Kings currently has Edmonton at +1000 to win the Stanley Cup. Call me crazy but I think this just might be the year ... Will Rogers
The Oilers have enjoyed plenty of recent regular season success. The postseason has largely been a different story. Last year, they got knocked out in the second round by the Vegas Knights. Before that, they were swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Finals. In each case, the team which defeated them went on to win the Cup.
Another strong regular season is in the forecast. The Oilers are projected to reach 105.5 to 106.5 points, depending on which sportsbook one is looking at. McDavid gets most of the headlines but his co-star Leon Draisaitl (52 goals, 76 assists) is also a bigtime producer. The Oilers made some tweaks to the supporting cast and are feeling confident.
It seems like McDavid's been around a long time but he's still only 26. He's already done everything except win the Stanley Cup. The Oilers superstar knows that needs to change: "I think hockey is a team game, but with that being said, all those great guys have won before and it’s certainly something that we’re after in Edmonton ... I certainly feel that the greats have all won and that’s what you have to do."
Speaking of "the greats," McDavid was 15 when he first met Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby. Crosby, now 36, has achieved the ultimate success. He was the first overall pick 10 years before McDavid was drafted number one. Connor would like to meet Crosby again, when it really counts: "I’ll take a Cup Final against anybody. But against Sid, it would be incredible."
Draft Kings currently has Edmonton at +1000 to win the Stanley Cup. Call me crazy but I think this just might be the year ... Will Rogers
