Because the 2024-25 NHL season nears, followers across the league are blindly optimistic for his or her favourite groups. Following the Edmonton Oilers’ Recreation 7 loss to the Florida Panthers within the 2024 Stanley Cup Last, expectations for the Oilers are at an all-time excessive. Now with a robust offseason and new season forward, there are various causes to imagine the Oilers will win the 2025 Stanley Cup.
1. Oilers Had been Proper There
The Panthers misplaced the 2023 Stanley Cup to the Vegas Golden Knights and bounced again the next season with a dominant 16-8 playoff run en path to profitable the franchise’s first Stanley Cup. With the Oilers just some favorable bounces away from profitable the 2024 Stanley Cup, there isn’t any cause to imagine they can not return to the place they have been.
2. Sustaining the Core
Usually when groups go on deep playoff runs, pending free brokers will search for huge paydays. Thankfully for the Oilers, this was not the case for almost all of the core. Exterior of the departures of Warren Foegele and Ryan McLeod, no impactful roster gamers departed. Philip Broberg and Vincent Desharnais have been good tales to the protection however had minimal impression throughout the group’s playoff run. Dylan Holloway had some upside, however so will Vasily Podkolzin. By bringing again the core, the Oilers are well-situated to construct on final season’s success.
3. Full Season below Knoblauch
Kris Knoblauch changed former Oilers’ head coach Jay Woodcroft in the course of final season. Beneath Knoblauch, the Oilers went 46-18-5 in 69 video games. For an 82-game tempo, the group would have completed with 115 factors within the standings. With a full offseason, coaching camp, and preseason, he’ll have the ability to totally implement his system.
4. Skinner and Arvidsson Additions
All through the Connor McDavid period, the Oilers have struggled to supply him with adequate depth among the many forwards. Whereas this was not a weak spot final season, the additions of Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson ought to put any remaining considerations to relaxation. The group now boasts not solely a star-studded high six but additionally considerably stronger third and fourth strains thanks to those free-agent signings. Each gamers are aiming to bounce again from final season and are poised to affix the Oilers’ center six the place they might make a right away impression and probably attain career-high level totals
5. Stuart Skinner’s Sensible Second Half
Taking a look at Stuart Skinner’s 2023-24 season, he did alright. He completed with a 36-16-5 report, a 2.62 objectives towards common (GAA), and a .905 save proportion (SV%). Within the playoffs, he went 14-9-0 with a 2.45 GAA and .901 SV%. Nevertheless, following Knoblauch’s entrance and Jack Campbell’s demotion to the AHL, Skinner dominated.
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Previous to Dec. 21, Skinner had a .884 SV% and -7.39 objectives saved above anticipated (GSAx), the fourth lowest of all goaltenders on the time. After Dec. 21, he had a .916 SV% and 20.46 GSAx, the fourth-best of all goaltenders in that point span. Now coming into his first season because the consensus beginning goaltender, Skinner is in line to construct on final season’s success as he goals to affix the premier tier of beginning goalies within the NHL.
6. Elite 5v5 Analytics
Within the 2023-24 season, the main groups in xG% have been the Oilers (57.4), Panthers (56.93), Carolina Hurricanes (56.46), and Dallas Stars (55.57). Within the 2024 Playoffs, the main groups in xG% have been the Oilers (55.74), Hurricanes (55.72), Colorado Avalanche (53.79), and Panthers (53.43).
At even energy, the Oilers led the NHL with a 58.17 xG% throughout the common season. Nevertheless, this dropped to 48.53 within the playoffs, doubtless resulting from accidents and fatigue. After enduring an extended season and playoff run, the group has gained invaluable classes and constructed the endurance wanted to go all the best way.
Moreover, the truth that the Oilers—a group recognized for his or her dominant energy play however usually common even-strength play—had such success at even-strength final season reveals that this group is able to profitable a Stanley Cup. Whether or not they can replicate that success is unsure, however the superior stats point out that final season’s efficiency was no fluke.
Every NHL season, a number of groups have the potential to win the Stanley Cup, however just one finally prevails. After a Stanley Cup Last loss final season and no main roster losses within the offseason, the Oilers have a compelling case to say Lord Stanley for the sixth time in franchise historical past.
