After defeating the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday (Nov. 19), the Edmonton Oilers are on the quarter-mark of the 2024-25 NHL season, having performed 20 of the 82 video games on their schedule.
With a file of 10-8-2 for 22 factors, the Oilers presently sit fourth within the Pacific Division and occupy one of many Western Convention’s two wild card playoff spots.
Associated: Oilers Haven’t Realized Classes From Final Season’s Dreadful Begin
For a crew that could be a Stanley Cup favorite, the Oilers ought to be increased within the standings. The defending convention champs haven’t fairly regarded the half, successful in regulation simply six instances whereas shedding by a minimum of three targets on seven events.
However regardless of Edmonton’s underwhelming begin, there are a number of Oilers gamers who’ve performed properly over the primary six weeks of the season. Right here’s a have a look at the standout Oilers up to now:
MVP: Leon Draisaitl
As generally may be the case in relation to deciding on Edmonton’s high performer, it’s a toss-up between celebrity forwards Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. Draisaitl will get the nod right here, just because the German centre leads the crew in scoring and has been in Edmonton’s lineup for each sport, whereas McDavid was out of motion for per week with an ankle harm.
Draisaitl is tied with Florida Panthers ahead Sam Reinhart for second within the NHL with 14 targets, only one behind Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals. That places Draisaitl on tempo to attain 57 instances, which might be a brand new profession excessive and his fourth season with a minimum of 50 targets.
The 29-year-old hasn’t gone greater than two video games with out scoring, and he’s already potted 4 game-winning-goals, which is tied for second most within the NHL. His constant and well timed scoring has confirmed past vital, contemplating that in addition to McDavid, the Oilers haven’t been in a position to depend on anybody else for normal manufacturing.
Draisaitl has additionally registered 13 assists, second to McDavid on the Oilers. His complete of 27 factors is tied for seventh most within the league. He leads the Oilers with a plus-9 ranking.
High Defenceman: Darnell Nurse
Darnell Nurse was the least seemingly candidate for this honour after the primary week of this season, as Edmonton began off 0-3-0 whereas permitting 15 targets, with Nurse maybe being the guiltiest defender on a crew stuffed with culprits.
However the veteran blueliner fully turned issues round, taking part in seemingly higher every contest than the one prior, at each ends of the ice. Over Nurse’s first 9 video games, he recorded simply two factors and had a minus-5 ranking; in his final 9 outings, he’s acquired seven factors and a plus-7 ranking. He presently is tied for fifth on the Oilers with 9 factors and in a share for fourth place with a plus-2 ranking.
THE OILERS GRAB THE EXTRA POINT. 🚨
Darnell Nurse nets the @SUBWAYCanada OT Winner for Edmonton. pic.twitter.com/ntWbznMlQr
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 15, 2024
On Nov. 14, Nurse had the best offensive efficiency of his profession, scoring twice, together with the successful purpose in extra time, and including an help. He turned simply the third defenceman in Edmonton’s NHL historical past to select up three factors whereas additionally scoring an extra time purpose in the identical sport.
Sadly, that was the 29-year-old’s final full sport. Two nights later (Nov. 16) towards the Toronto Maple Leafs, Nurse was injured after receiving successful to the pinnacle from Ryan Reaves and has been out of the lineup for Edmonton’s final two contests. On Monday (Nov. 18) Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch mentioned that Nurse is anticipated to overlook 5 to 10 days.
Unsung Hero: Brett Kulak
Previous to Nurse being sidelined, he and Brett Kulak had been arguably Edmonton’s greatest defensive pairing, and the latter will get simply as a lot credit score for that as the previous.
After being acquired by the Oilers in a commerce with the Montreal Canadiens on March 1, 2022, Kulak turned a fixture on the third pairing, constantly logging the fewest minutes of Edmonton’s blueliners. However the 2024 offseason departures of defencemen Philip Broberg, Vincent Desharnais, and particularly Cody Ceci, meant an expanded function this season for Kulak, and he’s greater than risen to the event.
The 30-year-old is logging 19:06 per sport, a rise of almost 4 minutes from 2023-24 and his highest common time on ice since debuting within the NHL in 2014-15. Kulak, whose bread and butter is taking part in sound defensive hockey, has been most reliable on Edmonton’s blue line this season.
He’s by no means been identified for contributing offensively, nevertheless, which makes Kulak’s scoring such an enormous and welcome shock. By 20 video games, he ranks fourth on the Oilers with 4 targets and is tied for seventh on the crew with eight factors. Whether or not Kulak retains this up is uncertain, however in the meanwhile he’s on tempo to utterly shatter his profession highs of six targets and 20 factors.
High Newcomer: Ty Emberson
This class is slim pickings, as just about all of Edmonton’s offseason additions are usually not performing as hoped: Jeff Skinner, a 10-time 20-goal scorer who was signed to just do that, has solely tallied thrice and contributed valuable little else; Viktor Arvidsson was simply beginning to discover his stride when he sustained an undisclosed harm that has saved him out of motion for 4 video games and counting; Vasily Podkolzin is the one participant to look in all 20 video games for the Oilers and fail to attain; and Travis Dermott has spent as a lot time within the press field because the lineup.
That leaves blueliner Ty Emberson, who the Oilers acquired on Aug. 18 from the San Jose Sharks in alternate for Ceci and Edmonton’s third-round choice within the 2025 NHL Draft, because the one newcomer who has met expectations, even when they had been comparatively on the decrease finish.
Emberson has suited up for all however two video games, and is averaging 14:34 ice time per sport, taking part in totally on the third pair. Regardless of coming into the season with solely 30 video games of NHL expertise, the 24-year-old has shortly acclimated himself.
He’s acquired 32 hits, third most on the Oilers, and ranks 11th amongst all NHL defencemen who’ve performed a minimum of 18 video games with a mean of seven.32 hits per 60 minutes.
With 62 video games left on Edmonton’s common season schedule, starting tonight (Nov. 21) when the Oilers host the Minnesota Wild, there’s a ton of hockey left to be performed. It will likely be attention-grabbing to revisit these picks within the months forward.
