Breaking down the new-look Edmonton Oilers by position for 2024-25

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The Edmonton Oilers know just how far they have to go.

The thing is, they’re almost there. Right where they want to be. Hoisting the Stanley Cup.

In fact, they just got done going the distance. No team in the NHL went farther than Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Their ultimate downfall, however, was they didn’t end up crossing the finish line first, losing 2-1 to a Florida Panthers squad that will now enjoy the title of defending champions for a full year.

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So, it was back under the hood for the oh-so-close Oilers, who began tinkering with all the moving parts during the NHL Draft and free agency that followed, looking to get bigger, faster, stronger – or is it younger, cheaper, better?

Either way, the Oilers hope the new iteration of their roster has the horses to win the whole derby this time around. Here’s a look at what’s in their stable:

FREE AGENCY

When you’re winning, everyone wants to climb aboard. Or remain on board, as was the case with a plethora of free agents on the roster heading into the summer. The Oilers had a big haul in both departments this year, and may very well have improved significantly because of it. Not a bad haul for a team without a general manager at the moment …

Yes, the big stars are the big stars and always will be, but who they are surrounded by plays every bit as much of a factor in determining a team’s success at the end of the long road.

Arrivals: Viktor Arvidsson, RW; Jeff Skinner, LW; Connor Carrick, D; Collin Delia G

Returning: Adam Henrique, C; Mattias Janmark, LW; Connor Brown, RW; Corey Perry, RW; Calvin Pickard G

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Departures: Sam Carrick, C (NYR); Vincent Desharnais, D (Van); Warren Foegele, LW (L.A.); Sam Gagner (FA)

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POSITIONAL BREAKDOWN

Left wing

Ryan Nugent Hopkins: No one questions the will or commitment of the Oilers senior statesman. But it’s hard to overlook the fact the longest-serving continuous member of the dressing room took a significant step backward in productivity this season with 67 points (18 goals, 49 assists), on the heels of earning a career-high 104 (37 goals, 67 points). The thing is, it was still his third-best of his 13 NHL seasons, so it would be unfair to consider him on the downward side of things, especially if he remains on McDavid’s wing for much of the year once again.

Jeff Skinner: One team’s castaway is another team’s treasure. At least, the Oilers hope so when it comes to Skinner, who was bought out by the Buffalo Sabres due to a change in head coach as opposed to any sort of issue with his play. A 40 goal scorer earlier in his career, the 32-year-old has also hit the 30-goal milestone five more times. Last season, he finished with 46 points (24 goals, 22 assists) in 74 games, which he will no doubt look to surpass early on in Edmonton.

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Mattias Janmark: It’s fitting the one they call the Janitor isn’t afraid of going in and doing the dirty work. Whether it’s in the bottom-six of the lineup or on the penalty kill, Janmark has shown himself to lead by example. The fact that he’s found chemistry on a third line that outperformed all possible expectations in the late stages of the playoffs doesn’t hurt either. Especially considering that ‘throwaway’ line of free agents has been brought back into the fold in its entirety to give it a go from the beginning next season.

Dylan Holloway: This is where the Oilers pipeline comes into play. Holloway took the steps necessary last season to have himself slated to replace the outgoing Warren Foegele on the second line next to Leon Draisaitl. But free agency stepped in and interrupted those plans. That’s not to say Holloway won’t get his chance to move up the depth chart at some point this year. But he better be ready to pay his dues once again lower down as he waits for his opportunity. Fortunately for him, he has the physicality to not only withstand fourth-line hardships, but also the skill to still be productive offensively.

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Centre

Connor McDavid: What can you say about a guy who’s done everything but win the Stanley Cup. This time, he was close enough to taste it. So, you can bet there is nothing holding him back from wanting to help this team take the next crucial step, regardless of what that requires from him. He even added a Conn Smythe trophy to his collection, as playoff MVP, though it can only come as small consolation for the bigger prize, at this point.

Leon Draisaitl: We just might find out what the next-best thing is capable of achieving with bringing in a couple of natural goal-scorers as legitimate second stringers on his wing, instead of bodies bouncing up and down around him all year. Perhaps it will even get rid of the need for head coach Kris Knoblauch to resort to the nuclear option of playing Draisaitl up with McDavid as often. The big question with the jolly German is, can the Oilers get a contract extension out of the way before it becomes a focus of next season?

Adam Henrique: He’s back. We’re not sure how, exactly, but that doesn’t really matter now. The Oilers’ short-term rental to help in their playoff push must have liked what he saw here in Edmonton since the trade deadline, because he’s signed on to do it again, from the beginning this time. His versatility in playing wing or centre is only matched by his willingness to play up and down the lineup, and in whatever role is asked of him. And that’s one heck of a lineup where Henrique can be considered depth.

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Ryan McLeod: Flashes of brilliance last season will have to turn into something much more consistent if McLeod wants to take the next steps in his development. And hang onto this spot, for that matter.

Right wing

Zach Hyman: Getting put beside Connor McDavid and scoring 50 goals for the first time in your career might sound like a surefire blueprint for success, except for the fact that it doesn’t always happen. McDavid has had plenty of wingers, and none of them have risen to the next level quite like Hyman. While his 77 points were six shy of his career high set one year prior, Hyman’s 54 goals is far and away a career best by 18. Next stop: 60 goals?

Viktor Arvidsson: The Oilers are hoping their big free-agent signing goes from a 20-goal scorer in Los Angeles, back to being the 30-goal scorer that he was earlier on with the Nashville Predators. In Edmonton, Arvidsson has likely found a spot playing on the second line next to a top-line centre in Leon Draisaitl. So, if he can’t bounce back from recent injuries and return to form here, then it likely can’t be done at all.

Connor Brown: He got better as the year went on, which is to be expected for someone coming off of knee surgery. In the playoffs, it looked like he gained a step as he was able to make a difference on a revamped Oilers third line that ended up leading the charge more than it probably should have. Whether it all translates into Brown regaining his form as a 20-goal scorer remains to be seen, but the signs are all pointing in the right direction, at least.

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Corey Perry: Perhaps the most surprising re-signing of Oilers free agency, Perry comes in at $1.15 million plus incentives that could see him hit $1.4 million. For a guy who is going to be 40 before the Oilers have a chance to play in the next Stanley Cup Final, no less. But it’s tough to put a price tag on the level of playoff experience he brings to the room having reached five Cup finals with five different teams. Oh, yeah, and he’s also been known to play a bit chippy when the mood strikes.

Defence

Bouchard-Ekholm: The rise of Evan Bouchard to becoming a top-five points producer in the NHL was a big factor in the Oilers’ success, as did his coupling with veteran Mattias Ekholm rising to the top defensive pairing.

Broberg-Nurse: Philip Broberg was called up from the farm in Bakersfield, Calif., just in time for playoffs and didn’t miss a beat, joining Darnell Nurse seamlessly and paving the way for free-agent Vincent Desharnais to leave town.

Kulak-Ceci: Brett Kulak and Cody Ceci are as effective as they are unflashy, and that’s not a bad thing. Though, dependable might be a better word.

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Fewer breakdowns, fewer own-zone giveaways, fewer poor pinches leading to odd-man rushes. They were just all-around better following a deplorable start to the season.

As a unit, Edmonton’s defence took a massive stride in its development while helping carry a young goaltender further along in his own.

Goal

Stuart Skinner: In just his second NHL season, all he did was put this team on his shoulders and carry them all the way to the bitter end. But that’s a lot further than people were giving them credit for back when times were tough to start the year. And he learned the hard way too, never shifting blame on anyone but himself, even when it wasn’t always entirely deserved. His biggest liability was not having the experience of your average NHL starter. But absolutely nothing seems average about Skinner now. And besides, it wasn’t his fault the Oilers heaped their entire basket of organizational eggs onto a young goalie before his, quote-unquote, time. Well, welcome to the Age of Stu.

Calvin Pickard: Singlehandedly gave the Oilers breathing room to go out and get the likes of Adam Henrique at the trade deadline to help with offensive depth, because the club was no longer worried about bringing in a capable backup to spell off Skinner down the playoff stretch. And into the playoffs themselves, as it turns out. This could very well turn into quite the effective tandem.

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Special teams

Power play: OK, this might have been down from the historic high of a season earlier, where the Oilers rewrote the record books at an incredible 32.4 per cent success on the man advantage. But whatever they lost on a power play that still finished in the top five at 26.3 per cent, they gained in a more well-rounded playing style elsewhere in their team game. No longer could the Oilers be chastised for being little more than Two Guys and a Power Play. And look where their refocused efforts took them this year. Besides, their power play was back up to 29.3 per cent in the playoffs, so nicely done.

Penalty kill: This was the crown jewel of Edmonton’s efforts this year, and a microcosm of what this team was able to do when the chips are down and nothing was in their favour. They persevered anyway. Perhaps in spite of it all. Edmonton’s penalty kill went from finishing in a completely acceptable 15th place in the regular season, to leading the playoffs at a momentum-stealing 94.3 per cent throughout the playoffs. If they can carry over that same level of tenacity into next season, it would go a long way. And so could they once again.

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INTANGIBLES

The ‘It’ factor

Third line

Will this be the year the Oilers finally have the depth they have desired for so long, and the secondary scoring that is the envy of the rest of the league?

If the newfound trio of Adam Henrique flanked by Mattias Janmark and Connor Brown manage to carry over the chemistry they created in the playoffs to next season, then the Oilers can expect the same sort of spark plug to their high-octane engine on offence that led them right back into the thick of things after falling behind 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Final to the Florida Panthers.

This group clicked. And it works. It also doesn’t hurt that they help make up the building blocks of heart and hustle that saw Edmonton’s power play lead the way in the post-season with an incredible 94.3 per cent success rate.

Wild card

Evander Kane, RW

There wasn’t a more physical presence on the Oilers roster last season than the 250 by Kane’s s 6-foot-2, 218-pound frame (Darnell Nurse was a distant second with 168), while earning 44 points (24 goals, 20 assists). And he did it while playing with a sports hernia the entire time.

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Of course, that also ended up being the determining factor in him sitting out the final playoff push.
The question now is, where does Kane fit in this year’s lineup? But perhaps the bigger question down the road may be, what 20-goal scorer replaces Kane’s physicality?

E-mail: gmoddejonge@postmedia.com

On Twitter: @GerryModdejonge

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