The ways in which the Oilers won, even though they lost

Article content

So close, yet so far away.

The pain of losing in Game 7 still seems fresh. So much so, it may be hard to see the true accomplishments that the Edmonton Oilers achieved. How the rest of the National Hockey League took notice of this team, its players, and the rabid fans that support it with their hearts and their pocketbooks.

Sad? Yes. But grateful and better for the journey.

Article content

That and more in this edition of…

9 Things

9. Game 7 on Monday night drew a Canadian television audience of 15 million. That is about 4 in every 10 Canadians.

8. Noon Local time Sunday (today) is the next possible exit sign for Jack Campbell to potentially be placed on waivers and bought out. But it might not happen today. If Edmonton ends up in arbitration another window could open up a month from now. That would buy Edmonton valuable extra time on this file.

7. 3pm local time, it is the deadline for qualifying offers to be tabled for RFA’s and I fully expect Philip Broberg, Dylan Holloway, Raphael Lavoie, and James Hamblin to get those offers. So too will Noel Hoffenmeyer. They need D in the system. The one guy who may be left on the outside looking in is Carter Savoie

6. Only two clubs have made it to multiple cup finals since Ken Holland took over in Edmonton: Tampa Bay in 2020, 2021 and 2022 and Florida in 2023 and 2024. The Oilers are one of just 7 teams in all to make the final in those same 5 years. There are some who will never give the now-departed Mr. Holland his due. Yes, Ken made mistakes. But what GM does not.

Article content

Article content

5. We are at a crossroads in the evolution of the Edmonton Oilers franchise: Rick Pracey’s first draft as the Oilers new Director of Amateur scouting. He has to fix the “hole-in-the-donut” issue with Edmonton’s recent track record (o.k. at either end but nothing in the middle). It is too early to pronounce how the first draft went. Most of these kids will need 4-5 years before we have any real, substantial idea. Worrisome, though, how the Oilers own back yard (the WHL) did not represent a single pick of theirs

4. The Oilers traded up on Friday with Philadelphia, in order to select Sam O’Reilly 32^nd overall in the NHL Draft. O’Reilly got a terrific welcome text from none other than Leon Draisaitl, saying (among other things) “Happy to have you a part of our organization.” The act clearly had a significant impact in the young man. It also shows great leadership on Leon’s part. That does not sound like a guy who plans to leave anytime soon, does it? But I do agree that it makes sense to hold off on a major piece of business like that until a permanent G.M. is in place.

3. Calvin Pickard helped save the Oilers season on two occasions in 2023-24. First, by taking the place of the faltering Jack Campbell as the team’s backup, and then again in the playoffs when Stuart Skinner had hit a bad patch. It is impossible to reasonably argue that Pickard did not earn a new contract. It is a 2-year deal with an AAV of $1m. For those who instead want a “1B” to Stuart Skinner instead: Were exactly do you propose to spend less against Edmonton’s cap in order to accommodate that? A “1B” for Skinner, a guy who took you to Game 7 of the Cup Final? I cannot agree on either count.

Article content

2. If I were the acting General Manager of the Oilers, the most impactful UFA would be Adam Henrique. I believe the Oilers will be a better team if the veteran returns. And Edmonton gives him the best chance to win. The complicating factor in all that is that Henrique will have other suitors which will drive up the price tag. How much of a hometown discount do you expect him to take? Jake DeBrusk’s name has also come up. The hometown kid would be a legit Top-6 addition and look good on Leon Draisaitl’s right wing. If Edmonton were to get creative Jake could indeed be a possibility. But as with Henrique, more than one NHL team would like to have DeBrusk on its roster.

1.There is not an ownership group in the National Hockey League that would not want what Edmonton enjoyed in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Obviously, only one other organization had more success on the ice. But off the ice no one saw greater brand exposure on a global scale than Edmonton. No one made a bigger contribution to GDP in its jurisdiction (a $200m+ economic boost) or a bigger revenue stream to its organization than Edmonton. The Oilers have the second-most operating income in the entire league from a bottom-6 market in terms of Central Market Area population. It is a big, damn deal.

Article content

It may feel to a lot of folks that Edmonton lost, and in terms of the cup, hey…that cannot be argued. But in many ways, this city won and won big. Oilers fans long suffering from Decade of Darkness PTSD discovered an antidote. Much like with the 2006 run, a whole new generation of fans was born.

On the ice, the Oilers have regained their destination status as a club that other players want to be a part of and that existing ones want to stay with. The level of belief and competition has rarely been higher. And you still have two of the best players in the world on your side.

No, the mission is not complete. And the new regime has a big assignment ahead of it to complete the job. But in the NHL salary cap era, the Edmonton Oilers have never been closer.

Now on Threads @kleavins. Also, find me on Twitter @KurtLeavins, Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, and Mastodon at KurtLeavins@mstdn.social. This article is not AI generated.

Recently, at The Cult…

McCURDY: Oilers trade up, select Sam O’Reilly first in NHL Draft

McCURDY: Oilers flesh out rest of 2024 draft class

STAPLES: Final playoff report card

Don’t miss the news you need to know — add EdmontonJournal.com and EdmontonSun.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here.

Article content