The Edmonton Oilers finished the regular season just two goals short of winning the Stanley Cup Final, and this summer they have managed to bolster their lineup even further. They were able to do this by adding Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner, two top-six forwards, and Josh Brown in place of defenseman Vincent Desharnais.
Related: Kulak of the Oilers Is a Good Trade Candidate to Clear Cap Space
To make matters worse, the Oilers also re-signed Adam Henrique, Connor Brown, Mattias Janmark, and defenseman Troy Stecher, among other upcoming free agents. After Ken Holland left as general manager, Jeff Jackson, who was filling in, gave a workshop.
Many now consider the Oilers to be the overwhelming favorites to win the entire season due to their progress. This squad should be among the best in the NHL for the 2024–25 season, even within its division, even though there is still a lot of work to be done. Here’s how they compare to each of the seven teams in the Pacific Division.
Anaheim Ducks: Oilers ahead
Oilers are the defensemen.
Oilers goalie
The Anaheim Ducks have been rebuilding for a long time, and while some young talent like Mason McTavish, Leo Carlsson, and Cutter Gauthier is giving them hope, they still have a ways to go before they can be considered a serious contender.
Mason McTavish Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks’ Mason McTavish (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
The Ducks will likely finish in the lower half of the rankings in 2024–25 because they are just not competitive with the Oilers on the field. Oilers supporters certainly identify with the sentiment, having had to witness their club struggle for almost ten years before to their current triumph.
Edmonton Oilers Forwards: Calgary Flames Defenders: lubricants
Oilers goalie
Though it has only recently started, the Calgary Flames are undergoing a rebuild similar to that of the Ducks. Additionally, it seems that they are already ahead of the Ducks in a number of areas, as they have assembled a group of highly interesting prospects who should assist them in regaining their competitiveness within the next few years.
Regretfully, Flames supporters must accept that the team is not yet competitive. Given that their forward group is at most extremely ordinary and their blue line is among the weakest in the league, the 2024–25 season could prove to be challenging. Since Dustin Wolf, the team’s expected starter, has only played in 18 NHL games, goaltending is another area of uncertainty.
Los Angeles Kings: Oilers forward
Oilers are the defensemen.
Oilers goalie
The first team on this list whose performance may be contested by some is the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings’ blue line is strong and will only get stronger because of the potential of Brandt Clarke, even though the Oilers have a distinct advantage when it comes to forwards.
Stuart Skinner The Edmonton Oilers
Game Four of the First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs saw Stuart Skinner of the Edmonton Oilers in goal against the Los Angeles Kings in the second period. (Image courtesy of Ronald Martinez/Getty Images))
The Oilers’ superior top pairing of Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard over Mikey Anderson and Drew Doughty of the Kings is ultimately what wins them the game. Nevertheless, the Kings have been a strong squad lately and should be once more in 2024–25. They have lost to the Oilers in the playoffs three years running, so this time around they will be hoping and praying to avoid them.
San Jose Sharks: Oilers forward
Oilers are the defensemen.
Oilers goalie
Like the Ducks, San Jose Sharks supporters have recently had to suffer some extremely difficult years. But with some incredible young forward talent, namely Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, the future does appear bright. Although they aren’t nearly as competitive as the Oilers up front, they ought to be in the lead after a few years.
But the Sharks’ blue line is the poorest of all 32 NHL clubs, at least on paper, which will be a major factor in their struggles in 2024–25. Complicating matters is the fact that MacKenzie Blackwood and Vitek Vanecek, the goalies behind them, are not very good.
Oilers defensemen, forwards: Seattle Kraken Goalies for the Oilers: Even
The Seattle Kraken had a poor 2023–24 season following an amazing 2022–23 performance. Their forward group is primarily to blame for this; while they have several good players, none are elite producers. At just 21, Matty Beniers is still growing, but he has the potential to be one.
The blue stripe on the Kraken is its strongest feature. With Vince Dunn, Adam Larsson, Jamie Oleksiak, and new addition Brandon Montour, their top four is extremely capable. It is competitive enough to be compared to the Oilers, even though their third pairing of Ryker Evans and Will Borgen is still up for debate. Last season, Joey Daccord replaced Stuart Skinner as the starter between the pipes. He did it admirably, registering a 2.46 goals-against average (GAA) and a.916 save percentage (SV%), both of which were higher than Skinner’s.
Vancouver Canucks Attackers: Oilers Defensive Players: Even Goalie: Vancouver Canucks
This season, the Vancouver Canucks, a team that saw significant improvement in 2023–24, are expected to be the Oilers’ main Pacific Division rival. They don’t have as strong of a forward corps, but they still have some amazing players, namely J.T. Miller. They were also able to bolster that group by bringing in Jake DeBrusk.
Draisaitl Leon of the Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers Game two of the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs between the Edmonton Oilers and the Vancouver Canucks features a goal from Leon Draisaitl in the first period. (Image courtesy of Getty Images; Jamie Douglas/Icon Sportswire)
Quinn Hughes, one of the Canucks’ few offensively adept defensemen, is a better scorer than Bouchard. Although Filip Hronek isn’t as good a player as Ekholm, he makes a good companion for him. The Canucks are the obvious winners in one area—between the pipes—but the second and third pairings are fairly well matched. Thatcher Demko is among the top goalies in the NHL, and the Canucks might have defeated the Oilers in the second round of the playoffs if he had been healthy during the season.
Oilers to Vegas Golden Knights forward
Golden Knights are the defensemen.
Goaltending: Despite their impressive start to the season in 2017–18, the Vegas Golden Knights are expected to struggle after a difficult offseason. With players like Jack Eichel and Mark Stone, their forward group is undoubtedly talented, but it is not quite as potent as the Oilers’. On the other hand, the back end is a different matter.
Related: Five Edmonton Oilers Qualifying for a Season One Roster Spot
At the trade deadline, Noah Hanifin was acquired by the Golden Knights, who soon after signed him to a long-term agreement. He can play top-pairing minutes, as can Alex Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore, all of whom are defensemen. With Zach Whitecloud, Nic Hague, and Brayden McNabb, their blue line is also quite strong.
Pacific Division Should Go to the Oilers
The Oilers ought to win the division this season based on the results mentioned above. Having saying that, season results are frequently unpredictable. If you remember, the Oilers’ 5-12-1 start to the 2023–24 season gave the impression that they would not make it to the postseason at all. But if they can avoid such a disastrous start this time, they have a great chance to win a division title.
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