The regular season is finally over, and the Edmonton Oilers finished the season with a record of 48-29-5 for 101 points, securing third place in the Pacific Division and their sixth consecutive playoff berth. During that time, some players underwhelmed, while others exceeded expectations. This article focuses on the latter, and those who outperformed their expectations. So, here are the three most underrated Oilers during the 2024-25 regular season.
Darnell Nurse
This may be an unpopular opinion, but Darnell Nurse had an underrated season. Despite his hefty $9.25 million cap hit, he had a solid campaign, but he will always receive heavy criticism due to his contract. Some fans’ opinion of him will never change because of his salary, but all he can control is how he plays, and he did a good job of filtering out the negativity. He finished the season with five goals and 33 points in 76 games, with a plus-11 rating, averaging 22:22 a game. He was a reliable player for them, especially given Evan Bouchard’s defensive deficiencies.
Related: Oilers’ Draisaitl Heaps Extremely High Praise on Darnell Nurse
He’s had numerous partners this season, including John Klingberg, Troy Stecher, Brett Kulak, and Jake Walman. Walman is the only player on that list who’s a legit top-four defenceman. That means he was playing with players above their skill set, and some of his partners should’ve been on the third pair. He’s a leader on this team and helped elevate everyone he played with. Stecher played his best when paired with Nurse. The veteran blueliner leads by example and doesn’t get the credit or recognition he deserves. He’s a great guy in the dressing room and is well-respected among his teammates.
The defenceman was also the Oilers’ nominee for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for the fourth consecutive season. Every team has a nominee, and it’s awarded to “the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community”. He’s looking to become the first Oiler to win this award since Andrew Ference in 2014. He’s a leader both on and off the ice and should be praised for his solid season and contribution to the community.
Calvin Pickard
Calvin Pickard isn’t supposed to be in this position, but here he is. He has provided Edmonton with solid goaltending, especially with Stuart Skinner’s struggles. He posted 22 wins with a 2.71 goals-against average (GAA) and a .900 save percentage (SV%) in 36 games this season. Those numbers don’t jump off the page, but where would this team be without his contributions? He wasn’t excellent, but he was good enough to finish the job, and the team played hard for him.
The journeyman netminder is the definition of perseverance, and as a result, he was the Oilers’ nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. That award is given to the “player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey”. He stepped up and played more than expected. This was the most games he played in a season since he played 50 in 2016-17 with the Colorado Avalanche. The 32-year-old outplayed Skinner and outperformed his expectations. As a result, he deserves to play playoff games, especially if Skinner continues to underperform. Does he deserve the Game 1 start against the Los Angeles Kings?
Corey Perry
This one is obvious, but Corey Perry had an incredible season. When he was re-signed last offseason, many people were left wondering why. He was scratched numerous times in the playoffs, and it seemed like he couldn’t keep up or play at this level, given his age. The Oilers signed him to a one-year deal with a $1.15 million cap hit, instead of prioritizing their pending restricted free agents (RFA) in Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway, who eventually signed offer sheets with the St. Louis Blues. That move was heavily scrutinized, but Perry was a great signing and an underrated member of this forward group.
The 39-year-old veteran finished the season with 19 goals in 81 games, averaging 11:56 a game, primarily in a fourth-line role. The elder statesman finished fifth on the team in goals, only behind Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Connor McDavid, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. This team needed depth scoring from the bottom-six, and he provided that offence. Outside McDavid and Draisaitl, he was the most consistent forward. He was a pleasant surprise for this organization, and he still has more to give. Hopefully, he can keep scoring at this pace throughout the playoffs, because the Oilers require it.
Do you agree with these players? If not, who else should be here? Keep following The Hockey Writers for all your NHL news and rumours.
