Lessons the Oilers Can Learn From the Hurricanes

Watching the Carolina Hurricanes capture their second championship in franchise history on June 14 was as impressive as their play, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 in Game 6. Moments before NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman handed captain Jordan Staal the Stanley Cup, I saw a close-knit team that was as genuinely happy for each other as they were for themselves. Their teamwork and support for each other is something the Edmonton Oilers need to work on if they want to make it to the promised land.

Playing as a Team Wins Championships

Not one member of the Hurricanes landed in the top 10 in NHL scoring this season. You have to scroll down the list to number 25 to find forward Sebastian Aho sitting with 80 points. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard all finished in the top 11 but walked away with more questions about the future of the team than answers.

The keyword here is teamwork. Carolina played like a group of brothers all season, and it showed in the playoffs. Edmonton, on the other hand, looked like a fragmented group of individuals trying to will the team to a championship rather than relying on their teammates to lend a hand.

Oilers Need To Recapture Their Team-First Mentality

The last time the Oilers looked and played like a close-knit group was in the 2024 Playoffs when they came within two goals of winning the Stanley Cup in Game 7 before losing to the Florida Panthers. That Oilers team had a team-first vibe, and they have lost it since. From the players in the dressing room to the front office to ownership, they need to recapture that attitude if they have any hope of coming close to a championship in 2026-27.

Bowman Must Find the Right People

The priority for general manager Stan Bowman must be to bring in players and coaches with character. That means not hiring Mike Babcock to be the next head coach and finding someone who doesn’t have a history of belittling his players. The Oilers still have time to find a coach with good character and a winning attitude.

Bowman also needs to add players with the right mentality, who can perform on the ice and also fit into a historically tight dressing room.

Edmonton’s Leaders Need to Examine Carolina’s Leaders

McDavid, Draisaitl, Bouchard, Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins should be studying how Carolina’s leadership group, including Staal and alternates Aho, Jordan Martinook and Jaccob Slavin, carry themselves.

McDavid should be asking his old friend and former teammate, Taylor Hall, questions about what the Hurricanes have done right – from inside the room, to the coaches, to what’s expected on the ice from the players. Hall talked to Sportsnet’s Gene Principe during the post-game celebrations and said, “If there is anyone who deserves to win a Stanley Cup, it’s him,” meaning McDavid.

That’s high praise; however, it’s going to take a quick offseason revamp to get the ship sailing in the right direction.

Hurricanes Win Leaves Clues

After a chaotic start to the offseason, including the Bruce Cassidy situation, firing Kris Knoblauch and pursuing Babcock, Oilers management and ownership need to take a deep breath before making another bad decision. We know owner Daryl Katz wants to win. The same can be said about management and the players. They’ve talked about it a million times.

They should take a page out of Carolina’s playbook and start by building a culture based on giving your best for your teammates and not just yourself. If the Oilers can do that, from top to bottom, they could finally silence their critics. The pieces are in place; but can they follow the Hurricanes’ blueprint and transform the team this offseason?