The Edmonton Oil Kings haven’t been the strongest team in the Western Hockey League (WHL) by any means this season, but there have been improvements overall and look much better than they did last season. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like they’ll be making the playoffs and instead will have to settle with being sellers and looking to get the most assets back out of their players in trades in hopes of building a stronger team for their future.
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The Oil Kings currently sit last in the Eastern Conference with only 19 points this season and are also last in the league two points behind the Kamloops Blazers who have played three more games than the Oil Kings. With the Christmas holiday break underway, let’s take a closer look at how the Oil Kings have done as a team and individually this season.
Related: 3 Edmonton Oil Kings To Watch in 2023-24 Season
Last season, the Oil Kings only had 10 wins all season. This season they already have nine, so they’re on pace to have a better season overall. As mentioned, they currently sit dead last in the entire WHL with a 9-20-0-1 record but do have games in hand on the slightly worse Blazers. They have had a few bright spots with some players exceeding expectations offensively, but they haven’t been the best as a team. They are 6-13-0-1 at home and 3-7-0-0 on the road this season. Their power play percentage currently sits at 16.1%, while their penalty kill sits at an atrocious 72.5%.
Luckily for the Oil Kings, they have entered the holiday season on a high note having defeated the Regina Pats 3-2 in overtime and having some positive momentum riding into their next game, which will be a battle against one of the best teams in the WHL this season, the Prince George Cougars. But, without looking too far ahead into the future, here are some takeaways from the Oil Kings’ season up until the Christmas break this season.
Adam Jecho Has Been as Advertised
The Oil Kings drafted Adam Jecho third overall in the CHL Import Draft in July of 2023, and he has been exactly what the team wanted out of him when they brought him in. His offensive abilities are amusing to watch, his defensive zone is very clean as he doesn’t make many bad mistakes in his end, and he has solidified himself as a potential first-round draft pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The forward from Czechia came over to the WHL after a season in Finland with Tappara U18 where he scored 21 goals and added 26 assists for 47 points through 37 games.
In his rookie season with the Oil Kings, he has scored eight goals and added 10 assists for 18 points through 19 games and sits fourth on the team in points and third in assists. His ability to lead on the ice has been something the Oil Kings have enjoyed watching, and he could be the next big prospect to come out of the Oil Kings’ program when an NHL team calls his name at the upcoming draft.
Lajoie & Hodnett Leading by Example
While the Oil Kings’ direction was rather unknown heading into the season, they did make some moves to improve their team. One of those moves before the season began was acquiring defenseman Marc Lajoie who has been exactly what the Oil Kings wanted him to be. He currently leads the Oil Kings in points with 24 through 30 games, and he has undoubtedly been the best defender throughout their entire lineup. While he may unfortunately end up being traded to a contender this season, he has helped the Oil Kings overall at both ends of the ice.
Another player the Oil Kings have leaned on and have gotten exactly what they needed out of him is forward Gavin Hodnett. Hodnett currently sits second on the team in points having scored four goals and adding 19 assists for 23 points in 23 games, putting him one point behind Lajoie in seven fewer games played. Hodnett is another prospect that NHL teams will likely be looking at heavily, and if he’s able to keep up this kind of scoring pace on a struggling team, there will be plenty of teams in the NHL lining up to bring him in.
The Oil Kings break is finished on Wednesday (Dec. 27) when they take on the Cougars in Prince George. While the Cougars are a powerhouse team this season, the Oil Kings are hoping they can begin a winning streak and shock one of the best teams in the WHL this season. Hopefully, they can have a much better second half of the 2023-24 season and start winning some games. It’s highly unlikely that they’ll be able to sneak into a playoff spot but winning more games than last year should be their goal, and they’re on the right path to be able to reach that.
