The Edmonton Oilers are going to be a very scary team to go up against this season. They already have been for years given their star-studded duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but being able to add both Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson up front makes their group that much more lethal offensively.
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Though questions remain about their blue line, there is no doubt that this Oilers team will score at will this season. They’ll be a ton of fun to watch and will have a lot of players with great totals by the time 2024-25 has come to a close. Here’s a look at each player’s end-of-season point predictions.
Connor McDavid
46 Goals (G) – 92 Assists (A) – 138 Points (PTS)
It’s hard to define a 132-point season as disappointing, but to many, McDavid wasn’t at his best in 2023-24. He managed just 32 goals, and though he joined a very short list of players with 100 assists in a season, saw his overall point total drop by 21 from his historic 2022-23 campaign.
Though it’s hard to envision McDavid topping his career-high of 153 points, another big season is in store for the 27-year-old. He won’t quite reach the 100-assist mark, but he will find the back of the net more, which will be a welcomed sight for Oilers fans.
Leon Draisaitl
55 G – 66 A – 121 PTS
This past season marked the first time in three years that Draisaitl failed to break the 50-goal barrier, though he still recorded north of 100 points for the fifth time in his career. He should have no problem reaching that marker for the sixth time, and could have plenty of motivation to do so.
Though there is still time between now and the start of the 2024-25 season for something to be worked out, Draisaitl is currently set to be a free agent in less than a year’s time. Should that remain the case, you know he will be doing everything in his power to maximize his earnings given the bargain deal he’s been on for the past eight years.
Zach Hyman
44 G – 41 A – 85 PTS
Signing with the Oilers is one of the best decisions Zach Hyman has ever made. He has quickly established himself as a top point producer in the NHL, and is coming off of a career-high 54 goals. While that total may drop, the 85 points suggested above would be a new career high in itself.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
23 G – 48 A – 71 PTS
After a 104-point season which no one saw coming in 2022-23, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ numbers regressed in 2023-24, with 67 in 80 games. Nonetheless, he is still an integral part of this core group, and should be one of many who benefit from the added talent up front. Should he reach the projections listed, it would mark the second time he’s surpassed 70 points.
Jeff Skinner
32 G – 27 A – 59 PTS
Though many expect Skinner to blow up given the talent he’ll be playing with, it’s important to remember that he won’t be a part of the Oilers’ lethal first power play unit. Nonetheless, playing alongside either McDavid or Draisaitl will give him plenty of looks, which should allow him to score north of 30 for the seventh time in his career.
Viktor Arvidsson
25 G – 29 A – 54 PTS
The signing of Arvidsson gives the Oilers another hard-nosed, offensively skilled winger similar to Hyman. There are injury concerns, but should he remain healthy, he’ll be a big part of their top six.
He’s broken the 50-point barrier three times in his career, and has a great opportunity to do it for a fourth with this group.
Evander Kane
30 G – 21 A – 51 PTS
Evander Kane is a tough player to project given his uncertain future. There has been plenty of trade speculation, while the status of his health is also unknown. Should he remain on the Oilers and be healthy right from the get-go in 2024-25, a big year, including a 30-goal campaign, is not out of the question. Injuries have hampered his play in recent years, but he’s proven before that he can be a goal scorer.
Dylan Holloway
16 G – 22 A – 36 PTS
Dylan Holloway had proven over the past three seasons that he was capable of producing, and when finally given a shot with the Oilers in this year’s playoffs, he delivered. The quick-skating 22-year-old mustered up five goals and seven points in 25 games, and seemed to be making a positive impact each time he hit the ice. Expect a big year from him as he looks to establish himself as an NHLer.
Adam Henrique
12 G – 24 A – 36 PTS
When put in the right opportunities, Adam Henrique can produce. Before being moved to the Oilers at the trade deadline, he had 18 goals and 42 points with the Anaheim Ducks. He’s also hit the 20-goal mark seven times in his career. The Oilers didn’t re-sign him for his offence, however, especially with their new additions.
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Instead, he’ll be relied upon as a defence-first player who can still provide some secondary scoring but will be more counted on to help defend leads. It’s not as sexy of a role, but is very important, especially for a team like the Oilers.
Connor Brown
15 G – 13 A – 28 PTS
Predicting 15 goals for Connor Brown after scoring just four in 2023-24 may seem generous, but there was no doubt that he got better as the season progressed. That was to be expected after an ACL tear limited him to just four games the season prior. Now back to full confidence, he should continue to be a great option on the penalty kill, while helping more in regards to depth scoring.
Corey Perry
12 G – 15 A – 27 PTS
It was quite apparent during the Stanley Cup Final that Corey Perry’s speed has become an issue. Head coach Kris Knoblauch recognized that, and had him sit as a healthy scratch numerous times in the playoffs.
That said, during the regular season where things are played at a slightly slower place, Perry proved he still has the skill in tight which should allow for him to remain somewhat productive in 2024-25.
Mattias Janmark
8 G – 12 A – 20 PTS
Despite an impressive playoff run, Mattias Janmark is wise enough to know that offensive touch isn’t what he’s expected to provide for the Oilers. The 31-year-old, much like Brown, is an excellent penalty killer who is mainly effective in fourth-line minutes. He won’t be winning any league awards this coming season, but fans of the Oilers understand that despite the lack of offence, he still has value in this lineup.
Derek Ryan
7 G – 9 A – 16 PTS
Derek Ryan has had an impressive NHL career spanning over 500 games, but it’s clear that his time is coming to an end. He managed just 12 points this past regular season, while only notching one assist in 19 playoff outings. While still strong in the faceoff dot, there is little else to his game at this point, which could result in him watching plenty of games from the press box this coming season.
Evan Bouchard
20 G – 71 A – 91 PTS
Though some would argue it came during the 2023 Playoffs, most believe that the 2023-24 season served as Evan Bouchard’s coming-out party. The 24-year-old put up a whopping 18 goals and 82 points last season and followed it up with 32 points in 25 playoff outings. He’s only getting better, as is his team, which will result in him putting up even better totals this coming season.
Mattias Ekholm
9 G – 32 A – 41 PTS
Playing for a team as offensively gifted as the Oilers helped Mattias Ekholm set a new career high in points this past season with 45. While his offensive touch has been a nice bonus, what makes him truly valuable is his elite play in his own end of the ice.
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Still, sharing the ice with Bouchard has its benefits, and should allow for Ekholm to have some impressive numbers on the back end once again in 2024-25.
Darnell Nurse
13 G – 29 A – 42 PTS
The 2023-24 season wasn’t a kind one to Darnell Nurse. His offensive numbers dipped during the regular season, but it was an ugly performance in the playoffs that led to some heaping criticism.
Should he respond to it the right way and use it to motivate him, he has every opportunity to surpass the 40-point mark for the third time in his career.
Philip Broberg
6 G – 24 A – 30 PTS
Much like Holloway, Philip Broberg was given an opportunity in the playoffs and ran with it. The 23-year-old is a lock to crack the Oilers roster this season, and based on what he showed late in the year, is capable of putting up some solid numbers from the back end as a rookie defenceman.
Brett Kulak
5 G – 20 A – 25 PTS
Though he doesn’t provide much of it, Brett Kulak has more offensive skill than given credit for. He is a solid breakout defender thanks to his strong first pass and is one of the better skaters on this Oilers team. He won’t be needed to provide offence, but may chip in a little more than some would expect this coming season.
Cody Ceci
3 G – 16 A – 19 PTS
Perhaps the biggest whipping boy among Oilers fans, Cody Ceci is another potential trade candidate ahead of the 2024-25 season. He isn’t as bad as some make him out to be, but simply isn’t a second-pairing defenceman like he has been slotted far too many times during his tenure in Edmonton. Should he stick around, expect a very modest stat line from the 30-year-old.
Troy Stecher
2 G – 7 A – 9 PTS
Despite only suiting up for seven games with the Oilers after being acquired at the trade deadline, the Oilers chose to hand Troy Stecher a two-year extension. This was strictly a depth signing, as proven by his $787,500 cap hit. With nearly 500 NHL games under his belt, though, he should spend the season on the Oilers roster, used primarily as a seventh or eighth defenceman.
Josh Brown
0 G – 3 A – 3 PTS
Josh Brown, who the Oilers signed to a three-year deal, will likely battle Stecher for time in the lineup this season. His cap hit is slightly bigger at $1 million, but, while he does provide more toughness, there is a legit argument to be made that Stecher is the better player.
Regardless, both Stecher and Brown will have little offensive impact in what are expected to be extremely limited roles on a deep Oilers roster.
Cup or Bust for Oilers
After being eliminated in the second round of the 2023 Playoffs by the Vegas Golden Knights, both McDavid and Draisaitl deemed the 2023-24 season to be Stanley Cup or bust. They wound up falling just one win short of that goal, but have every opportunity to win it all this coming year given the improvements management has made to their roster.
