The Edmonton Oilers are coming off a Game 7 loss in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final and have maintained much of their roster, generating a lot of optimism for this season. The deep run can be attributed to having two of the top five players in the world, as well as elite depth. Heading into the 2024-25 season, who are the Oilers’ top 10 players?
10. Viktor Arvidsson
The Oilers signed Viktor Arvidsson to a two-year deal during free agency this past offseason. The 31-year-old would be higher on this list if not for his extensive injury history that has forced him to miss 64 games last season. When on the ice, he is an offensive weapon, posting four 25+ goals in the past eight seasons. However, he has missed games with injuries in each of his nine NHL seasons, so placing him any higher does not make much sense.
9. Jeff Skinner
The second of the Oilers’ impact free agent signings this offseason was Jeff Skinner. Over the past three seasons, he has scored 92 goals in 233 games, a 32-goal pace over an 82-game season. As well, he has a career-high of 40 goals (2018-19), set while playing for the bottom-feeding Buffalo Sabres.
If Skinner can find chemistry in the Oilers’ top six, a 30+ goal, 60+ point season is not out of the question. However, at 32 years old, a career resurgence is not the most likely, so placing him behind the established Oilers’ forwards but ahead of depth pieces like Adam Henrique and Mattias Janmark seems fair.
8. Evander Kane
When Evander Kane is healthy, he is one of the Oilers’ most valuable forwards. He can be physical, score, defend, generate offense, and much more. In his three seasons with the Oilers, he has 62 goals and 111 points in 161 games, as well as 20 goals and 30 points in 47 playoff games. When he is on the ice, he is dominant, but that has been a big “if” as of lately. He missed 12 total games last season, including five during the playoffs, and 85 total regular season games throughout his three seasons with the Oilers.
With concerns regarding Kane’s health heading into the season, placing him any higher would be unjust. If he can eventually return, and stay, on the ice at full health he could propel him higher on this list.
7. Stuart Skinner
Opinions on Stuart Skinner vary by who you ask. Before Dec. 21 last season, he had a .884 SV% and -7.39 goals saved above expected (GSAx), the fourth lowest of all goaltenders at the time, according to Evolving Hockey. After Dec. 21, he had a .916 SV% and 20.46 GSAx to finish the regular season, the fourth-best of all goaltenders in that span, and then he went 14-9-0 with a 2.45 GAA, .901 SV%, and 1.9 GSAx in the playoffs. His ranking on this list could be as high as the top five if he builds on his dominance last season, or he could be entirely out of the NHL if he struggles.
6. Mattias Ekholm
Mattias Ekholm may be 34 years old, but he was an extremely valuable member of the Oilers’ defense last season. With Darnell Nurse’s struggles, a left-handed defenseman needed to step up, and Ekholm did just that. In the regular season, he tallied 1,662 minutes, the fourth most of any Oilers’ skater, as well as 549 minutes in the playoffs, the third most of any Oilers skating.
Related: Comparing Connor McDavid & Connor Bedard’s Rookie Seasons
Ekholm set career highs in goals (11) and points (45) last season, as well as a 59.5 goals percentage (G%) and 58.6 expected goals percentage (xG%), each the highest single-season totals of his career according to MoneyPuck. If he can replicate last season’s success in 2024-25, the Oilers will be extremely fortunate.
5. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
While last season saw Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’s point total decrease, his overall impact remained the same. His ability to play both center and wing anywhere in the Oilers lineup is an incredibly valuable asset, as well as his usage on the powerplay and penalty kill. He tallied 61 takeaways last season, as well as a 59.8 G% and 62.1 xG%. It is easy for a player like him to fly under the radar, but it is time to give him the credit he deserves.
4. Zach Hyman
Zach Hyman propels himself into fourth place following his 54-goal campaign last season. A goal is a goal, and to score 54 of them in any fashion is impressive. As well, the 32-year-old is one of the Oilers’ better two-way forwards, tallying 37 blocked shots, as well as 16 more takeaways than giveaways, a 69.5 G% and 69.3 xG%. When he is on the ice, good things happen, so coming in as the team’s fourth-best player should be no surprise.
3. Evan Bouchard
Evan Bouchard entered the 2023-24 season with defensive concerns, but he puts the doubt to rest. Playing alongside Ekholm, the two formed the best defensive pairing in the NHL. They finished with a 62.8 xG%, the most of any pairing in the NHL (min. 250 minutes), as well as a 63.4 G%. Alone, Bouchard finished the season with 18 goals, 64 assists, 105 blocked shots, 67.1 xG%, and 68.4 G%. He has quickly found himself in the premier rank of NHL defenseman, and he is poised to contend for the Norris Memorial Trophy for seasons to come.
2. Leon Draisaitl
Unsurprisingly, Leon Draisaitl lands on this list as the Oilers’ second-best player. The 28-year-old is a veteran of 719 NHL regular season games where he has 347 goals and 850 points. He has an Art Ross Trophy, Hart Memorial Trophy, and Ted Lindsay Award in his trophy case, and he will continue to dominate the NHL. While he may not be the Oilers’ best player, he is undoubtedly a superstar, likely en route to eventually joining the Hockey Hall of Fame.
1. Connor McDavid
Connor McDavid is undoubtedly the best player not only on the Oilers but in the world. The 27-year-old has 335 goals and 982 points in his 645-game career, having won four Ted Lindsay Awards, three Hart Memorial Trophies, five Art Ross Trophies, a Maurice Richard Trophy, and a Conn Smythe Trophy so far. He has finished with a 100+ point pace in all but one of season in his career, and there is no reason to believe he will slow down anytime soon.
