The Edmonton Oilers were a highly-successful team in 2024. Led by their outstanding duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, they were able to advance all the way to the Stanley Cup Final last summer and fell just one game shy of their ultimate prize. They will be looking for that one extra win in 2025, and certainly have the team to do so.
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The Oilers got off to a bit of a slow start in 2024-25, but have turned things around and currently sit at 22-12-3 through 37 games. Players who were slumping early in the season are beginning to pick things up, indicating that big things are coming for this group. With that said, here are three bold predictions for the Oilers in 2025.
1: Draisaitl Wins Rocket Richard
As elite of a player as he has been throughout his NHL career, Leon Draisaitl has never managed to win the Rocket Richard Trophy. Plenty of that has to do with the fact he’s been up against guys like Alexander Ovechkin and Auston Matthews throughout his career, as he’s hit the 50-goal marker three times in his career but has no goal-scoring titles to show for it.
Draisaitl is off to another incredible start in 2024-25, with a league-leading 27 goals through 37 games. He’s on pace for exactly 60 goals, which would be a new career high. With Ovechkin and Matthews both having to miss time this season due to injury, this may finally be Draisaitl’s time to get his hands on the Rocket Richard.
2: Bouchard Regains Old Form
The 2024-25 season has not been kind to Evan Bouchard. After a great 2023-24 campaign followed up by an even better performance in the playoffs, many thought Bouchard would be in the running for the Norris Memorial Trophy this season. That also had some Oilers fans fearing how much he would earn on his new contract, as his current deal will expire this coming offseason.
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The good news in that regard is that Bouchard’s struggles, particularly defensively, will likely cost him some cash. He got a tough idea of what many think about him after he was left off Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster, though that should serve as some motivation going forward. He’s still just 25 years old, and with his skillset, could be in line for a massive second-half showing.
3: Oilers Acquire a Goalie
The Oilers don’t have much cap space right now, and the little room they do have will almost certainly be used to acquire a defenceman at or ahead of the 2025 Trade Deadline. An improved blue line is their biggest need right now, though it’s not the only part of their roster that gets scrutinized.
Another concern for the Oilers is in between the pipes. Stuart Skinner has played better as of late, but has a .897 save percentage 2.81 goals against average through 25 games this season. He was also pulled in last year’s playoffs versus the Vancouver Canucks and sat in favour of Calvin Pickard for two-straight outings. If he doesn’t have a huge performance in the playoffs this time around, the Oilers will be looking at goalies in the offseason.
Biggest Year for Oilers Core Group Yet
After coming oh-so-close to a Stanley Cup victory last season, the Oilers will be looking for that one extra win later this year. They certainly have the team to do so, and if their top stars like McDavid and Draisaitl continue to dominate, it’s hard to envision anyone stopping them. Buckle up, Oilers fans, as 2025 is the most important yet with this core group of players.
