The Edmonton Oilers reached the exact midpoint of their 2024-25 NHL schedule on Thursday (Jan. 9), losing 5-3 to the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena.
Through 41 games, Edmonton has a record of 25-13-3. Going into action today (Jan. 11), the Oilers and Los Angeles Kings are tied for second place in the Pacific Division with 53 points.
Coming off their run to Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, the Oilers got off to a slow start this season but have one of the best point percentages in the NHL over the last couple of months.
Here’s a look at Edmonton’s top players thus far in 2024-25:
Most Valuable Player: Leon Draisaitl
Leon Draisaitl put an exclamation point on his incredible first half of the season by scoring twice against the Penguins, giving him a league-leading 31 goals this season. The German centre is second in the NHL with 61 points and tied for the second-highest rating at plus-24. He leads the league with nine game-winning goals and four overtime goals and is on pace to break the NHL’s all-time single-season record for both.
In a season where pretty much every Edmonton player has gone through at least one slump, Draisaitl has been the one constant. He hasn’t gone more than two consecutive games without scoring and has at least one goal in 25 of Edmonton’s 41 games.
Playing the most complete hockey of his career, Draisaitl has emerged as one of the game’s best in the circle: his face-off win percentage of 56.6% is the seventh-highest among all NHL players who have taken at least 500 draws.
At age 29, the Oilers alternate captain has grown demonstrably as a leader. Not only is he MVP of the Oilers, but Draisaitl is making a strong case for the Hart Trophy. That’s saying something for someone who wears the same uniform as Connor McDavid.
Top Newcomer: Viktor Arvidsson
It took a bit of time, but Viktor Arvidsson is now looking a lot like the player that Edmonton envisioned when they signed him on July 1 to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $4 million.
To be fair, Arvidsson initially struggled to find footing with his new team, and just when he was starting to get going, the veteran left-winger suffered a lower-body injury on Nov. 12 that sidelined him for the next five weeks.
Since returning to action on Dec. 19, Arvidsson has been flying up and down the ice with his trademark speed, fitting in nicely on Edmonton’s second line centred by Draisaitl with Vasily Podkolzin on the opposite wing.
Over Edmonton’s last eight games, the veteran forward has three goals, four assists, 24 shots on goal, and a rating of plus-six. For the season, he ranks second on the Oilers in unblocked shot attempt percentage at 60.3%.
Unsung Hero: Brett Kulak
Ten years since he made his NHL debut, Brett Kulak is playing his best hockey ever. While always known for steady defence, he’s now contributing offensively as well. With five goals and nine assists for 14 points, the local product is on pace to set personal single-season highs in all three categories.
From the start of the season to now, Kulak has been Edmonton’s most reliable defender on the blue line. He’s suited up for every Oilers game thus far and is averaging more than 20 minutes of ice time per game for the first time in his career.
Kulak ranks second on the team with 65 blocked shots and is a regular on Edmonton’s penalty kill, which has the highest success rate in the NHL over the last two months (89.1%).
The @EdmontonOilers defenceman Brett Kulak turns 31 today.
— Bob Stauffer (@Bob_Stauffer) January 6, 2025
A strong argument can be made he is having his best NHL season to date.
Playing a career-high 20:03 TOI per game.
Has paired with Darnell Nurse for a top 10 5v5 xGF (60.03) tandem in the NHL pic.twitter.com/ifD0YqNgoV
The 31-year-old is greatly appreciated by his teammates, who celebrated his birthday on Monday (Jan. 6) while the Oilers were in Boston to play the Bruins.
Top Defenceman: Mattias Ekholm
Mattias Ekholm had a few uncharacteristically sloppy performances early in the season, prompting whispers that Father Time was starting to catch up with the 34-year-old. But the veteran blueliner has played increasingly better and now looks every bit the stalwart that helped Edmonton get within one win of the Stanley Cup in 2024.
Skating on Edmonton’s top pairing alongside Evan Bouchard, Ekholm is the steady presence whose sound play helps offset the frequent defensive lapses of his talented but frustrating partner.
Ekholm continues to be Edmonton’s best two-way defenceman, trailing only Bouchard for points among Oilers blueliners with 18 from six goals and 12 assists.
The 6-foot-5 Swede is second on the team with a rating of plus-15 and has registered a negative rating in only one of Edmonton’s last 16 games. He boasts a shot attempt percentage of just under 60%.
Most Surprising Contributor: Corey Perry
Speaking of battles against Father Time, Corey Perry appeared to have lost his during the 2024 postseason, when the veteran forward was a healthy scratch several times. So, when Edmonton re-signed Perry to a one-year deal on July 1, many onlookers failed to see the sense in using a roster spot on a 39-year-old who the game had passed by. As it turns out, Perry still has some gas in the tank, and the gamesmanship that he’s always possessed is as strong as ever.
Related: Oilers Forward Corey Perry Is Making a Fool of Father Time
On a team that lacks toughness, Edmonton’s elder statesman hasn’t been afraid to mix it up. He’s second on the team with 23 penalty minutes, including three fighting majors.
While Perry hasn’t scored since Dec. 15, he was tied for fourth on the team with six goals through the first 30 games. At a time when most Oilers forwards were firing blanks, Perry stepped up with some big goals, including four that either tied the game or put Edmonton ahead.
It remains to be seen whether Perry can keep up for another 41 games plus the playoffs, but one would hope that he doesn’t have to, because the Oilers who have underperformed so far, like Bouchard, start playing to their potential over the months to come.
Edmonton begins the second half of its schedule with a road game against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center tonight.
