It’s been a solid 55 games for the Edmonton Oilers, who entered the 4 Nations Face-Off break with a 34-17-4 record, good enough for first in the Pacific Division and fourth in the NHL.
Related: Oilers: 8 Top-Six Forward Trade Targets Heading Into Deadline
The Oilers have seen outstanding performances from one of the game’s best talents, Leon Draisaitl, who is having a career year offensively. He and several others are having great seasons, while others aren’t pulling their weight. Here’s a look at every player’s grade through the first 55 games of the 2024-25 campaign.
2. Evan Bouchard
Grade: C-
After a massive breakout season in 2023-24 that saw him record a career-high 82 points, some thought Evan Bouchard could flirt with the 100-point mark this season. After all, the Oilers’ power play was expected to remain elite, and they signed other offensive weapons in free agency, including Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner.
Instead, it’s been a step backward for Bouchard, who has yet to score a power-play goal and has a rather disappointing 44 points through 55 games. On top of that, his often-criticized defensive play has seemingly taken a step in the wrong direction. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him get back on track before the regular season is wrapped up, but overall, it’s been a rather frustrating campaign for the 25-year-old.
13. Mattias Janmark
Grade: C
After a rather surprisingly hot start in the assist department to kick off 2024-25, Mattias Janmark has predictably cooled off. While giving him a three-year deal was rightfully questioned, the 32-year-old continues to be a speedy bottom-six option who is very solid on the penalty kill.
14. Mattias Ekholm
Grade: A-
It can’t be stated enough what a massive addition Mattias Ekholm has been to the Oilers since being acquired ahead of the 2023 Trade Deadline. The 34-year-old hasn’t been as elite as he was a season ago, though plenty of that can be attributed to Bouchard’s struggles.
Ekholm continues to be an extremely hard-nosed player who can be trusted in all situations. He excels at shutting down opposing teams’ top stars but has quickly proven to the Oilers that he has more offence than many realized.
18. Zach Hyman
Grade: C+
Whether it was bad play or bad luck, Zach Hyman got off to a horrendous start this season, which is a big reason he was left off Canada’s 4 Nation Face-Off roster. Since that snub, however, he has turned things around, though he’s still not producing anywhere close to the level he provided in 2023-24.
In Hyman’s defence, very few expected him to replicate his 54-goal output, though even fewer expected this much of a regression. Still, he remains relentless on the forecheck and is the type of player Oilers fans can count on to show up once the games really matter come late April.
19. Adam Henrique
Grade: D
Had this article been put together a month ago, Adam Henrique would have scored an even lower grade. The 35-year-old was viewed as a big pickup for the Oilers at last year’s trade deadline thanks to his strong two-way play, but that fell off a cliff during the first months of the 2024-25 season.
The veteran centreman has lost a step, which is no doubt impacting his effectiveness on both sides of the puck. The good news, however, is that he has begun showing signs of late, and similar to Connor Brown a year ago, all can be forgiven with a big playoff showing.
25. Darnell Nurse
Grade: B
The Oilers’ most criticized player still has a ton of detractors, but those who watch the team closely know that he has been playing some of his best hockey this season. He has done so by minimizing the chaos in his game, opting for the simple play more than he has done in the past.
Though Nurse is still not the $9.25 million player his cap hit suggests, he’s been a steady top-four presence this season. It remains to be seen whether or not he can maintain that once the playoffs begin, as he’s had some major struggles in each of the last two Oilers runs.
27. Brett Kulak
Grade: C-
Since joining the Oilers during the 2022-23 season, Brett Kulak has been a very reliable third-pairing defenceman who makes few mistakes thanks in large part to his elite skating. This season, however, he hasn’t been as mistake-free as we’ve seen from him in the past.
28. Connor Brown
Grade: C+
After a horrendous 2023-24 season, Brown came up huge for the Oilers in the playoffs, which resulted in the two parties agreeing to a one-year extension during the offseason. While not lighting the lamp offensively, he’s provided solid secondary scoring after doing almost none of that a season ago.
The reason Brown’s grade is somewhat lower than some might expect is that his defensive play hasn’t been as strong as expected coming into the season. In fact, he was even benched for it earlier in the campaign by head coach Kris Knoblauch.
29. Leon Draisaitl
Grade: A+
Fans have come to expect domination from Draisaitl in both the regular season and playoffs, but in 2024-25, we’ve seen the German superstar reach an entirely new level. He leads the NHL in goals and points and is showing zero signs of slowing down.
Oilers fans can’t help but wonder what could have been had he remained healthy in last year’s playoffs, but assuming he’s good to go this time around, he could very well carry this team to its sixth Stanley Cup championship.
30. Calvin Pickard
Grade: C
Even after stepping in during the second round of the playoffs last year and helping the Oilers knock off the Vancouver Canucks, there was some hesitancy amongst the fanbase to bring Calvin Pickard back this season. Those doubts appear valid, as the journeyman has been average at best through 21 appearances.
33. Viktor Arvidsson
Grade: D+
The Oilers signed Arvidsson with the expectation that he’d add even more offence to a team that already had plenty of scorers. So far, it hasn’t gone as planned, as he’s managed just seven goals in 40 games. While it’s been a disappointing signing to this point, the way he plays the game suggests that he could become a very valuable piece when the playoffs arrive.
36. John Klingberg
Grade: C
It’s hard to rank John Klingberg, given that he’s only been in action for a few weeks. This was a low-risk signing for the Oilers, who were only forced to give him a one-year deal worth roughly $1.75 million against the cap. That said, there were many detractors who questioned what he would be able to bring to the table after undergoing a hip resurfacing procedure that limited him to just 14 games a season ago.
Klingberg has looked fine in the games he has suited up for, which is a positive sign, given his time away from the game. There have been some defensive lapses, which was to be expected, but on a more positive note, his foot speed (which was a concern) has looked fine. Expect his play to ramp up as he gets more games under his belt.
42. Kasperi Kapanen
Grade: C-
Kasperi Kapanen was claimed off waivers earlier this season in what was viewed as another low-risk move. He was able to provide some decent secondary scoring early on but has cooled off of late. He remains effective with his speed, but it’s quickly becoming apparent that there isn’t a whole lot else to his game.
49. Ty Emberson
Grade: B-
Not much was known about Ty Emberson when he was acquired from the San Jose Sharks last offseason, though several Oilers media members seemed quite high on him. The results in the early going weren’t pretty, but he’s quickly proven to be a solid bottom-pairing option.
Emberson doesn’t bring much to the table offensively but is solid in his own end and provides good physicality. Don’t be surprised to see the Oilers sign him to an extension shortly.
51. Troy Stecher
Grade: D+
Troy Stecher was expected to be a depth defenceman at best for the Oilers this season, and to his credit, he’s done that. The 30-year-old has been in and out of the lineup for much of the season, often logging low minutes when he does get in. He’s held his own, but he’s a player Knoblauch doesn’t seem to have a whole lot of trust in. He could be pushed off the roster should the Oilers acquire another defenceman before the trade deadline.
53. Jeff Skinner
Grade: D+
Like Arvidsson, Skinner hasn’t provided the scoring pop the Oilers expected when they signed him this past summer. The major issue is that when he isn’t scoring, he doesn’t provide much, and he’s been in Knoblauch’s dog house for a lot of the season, often playing in a bottom-six role and even spending some time in the press box. To his credit, he seems to be turning things around as of late.
74. Stuart Skinner
Grade: C-
After leading the Oilers to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in 2024, many thought this season would be where Stuart Skinner proved he was a true number-one goaltender. Instead, he got off to yet another horrendous start, and while he has turned things around, there are many questions surrounding the Oilers’ crease.
Skinner’s average-at-best season has some insiders believing that the Oilers will target a goaltender heading into the playoffs. It’s disappointing, given what he was able to show during last year’s run, but he’s simply been too inconsistent to have full trust in.
90. Corey Perry
Grade: B-
There were many puzzled Oilers fans when Corey Perry was re-signed to a one-year, $1.15 million deal. The veteran was brought in partway through the 2023-24 campaign, and while he fared relatively well for the regular season, his lack of foot speed in the playoffs was apparent to the point that he wound up sitting some games as a healthy scratch.
To Perry’s credit, he’s been quite competitive for the Oilers this season, even without the mobility many of his teammates possess. His skill around the net remains top-notch, which has allowed him to provide some solid secondary scoring. He also continues to be a very frustrating player to play against, which has been an important element for the team.
92. Vasily Podkolzin
Grade: C+
The Oilers acquired Vasily Podkolzin from the Canucks this offseason as a possible solution to losing Dylan Holloway. While he isn’t as good a player, he’s been a better fit than many had envisioned.
Podkolzin is a physical force up front, thanks in large part to his great foot speed. His offensive game hasn’t been what the Oilers had hoped and has resulted in him being bumped out of the top six. Still, he’s making a positive impact on his new club.
93. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Grade: C-
Few players have disappointed as much as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins this season. The usually reliable two-way centreman has seen his offence disappear completely at even strength, despite that he’s spent most of his time playing alongside Draisaitl.
Related: John Gibson Wants To Join Oilers, but There’s a Catch
Whether it’s father time catching up to him or just a slump, this hasn’t been the same Nugent-Hopkins Oilers fans have grown to love over the last decade. Let’s hope he can up his play over the next few months and into the playoffs.
97. Connor McDavid
Grade: B+
By no means is Connor McDavid having a bad season, as proven by his 71 points through 49 games, but Oilers fans have noticed that he hasn’t looked quite as elite as in seasons past. The 28-year-old phenom hasn’t hit his full stride quite yet.
It hasn’t affected the Oilers, as Draisaitl has stepped up and carried the team through its first 55 games, and it won’t be surprising to see him rejuvenated after playing in the 4 Nations and come back in dominant form once the Oilers return to action.
Oilers Have More to Give
While the Oilers are having plenty of success this season from a standings perspective, many players in this group have more to give. That’s an exciting prospect, as they are still dominating despite having several players underperforming to this point. Should they all get to their top level by the playoffs, they could very well hoist the Stanley Cup later this year.
