You could blame the Edmonton Oilers’ season-opening 6-0 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on having a Stanley Cup hangover, but how come the Florida Panthers looked like champions in beating the Boston Bruins 6-4 on Oct. 8? Florida looked focused even though they weren’t facing Bruins stud netminder Jeremy Swayman, and still made a statement.
Related: Oilers Look Nothing Like Contenders in Another Season-Opening Shellacking
So what was the Oilers’ excuse in coming out so flat to start the 2024-25 NHL Season? Maybe they’re believing their own hype after seeing the recent Stanley Cup Prediction poll put out by Sportsnet where 16 out of 20 hockey experts are predicting the Oilers will win the Stanley Cup in the spring of 2025.
The same thing happened last season with the Oilers getting spanked 8-1 by the Vancouver Canucks on opening night, and it took the entire season for the Oilers to recover. It’s starting to look a lot like 2023-24 for the Oilers, and based on their lacklustre preseason I wouldn’t be surprised if they find themselves in a deep hole to start 2024-25.
Oilers Can’t Afford to Start 2-9-1 in 2024-25 NHL Season
Yes, it’s only one game, but the Oilers lack of intensity, lack of creativity and inability to stop the Jets gave me that sinking feeling that this team is about two weeks away from being ready to play focused hockey. What we’ve seen from the Oilers over the past month is who they showed up to be…a flawed hockey club.
The great Oilers teams from the 1980’s and early 90’s never gave off this kind of aura. This current Oilers squad looks like they don’t care, or they believe they can turn the on and off switch anytime. Well, sorry to say that catches up to you after a while. I believe if the Oilers would’ve had a better start to last season, they would’ve had more left in the tank for the playoffs-especially, Game 7of the Stanley Cup Final.
Can Oilers Management Afford to Be Patient in 2024-25?
It’s pretty obvious the Oilers need help on defence. They may need it immediately, and that can only come through a trade at this point. It would be pointless to try and muddle through an up and down season so you can wait for the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline. If this season’s version of the Oilers comes anywhere near their brutal start of last season, they can’t go firing the coach.
Related: Oilers Must Have Better Start to 2024-25 Than Last Season
They need to address the elephant in the room, and that’s on the blue line. The same could possibly be said about goaltending. This is a make-or-break season for Stuart Skinner, and if he proves he’s not up for the job, how long will management wait to address goaltending?
Oilers’ Next Two Games Will Either Calm the Waves or Could Capsize the Boat
It’s early October, and the Oilers have an opportunity to make a statement in their next two games to prove that this season will not be like last season. They host the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, Oct. 12 and the Calgary Flames on Sunday, Oct. 13. I believe Chicago will have something to prove, especially with Connor Bedard playing his first NHL game in Edmonton and a healthy Taylor Hall hitting the ice against his old team for the first time as a Blackhawk. Meanwhile, the Flames looked great in their 6-5 overtime victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Oct. 9, so these will not be easy games, actually no games will be easy for the Oilers. The sooner the team and management recognizes this, the sooner the Oilers can ensure that the start of 2024-25 won’t be like 2023-24.
