Seattle Kraken: A Beginner’s Guide to the Pacific Division
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are one of the most dangerous teams in the Pacific, and that can be attributed to their top talents.
Forward Core
They have solid depth up front with decent defensive depth; however, their star power is truly among the best in the league, mainly thanks to two players. Connor McDavid is the best individual player in the NHL at this juncture. He put up 105 points in 56 games during a season in which the highest non-Oilers player, third-place finisher, Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins, scored 69 points.
McDavid had a legendary 2020–2021 season and his teammate Leon Draisaitl wasn’t too far off his pace. Draisaitl put up 84 points through 56 games which were good enough for second in the league. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins isn’t a superstar, but he’s the type of player who would be a first-line center on quite a few NHL teams. By having him along with the two big stars, Edmonton has an abundance of riches down the middle.
Wing is where the Oilers tend to struggle a bit, though they are turning the corner in that regard recently. The continued development of youngsters Jesse Puljujarvi and Kailer Yamamoto will be crucial for the Oilers moving forward. The additions of Zach Hyman and Warren Foegele during the off-season strengthened the flanks considerably; until the kids are ready to step into prime roles.
On the Blue Line
Defensively the Oilers are a bit of a question mark, as they have some solid players, but it’s difficult to say how they’ll perform. Darnell Nurse has been very good the last three seasons. The extension he signed over the off-season seems a bit premature from what he’s shown to this point.
Duncan Keith used to be one of the best defensemen in the league. Now that he’s 38-years-old, Keith no longer plays at that level. The last two years have been two of the worst that Keith ever had, yet he still carries a cap hit of just over $5.5M for the next two seasons.
Tyson Barrie had a solid 2020–21 season. He is one of the blueliners that Edmonton leans on most. The same can’t be said about Cody Ceci, who has been mediocre since he left the Ottawa Senators.
Oscar Klefbom is a great defensive-minded defenseman, He missed all of last season, and it’s possible he’ll miss this upcoming season as well. How he’ll perform when he does eventually return is cause for concern.