Edmonton Oilers: Player Point Predictions

The Edmonton Oilers will undoubtably be a team gunning for consistent offence in the 2015/2016 season. Star players of the team have got to put the puck in the net and secondary scoring assets will need to contribute a great deal of offensive production as well.

Every aspect of the game is important, but at the end of the day, the team that scores the most goals obviously wins the game.

The Oilers finished the 2014/2015 season with 193 goals for, which was enough to rank them in the top 5 lowest scoring teams of last year. More offence is clearly needed in Edmonton.

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We should see some players point totals improve and others drop. Obviously not everyone is going to have a career year, but it’s fair to expect players that struggled in 2014/2015 to bounce back this upcoming season. We can also expect the Oilers top 6 forwards to produce at a higher rate.

Lets predict how the Oilers key offensive forwards will do this season in terms of point production and performance on the ice.

The Big 3:

After coming off an 80 point breakout campaign in 2013/2014, Taylor Hall followed up with a rather disappointing season in 2014/2015. In 53 games he scored 14 goals and added 24 assists for 38 points, marking his lowest points per game total since his rookie year in 2010/2011. Regression was evident in Hall’s game.

In Hall’s defence, an injury forced him to miss a significant amount of games. However, he has problems with injuries quite frequently, which is a cause for concern.

Having said that Hall is a very dangerous, offensive stud that can be unstoppable when he’s on his game. He has carried most of the Oilers offence for the past few seasons. In my eyes, Hall is still one of the top, premier left wingers in the NHL. We can absolutely expect a bounce back year from the former first overall pick of 2010.

In 2015/2016 I can see Hall staying healthy for most of the season. With the right players to create chemistry with, I think he will take a big step forward.

2015/2016 Statistical Range:

GP 75-82 G 30-40 A 40-50 P 80-90

Final Prediction:

GP 77 G 35 A 50 P 85

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins took a ginormous step forward in 2014/2015. In 76 games he scored 24 goals and added 32 assists for 56 points, matching his career high in point total.

Although his numbers do not exactly look elite, his well rounded game is. Not only that he was tasked with the most difficult assignments, matching up against the toughest competition the game has to offer on a regular basis. His performance did not go unnoticed as he was named an all-star of 2015.

In 2015/2016 I can see Nuge taking another step forward with higher point production. He will keep progressing in his all around game.

2015/2016 Statistical Range:

GP 78-82 G 20-25 A 40-50 P 65-75

Final Prediction:

GP 80 G 22 A 43 P 65

Jordan Eberle had himself a terrific 2014/2015 season tallying 24 goals and 39 assists for 63 points. He led all Oilers in goals, assists and points. Ebs is consistent and is a key contributor in the Oilers top 6.

In 2015/2016 I expect Eberle to have a solid, productive season.

2015/2016 Statistical Range:

GP 80-82 G 20-25 A 30-40 P 50-60

Final Prediction:

GP 81 G 22 A 36 P 58

Oilers secondary Scorers:

Nail Yakupov had a better season in 2014/2015. In 81 games he scored 14 goals and added 19 assists for 33 points, a slight improvement from the 24 point season he had prior.

Yak showed flashes of brilliance as well as moments of gut wrenching, questionable plays this past season. Nevertheless, he showed positive progress. There is still endless amounts of potential for him to become a lethal sniper in the NHL.

In 2015/2016 I can see a break out year taking place for Yak. He will flourish with the right line mates and provide an effective secondary scoring punch for the Oilers.

2015/2016 Statistical Range:

Gp 78-82 G 20-30 A 20-30 P 40-50

Final Prediction:

GP 80 G 20 A 20 P 40

Benoit Pouliot represents one of the smarter decisions during Craig Mactavishs’ tenure as Oilers General Manager. Since being signed in 2014, he has been a solid, two-way forward and has insulated a valuable combination of size, grit and skill to the Oilers top 9.

In 58 games last season he scored 19 goals and added 15 assists for 34 points. Very impressive numbers for a player that missed a huge chunk of time due to a foot injury.

In 2015/2016 I don’t expect Pouliot to produce at the same rate he did in 58 games last season, but I do foresee another terrific season out of him.

He has played on defensive minded NHL teams for years whether it be the Minnesota Wild or the New York Rangers just to name a few. Now that Benoit is on an offensive minded Oilers team full of young stars, his numbers can keep improving. We saw evidence of this last season.

2015/2016 Statistical Range:

GP 70-82 G 15-20 A 10-20 P 30-40

Final Prediction:

GP 76 G 20 A 15 P 35

Teddy Purcell came to Edmonton from the Tampa Bay Lightning in a trade for Sam Gagner. Expectations were high as Purcell established himself as a productive top 6 forward playing alongside human sniper rifle Steven Stamkos.

Purcell’s ability to control the puck on the power play and make creative plays is what makes him an effective, offensive forward.

Things did not work out in 2014/2015 for Purcell. His first season in Edmonton was plagued with inconsistency which resulted in his declining performance.

In all 82 games played, he scored 12 goals and added 22 assists for 34 points. Those numbers are mediocre compared to the 65 point season Purcell had in 2011/2012.

Purcell’s contract expires after 2015/2016. If his deal expired today I think Peter Chiarelli would let him walk. To put it simple, he’s playing for a new contract.

If the Oilers are in the hunt for a playoff berth around the trade deadline, Chiarelli will keep him around. If the Oilers are completely out of contention early, he could be offloaded at the deadline. There is potential to resign Purcell if he can have an exceptional season.

Regardless of the possible outcomes, let’s assume he’s an Oiler for all 82 games this season.

In 2015/2016 I could see Purcell rebound with a decent season as a secondary scoring option for the Oilers.

2015/2016 Statistical Range:

GP 80-82 G 10-15 A 25-30 P 35-45

Final Prediction:

GP 82 G 13 A 27 P 40

Connor McDavid is the new face of the franchise. The 2015 first overall pick is going to be the next great superstar. He will be an Edmonton Oiler this season for sure. After a dominant 2014/2015 campaign in the OHL for the Erie Otters, he has shown that he is more than ready to take the next step.

In 47 games he scored 44 goals and added 76 assists for 120 points. His numbers are incredible and speaks for itself.

In 2015/2016 I believe McDavid will have a standout rookie year and be a top candidate for the Calder Trophy. I also think it’s unreasonable and unfair to expect him to crack 100 points in his first full NHL season. Although I won’t rule out the possibility he can achieve that.

However, the NHL is a heck of a lot harder today than it was when Sidney Crosby entered the league in 2005/2006.

2015/2016 Statistical Range:

GP 80-82 G 25-30 A 35-45 P 60-75

Final Prediction:

GP 82 G 25 A 45 P 70

The Oilers have depth at forward. They have players with tremendous amounts of skill and scoring ability. As long as everyone can produce at a consistent, acceptable rate, the teams success will be in great lengths this season.

It is nearly impossible to predict a players season because it ultimately comes down to the players performance and how he approaches the season, mentally. A players season could easily be jeopardized by injury or altered by a trade. At this point all we can do is speculate until the much anticipated season begins for the Edmonton Oilers, then everyone must prove their worth.

Next: Edmonton Oilers: Now or Never for Nail Yakupov?

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