Edmonton Oilers left winger Patrick Maroon has exceeded all expectations since joining the team nearly two years ago. Now, he seems ready to make the next step forward.
Simply put, Maroon has proven to be a steal for the Oilers. When GM Peter Chiarelli made the trade for Maroon at the deadline during the 2015-16 season, it was considered a low-risk deal to add some more size and depth to the bottom-six. However, he quickly went above and beyond expectations.
Since being traded in February 2016, Maroon has scored 35 goals in 97 games, including a career-high 27 goals in 2016-17. Out of those 27 tallies, 24 were scored at even strength. As the 29-year-old enters a contract year with an impressive-looking Oilers team, he will be pushing to improve on those numbers.
Edmonton Oilers
“My expectations are to come in and do what I did last year and repeat it,” Maroon told 630 CHED host Reid Wilkins. “I don’t want to be that guy that did it for one year. I have to find ways to compete every night. I know what I bring to the table.”
Maroon on the Top Line
Yes, Connor McDavid deserves credit for helping turn Maroon into a 27-goal scorer. However, not everyone can play with a player of his ilk. Finding the right players to flank McDavid is worth something, too.
Maroon formed quick chemistry with McDavid in 2015-16 and seamlessly carried that over to last season. It was originally Milan Lucic who started in that spot last year. But it wasn’t soon after the season started that Maroon won the first-line spot back, proving to be a better fit with the captain.
It already appears that the first-line will stay intact. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound winger excels at creating space for his teammates, burying rebounds and serving as a physical presence. He is also still in his prime and came into training camp in good shape.
If Maroon plays most of his even-strength time on ice with McDavid this season, he should score 30 goals for the first time in his career. However, this could be his last season in an Oilers uniform. The Oilers are fortunate the Anaheim Ducks are still paying one-quarter of Maroon’s $2 million salary for another year, but a raise is coming in 2018-19.
Next: Oilers Trim Roster to 36
Maroon will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this coming season. It appears that he can either pursue more money in free agency or potentially take a pay cut and remain in Edmonton. And if he does, he gets to play with McDavid and stay with a top Cup contender. Still, no matter what, the Big Rig is bound to make a strong impact this season.