Can the Edmonton Oilers survive the brutal month of October when they play against the top teams in the NHL?
It’s officially one month away before the new season kicks off for the Edmonton Oilers. Since suffering a humiliating year and getting bounced out from playoff contention early, this team is more than ready to hit the ground running.
This season would have to be considered a make-or-break type of performance not only for the players but the organization as a whole. A lot is riding on the moves that Peter Chiarelli has made with the roster and coaching additions the offseason. These moves must pay off this year, or else the architect who crafted this team will be out of a job by the end of the season.
That’s why it’s crucial for the Edmonton Oilers to start off strong in the first few weeks of the season. But with the way the schedule was set up, the Oilers will be facing the top teams in the league right off the gate.
There first four games will be on the road against teams like the Boston Bruins, the New York Rangers and the Winnipeg Jets. Then the rest of the month will consist of squaring off against Nashville, Pittsburgh and the reigning Stanley Cup Champions the Washington Capitals.
That month of October will be hell for the Edmonton Oilers, and they could end up losing all those games. Especially since they’ll play some of those teams twice during that month. If the Oilers do manage to lose the majority of their games in that time span, it’ll be hard for them to recover and try to gain some momentum back.
This could turn into a scenario where it’ll play out exactly how last season transpired. If that happens, it wouldn’t be surprising to see both Peter Chiarelli and Todd McLellan being fired from the organization immediately.
But there is some optimism surrounding the Edmonton Oilers before training camp begins. We’ll see if they can reverse those fortunes and start the season strong in October.