The Edmonton Oilers season has hit a bump before the COVID pause ahead of Christmas. The team have gone 4-6-0 in their last ten games and have fallen from the top spot in the conference to a wild card team with 36 points. They are now trailing their division rivals like the Vegas Golden Knights, Anaheim Ducks, and Calgary Flames.
The early-season success has led to some issues for the Oilers as of late as the goals are not coming as much as they used to and they are struggling to win games. Even still, I think 2022 is going to be a good year. Making the playoffs seems to be a guarantee for this team, assuming this implosion does not continue too long in Edmonton.
Let’s talk about some bold predictions for 2022 and how the team is going to reach another level. I think the first bold prediction probably won’t be too bold.
1. The Oilers trade away their first-round draft pick.
The Oilers cannot go another year without doing all they can at the deadline to win. This team is going to add a rental, it is just up in the air in regards to what position a rental is going to be for this team. Bringing in some player using the team’s first-round draft pick is a necessity. I talked about some potential holes to fill during my last post, and a first-round draft pick or prospect could be used to get a deal done.
Edmonton is going to have to give up some assets to acquire some talent for this postseason run ahead. I think this team is good enough to really bank on a playoff run, even if it hurts them down the line with a rental walking away at the end of the season.