Top 5 Edmonton Oilers bold predictions for 2022
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.
2. Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid continue to compete for the top of the league.
McDavid and Draisaitl both have 49 points on the year, and that number is going to continue to increase as the year goes on. McDavid was talked about as a player on another planet before the season began, but Draisaitl has shown he can compete.
In an ideal world the two finish with the same point total – a number way into the 130s on the year. Personally, I think Draisaitl might outdo McDavid on the year, and if that is the case I think that would be amazing to see for the Oilers.
Edmonton has two of the top players in the world on their roster, and that alone is a pretty amazing feat in itself. Now the fact that Alex Ovechkin is just two points behind Draisaitl and McDavid with 37 on the year is a crazy stat that I am here for as a hockey fan.
With the fact that Edmonton is only going to work to improve their team as the year goes on, and because the two are so talented I think the two are going to finish with the first and second point totals with no one even close to them when the year comes to a close.
3. The Edmonton Oilers trade for Marc-Andre Fleury from the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Oilers need a netminder, and the Blackhawks have a future hall of famer on an expiring deal. This move would require the Blackhawks to hold back some salary on the deal, and it would also probably require the team to eat a contract like Mikko Koskinen for a season, but I do not think those are too hard of asks for the right return – a first-round draft pick or a top prospect.
This is honestly a trade that I would not wait until the deadline to make. Edmonton needs to address its goaltending concerns, and there are not a lot of elite netminders available – especially on teams out of the playoff picture. Chicago is an interesting situation and could be beneficial to Edmonton. They need to make sure they do not get beat by another team trying to make a move.
Getting Mike Smith back is going to be a blessing for the Oilers, but they need to make sure they have another netminder in place in case he comes back and it doesn’t work out or he needs some time to get back to elite form.
Goaltending can win a team a playoff series, but it also can end a season if your netminder makes a few too many mistakes.
4. The Edmonton Oilers make it to at least the conference final.
The Oilers are going to need all their top players to be at their best and I think this upcoming is the year the team finally gets over the playoff hump. I am not saying the team is going to win the Stanley Cup or going to make it to the Stanley Cup Final and lose, rather I am saying they are going to make it to at least the conference finals.
This is the year the team gets over the playoff hump and shows they can really be something in this league. The conference final might not be the ending point for the Oilers’ season, rather I think getting there is a pretty good judgment of where they are at as a team.
Edmonton has star talent and they have size and speed. If they make some moves ahead of the deadline and fill in all the gaps of their lineup they are going to have a pretty good roster for a potential playoff run, especially with two of the top players in the world hungry for some playoff success.
5. Kailer Yamamoto hits his stride in January.
Kailer Yamamoto has not been great so far this season. He has spent a lot of time on a line with Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins, but he still only has seven points on the year. I think he is going to finish the season with north of 30 points. The Oilers forward has not been at his best so far, but he can hit his stride in January if the team decides to use him in a different fashion. Rather than put him in the top six the team could choose to move him down for a player like Zack Kassian or Warren Foegele instead.
Then Yamamoto can get a chance to succeed on a line without the opponent’s top defensemen coming after him. I also think Edmonton is going to do everything in their power to make sure Yamamoto has a good January because he is one of the top players they can use as trade bait for a team looking to add a young forward with a lot of potential.
2021 saw a playoff series that ended too soon for the Edmonton Oilers. Hopefully, 2022 sees more success for the team both during the regular season and the playoffs.