This is the third and the last of a three-parts article analyzing the differences between the 2021-22 Edmonton Oilers, who got to the Western Conference Finals and this season team, who all the supporters root for getting even further.
The first part is just about the goalie position, with all the changes from last year, and you can read it here. The second is focused on the Oilers’ defense, and you can check it on the link here.
This article will be all about the forwards of the Edmonton Oilers
If the defense and the goalies were the main issues last season, we absolutely can’t say the same about the offensive side of the team.
The Oilers got into the Western Conference Finals and can dream about winning the whole thing most due to his forwards.
And we can’t talk about it and don’t mention Connor McDavid. With only 25 years old he is already a generational player and always get mentioned on discussions about the greatest of all time. And last season he finally returned to fell how it is to be on a deep playoff run, what he didn’t felt since the 2017 playoffs.
He is motivated.
He knows the time to win is now.
He comes from one of his best seasons, with 123 points in just 80 games on regular season winning the Art Ross Trophy for the 4th time in his career.
Connor and the whole Oilers organization were in need of a good playoff run. And that’s exactly what happened last year.
With 33 points in only 16 games, he led the NHL playoffs in points even playing only until the Western Conference Finals.
These amazing stats brought also some unforgettable moments for every Oilers’ fan, such as his OT goal on game 5 to eliminate the Flames at the Saddledome, which we’ll never be tired of watching.
We already know Connor can be the best player on ice in every single game he plays. If we add more fuel to his playing abilities, a great and stable coaching staff and a reliable defense, he can keep improving, keep getting more and more individual trophies but mostly, be confident to finally win it all for Edmonton.
“We’ve got lots of weapons…We’re not gonna have trouble scoring goals.” McDavid also noting that the focus needs to be on keeping pucks out of their own net this season. pic.twitter.com/WSpYMuUqYW
— Tom Gazzola (@TomGazzola) September 12, 2022
But not even Wayne Gretzky won his four Stanley Cups by himself, and for sure Connor won’t as well. But he has excellent players alongside him, and one of the most essential players for the team is Leon Draisaitl.
The 3rd pick of the 2014 draft is coming from his best scoring season, with 55 goals in 80 games played on regular season, and just as Connor McDavid, he finally got to fell once again how sweet it is to play hockey in the post season, having 32 points in 16 games, only behind the 33 points McDavid had. As we can see by his numbers:
"When it comes to Leon Draisaitl, there’s a fairly good chance he’ll continue producing at the rate he’s been at over the last few seasons. He’s clearly in his prime, has done well staying healthy and has put up 304 all-situation points in 207 games over the last three seasons. That’s second only behind Connor McDavid (325 points) and 50 points ahead of third place Jonathan Huberdeau (254 points). Feels like 100 points is a reasonable target for the 24-year-old, and there’s a good chance he’ll surpass that."
But nobody can forget that the Draisaitl we all saw playing great was an injured Draisaitl. We can only imagine (for now) and hope to see what the German is capable of do when healthy and more motivated than ever. Here is what Leon said about his injury on the playoffs:
"“The game after, I was trying to push off and I just had no pop, no jump,” the superstar said during an interview on Sportsnet’s “32 Thoughts: The Podcast.” “I was getting frustrated with it because I was like, ‘I can’t beat guys, I don’t know what to do now.’ … I just had to change my game a little bit, slow it down even more, if that’s even possible.” He said his status was questionable ahead of the Oilers’ series-clinching win against Los Angeles. “I actually skated in the morning … to try and test it out, and it was awful. It was so bad, I could barely stand up,” he said. “But, then the adrenaline kicks in and you’re warming up and you see 10,000 people in the stands already. … It becomes a lot easier.”"