The Edmonton Oilers players say they're willing to do what it takes to win the Stanley Cup. Working harder, skating faster, paying more attention to the little details than their opponents on a nightly basis. Their general manager has revamped their porous defense, and brought in multiple potential solutions between the pipes. But the hockey world remains unconvinced, and while they're still seen as a good team, few are calling them Cup favorites.
Ranked ninth in the pre-season power rankings, in spite of the fact that their captain, Connor McDavid, is the league's best player, and Leon Draisaitl isn't far behind, the statement from those determining the rankings is simple: Show me.
Time to put it all together
For most of McDavid's career, the lack of true postseason success could be blamed on various factors: Ill conceived roster construction, poor calls at inopportune moments, bad luck with injures. And all of those issues may arise this year as well, but at this point in his Oilers tenure, he and the rest of the team's core will have to either find a way to ensure those factors don't matter, or accept that this team won't win a Stanley Cup.
Everyone, from Wayne Gretzky to Sidney Crosby, has praised McDavid's unbelievable ability. Before he ever entered the league, the conversation was "how many" not "if" he'd win a cup. But though he came within a whisker of hoisting the trophy in 2023-24, the Cup doesn't yet bear his name. Likewise for Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Evan Bouchard, and almost the entirety of the remaining roster. The injured Frederik Anderson has a Cup ring, and depth forward Mathieu Joseph has two from his time with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The trade deadline may change that but it ultimately doesn't matter. The Oilers core knows what it feels like to fall just short of the ultimate prize. They know the sustained effort required to get there, the luck, the determination, the grit. It's up to that core to leave doubt and chance behind. They have to continue their offensive dominance while shoring up the team defense, lead by example, and refuse to allow circumstance to dictate the outcomes.
The ninth place ranking might be a bit of a slap in the face, but it could benefit the Oilers as well. Teams might just underestimate them, and that could end up being the edge they need to finally win the Cup.
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