3 Edmonton Oilers bold predictions for February
As the calendar flips to February, we share three 'daring' predictions for how the month will play out for the Edmonton Oilers.
Sometimes it really is amazing what a difference a month can make in the world of professional sports. Consider that when January began, the Edmonton Oilers were still flirting around the .500 mark at 18-15-1, despite having demolished the Anaheim Ducks 7-2 on New Year's eve.
At that point the Oilers were admittedly trending in the right direction with five straight wins. However, no one, and we mean no one, would have predicted they would go on to win every single game during January, by going 11-0-0.
Proclaiming such a thing would have been considered audacious, or at the very least extremely bold, which provides a nice little segue into the theme of this article. Here are our three bold Oilers predictions for the month of February:
1) Oilers will set the standard with new win streak record
We appreciate with the Oilers just one game short of tying the Pittsburgh Penguins' all-time winning streak of 17, this may not exactly sound like the boldest of predictions. As such, we better explain ourselves.
What we're predicting, goes beyond the Oilers merely setting a new NHL record for consecutive wins. What we actually mean, is that they stretch out the new winning streak to such an extent, that it will have the chance to stand for many years to come.
Along these lines, consider that the Penguins' record of 17 straight victories has stood for three decades, telling you just how tough such a feat is to achieve. And yes, we appreciate the Oilers could still fall flat on their face when it comes to even equalling the current record in their first game back after the All-Star break.
In this respect, the potential 17th straight win indeed represents a tall challenge for the Oilers, as they will have to achieve it on the road versus the Golden Knights. That would be the same Golden Knights team which dumped them out of the playoffs last season, on their way to winning the first Stanely Cup in franchise history.
Further, we recognise that the Golden Knights have been one of the very best teams on home ice so far in 2023-24, with an outstanding record of 18-5-2. Regardless, it feels like they are there for the taking.
Consider that since mid-December the Golden Knights have struggled for consistency, with a 9-10-1 record in their past 20 games. Over the same stretch the Oilers have gone 17-3-0, including 9-1-0 on their travels.
We're not suggesting the game in Vegas will be a cake walk by any stretch, but the Oilers are in an excellent position to beat the Golden Knights and tie the Penguins' record. And if they can achieve this, the path ahead is clear to then set a new record and run with it, starting with a road match-up versus the lowly Ducks.
Following this, the Oilers would then face a Los Angeles Kings team which has been horrific since the backend of December, with a 3-8-6 record in their past 17 games. The game will also be in Los Angeles, where the Kings are just 8-9-6 on the season.
The Oilers will then return home to meet a Detroit Red Wings team, that while in a playoff position, are not as strong on the road. We could go on, but you get the point; the Oilers need to take advantage of this special and rare opportunity, to set a record which has the potential to last for a long time.
2) Zach Hyman will move into the top 3 for goals scored
Zach Hyman has been nothing short of a revelation this season for the Oilers. As much as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are the marquee stars, the Oilers aren't where they are in the standings without the production of their teammate.
It's funny to think back now to when Hyman joined the Oilers, after signing a seven-year, $38.5 million deal following the 2020-21 season. At the time considered an overpay by many, it's now looking like one of the bargains of the century.
Of course it helps when you get to line up alongside the game's best player and also interact with another whose in the top 10. However, even allowing for this, Hyman's production has been excellent and better than expected.
The Toronto native set single-season career-bests for goals in each of his first two season in Edmonton, at 27 and 36 respectively. Now, he's on course to not only set another new career-high, but blow his previous best out of the water.
Having played in all but one of the Oilers' 45 games to date, Hyman has already scored 30 goals, which would project to 55 at season's end if he remains healthy. He currently ranks first among all Oilers, seven ahead of Draisaitl and 10 ahead of McDavid.
As a result, this has the 31-year-old tied-sixth in the overall scoring charts, to further highlight how impressive his accomplishment is. Now we of course don't expect him to catch Auston Matthews, who leads the way with a ridiculous 40 goals thus far.
However, you can definitely see Hyman moving up the scoring charts during February, with him just three behind David Pastrnak who is currently in third place. Where it becomes bold, is giving the Oilers' winger a chance at catching Sam Reinhart, who is second with 37 goals.
For what it's worth though, consider that Reinhart has achieved his total in 49 games, compared to 44 by Hyman. Further, taking every potential positive you can, the Florida Panthers have 10 games during February, two less than the Oilers.
Overall, we have a lot of confidence in Hyman's chances of moving into third place in the goal scoring charts by the end of this month. However, if you're one of those folks who enjoys a bet where it's legal, you might want to put some money on him being in second place at the conclusion of February.
3) Edmonton Oilers will become the best defensive team in the NHL
Making this prediction earlier in the season would have quite rightly had people questioning your very sanity. To say the Oilers' defensive game was horrific, would have been a significant understatement.
The Oilers were knocked out of the playoffs by the Golden Knights last season, in large part due to their defensive setup being repeatedly ripped apart. As a result, Jay Woodcroft quite understandably decided there was a need for a revamp.
This resulted in Woodcroft adopting a zone defensive scheme akin to what the Golden Knights deployed. However, the early returns were terrible, as the Oilers players struggled to adapt and impliment the new scheme.
The result was that at one point, the Oilers had allowed the second-most goals in the NHL and had the worst team save percentage. Unfortunately for Woodcroft, this led to his demise as Oilers coach.
However, as much as it seemed harsh for Woodcroft to be made the fall guy for the players -- who admitted they had let their coach down -- it proved to be the correct decision. Since Kris Knoblauch has taken over he's revitalised the team, with their defensive game proving to be the back bone for his ridiculous 26-6-0 record through 32 games.
Behind the calm and cerebral leadership of Knoblauch, the defense has been particularly impressive during the past 14 games. They've not allowed more than two goals in any one game, with a total of just 18 overall, at 1.29 per contest.
As a result, the Oilers have now allowed just 124 goals overall, second-least behind the Winnipeg Jets at 109. This is where the bold aspect of this particular prediction comes in, with the Oilers have allowed 15 more than the Jets.
The Oilers will play 12 games in February following the All-Star break, while the Jets will play just 10. We appreciate this is the most outlandish and unlikely of our three bold predictions for February specifically, but that's what makes all of this fun.
Another angle which has to be considered, is that in terms of average goals allowed per game, the Oilers are actually 'only' eighth- best, at 2.76. The Jets similarly led the way with an average of 2.30 goals per contest.
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Overall, if we're being honest, I've almost talked myself out of this prediction while I've been writing this, but we've come this far so I'll stick with it. However, from where the Oilers were earlier in the season, if they keep trending in their current direction, they have a genuine chance of being the NHL's best defensive team by the end of the regular season if not the conclusion of February.
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