4 Edmonton Oilers New Year resolutions for 2024

4) Win the Stanley Cup

Yes, we appreciate this is a resolution, or more to the point goal, for the majority of teams in the NHL in 2024. However, more so in Edmonton, given what's at stake.

The Oilers have the best player in the game, as well as another who at times has been called the second best player in the league. There are a lot of legacies at stake, if this franchise does not manage to reach the peak at least once with the current core.

There will be those who point towards hockey being arguably the ultimate team game, and in this respect of course it will take more than just McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to win the Stanley Cup. This is where the reputation of Ken Holland, Jeff Jackson and company come to the fore, in terms of having a roster around the duo capable of helping in the quest for glory.

It is still debatable just how good this roster actually is overall, which is still essentially the same as last season's. That would be the season where the Oilers achieved 50 regular season for the first time since 1986-87, led the league in scoring and set a new NHL record for power play productivity.

However, come playoff time, the team fell apart in the second round to the eventual Stanley Cup champions. In this respect, the Vegas Golden Knights continue to dominate this season, and serve as a reminder of what stands between the Oilers and the championship.

The Oilers roster continues to face questions about how good they are in 2023-24. This is a team which got blown out 8-1 on opening night in Vancouver, but also has marquee wins against the likes of the Golden Knights and on the road versus the NHL points-leading Rangers.

As for McDavid and Draisaitl themselves, no matter the quality of the talent, they still need to lead the way. Yes they both performed well during last season's playoffs, but it still wasn't enough in the end and they have to both take their game to higher levels.

Overall, this is a team which is more than capable of winning the Stanley Cup with the talent at their disposal; on their day no one can stop the Oilers. However, being capable of winning it all and actually doing it are two entirely different concepts, which will lead to an interesting 2024 for fans.