By Dom Luszczyszyn, Sean Gentille and Shayna Goldman It would’ve been easy for the Edmonton Oilers to look at the way their last season ended, one goal from winning the Stanley Cup, and decide to give that exact mix of players another run. It also would’ve been foolish. It would’ve been wrong, too.
But it would’ve been easy. Advertisement Instead, they went out and got better. They respected the gift of having Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the same team at the same time, and they did what they needed to do.
That hasn’t always been a guarantee in Edmonton. Now, they’re starting the season in pole position as the top-ranked team in The Athletic ’s projections for 2024-25. The projection After coming so close to winning it all last season, the Oilers enter the 2024-25 season as the team to beat.
That’s what the model believed last season too, though this time there’s even more bullish sentiment toward Edmonton’s chances. The team’s projected point total lands at 110.2, up from 107.
2 and one of the highest totals this model has ever spit out during the preseason. As for winning it all, Edmonton’s Stanley Cup chances jump from 15 percent to 21 percent, also among the highest. This Oilers team is scary good on paper.
Most juggernaut teams get worse in the summer thanks to the salary cap. The Oilers arguably got better — a frightening thought for the rest of the league. It’s why their forecast is so high across the board.
This season, it’s the Ed.
