2016-17 record: 47-26-9 (103 points)
Lost to Anaheim in Conference semi-finals
Captain: Connor McDavid
A decade of failure and lottery picks that have mostly not panned out put the Oilers in the bottom leading up to last season. What a difference one year makes, as now, they are a team truly on the rise. Of course, it helps that one of the lottery picks that has panned out is Connor McDavid. There's no question that the team will go as he goes, but the other problems that the Oilers had in the past were also solved along the way. The question now is whether they can keep the momentum going.
McDavid gets all the headlines, and rightfully so, but Leon Draisaitl also deserves some press, and the Oilers agree, as both players were given extensions heading into this season. McDavid made a goal scorer out of Patrick Maroon, who scored 27 goals, but can the effect carry over to newcomer Ryan Strome? He was picked up in a trade for Jordan Eberle and can bring a solid two-way game, but will his offensive game benefit in the same way? Offensive scoring depth may be an issue, as there just simply isn't enough spots to play on the same lines as McDavid and Draisaitl, but there are now enough big physical players to keep teams honest about taking liberties with both players. If Jesse Puljujarvi can get past his growing pains of last year, the Oilers will be even better. On the blue line, it was often a black hole, as the Oilers looked lost often in the dark years. Last year, it was a strength thanks to General Manager Peter Chiarelli committing to fixing the unit. From an offensive standpoint, Oscar Klefbom was finally able to stay healthy, and his offensive output was welcomed by a team that had lacked a playmaker from that end. Signing Kris Russell prior to last season paid off, as his play helped the likes of Adam Larsson and Darnell Nurse realize more of their potential, and while Larsson will never be half the player Nicklas Lidstrom was (see the scouting report from Larsson's draft year), he at least provides smart, calm play in his own end that may never be an offensive force. In goal, Cam Talbot was a workhorse, as he solidified another major problem spot for the Oilers since the lockout. One potential problem is that there still isn't a reliable backup, and if the workload causes problems, look out below. Special teams were about what you thought, as the power play was great, but the penalty kill could use a little work.
Prediction: 2nd in the Pacific Division
The Oilers are built to win now, and certainly, they can make a deep run as soon as this season. One thing to watch for is health, as the Oilers were largely unscathed last season, and everyone say what the Oilers were without McDavid the season before. This is McDavid's team, and the Oilers will need the stars to align once again to keep everything in order.
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