2012-13 record: 51-15-2-4 (Lost to Portland in Finals)
The Oil Kings fell two wins short of making a return trip to the Memorial Cup tournament last year, and it was at the hands of the team they beat they year before in Portland. Offensively, they were behind only Saskatoon in the Eastern Conference in goals scored, but it was their strong defensive effort that got them to the finals, as they only gave up 155 goals in the regular season, good to lead all teams in the WHL. However, they will lose Dylan Wruck, T.J. Foster, and Trevor Cheek to graduation, and are most likely losing key players such as Laurent Brossoit, Keegan Lowe, and David Musil to the pros. Tristan Jarry will assume the starting goaltender role this coming season, a transition that shouldn't be too difficult, since Jarry posted great numbers when he did get time in net for the Oil Kings. Defensively, Dysin Mayo and Ashton Sautner are both returning, and Griffin Reinhart has a year left of junior eligibility, so if he doesn't make the Islanders out of training camp, expect him to lead the way on the blue line. Offensively, Henrik Samuelsson would be the highest scorer from last season that returns if he doesn't break camp with the Phoenix Coyotes, with recent Ottawa Senators pick Curtis Lazar not far behind.
Prediction: 2nd in the East
The Oil Kings' road to the Central Division title for the third straight year is going to be tougher, since Calgary returns some critical players of their own, and with Prince Albert improving over the Summer, it's no sure thing the Oil Kings will get home ice advantage in the Eastern Conference this year. However, the Oil Kings still have some players, and until they get eliminated before reaching the WHL Finals, it's not wise to count them out.
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