2012-13 record: 19-22-7 (45 points)
Missed the playoffs
Captain: TBA
For all of the first overall picks and top end talent in the pipeline, the Edmonton Oilers have consistently fallen short of expectations. The culprit has been a rather shoddy defense that remains an issue going into this season. Yes, the Oilers have offensive firepower in Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Nail Yakupov, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Justin Schultz. However, they all don't perform consistently at the same time, and that is bad for a team that is still lacking sandpaper. To that end, Andrew Ference and Boyd Gordon were bought in to provide that for a team that needs it in spades. David Perron was also brought in via trade, and while he's a small upgrade over Magnus Paajarvi (the guy he was traded for), it still doesn't solve the team's biggest issue: blue line grit. Ference will help some, but beyond that, the Oilers are still nowhere near ready for primetime, and that has a trickle down effect on the goaltending, meaning Devan Dubnyk has to be on his game every night. He posted decent numbers despite the porous defense, but now, he has to step up his game, as Jason LaBarbera is now his backup.
Prospects: The Oilers don't really have anyone that is ready to occupy a roster spot to begin the season, but expect Oscar Klefbom, if he's fully recovered from a shoulder injury, to join the team at some point in the season. All the other prospects, including 2013 first round pick Darnell Nurse, are at least a year away from contributing.
Prediction: 6th in the Pacific Division
The Oilers are a talented team on paper, but without a viable blue line, the Oilers' young forwards will continue to get pushed around on a consistent basis. In a division with Los Angeles, Anaheim, and San Jose, the push for a playoff spot will be hard to accomplish this year.
No comments:
Post a Comment