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The Edmonton Oilers enter this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs with plenty of internal optimism. Why wouldn't they? Edmonton returns mostly the same roster as last season, when they advanced to Game 7 of the Finals. Sure, it took a legendary performance from Connor McDavid to get them there. However, in the playoffs, your best players must be your best, and he was. The Oilers believe they made it to Game 7 with McDavid, and can win a Cup if they get that same effort from Leon Draisaitl.
The Oilers have plenty of reasons to worry about their Stanley Cup chances. Stuart Skinner is a massive question mark, and their offensive depth hasn't improved much from last season. They also aren't getting the same production from Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The good news is that the Oilers have faith in their players and optimism that the roster will come together and get healthy at the right time. With belief and optimism, anything is possible.
Oilers' health is the X-factor
McDavid's injury has kept him out of the lineup since March 20th, which could be a blessing or a curse. The good news for the Oilers is that the world's best player is getting a mini-vacation before the grueling two-month postseason stretch begins. It has been a busy season for McDavid between winning the 4 Nations Face-Off for Team Canada and trying to keep the Oilers afloat. McDavid sometimes looked unhealthy, and this break could be the best-case scenario.
The Oilers' bad news is that they recently dropped out of second place in the Pacific Division. If the standings hold, the Los Angeles Kings will get home-ice advantage in the first round. Edmonton has won three consecutive first-round series against the Kings, and it's starting to feel like Los Angeles is due. Getting home-ice advantage might be the boost they need to put them over the top. You can also look at it positively and say the Oilers have the Kings' number. Los Angeles has been dominant at home this season, but a healthy McDavid is hard to bet against.
Let's not forget the other injured players returning in the postseason. Evander Kane has been out all year with various injuries from last year's postseason, but is drawing near a return. Kane is a perfect playoff-type performer and will bring a different element they've been missing.
Speaking of playoff-type performers, Trent Frederic is also nearing a return. The Oilers acquired him from the Boston Bruins in a deal at the trade deadline, but he has yet to suit up. Frederic was back at practice this week, and the Oilers are hopeful he will get some game action before Game 1 of the playoffs.
Leon Draisaitl is having an MVP year
Draisaitl is currently the front-runner to win the Hart Trophy this season. It's a good bounceback for the German superstar, as his playoff performance last season didn't impress many Oilers fans. The only concern now is Draisaitl's health. It's another player to add to the injured list for Edmonton, as he left their last game against the San Jose Sharks. It could be precautionary at this point in the season, but the Oilers will need Draisaitl at full health and effectiveness to make another Stanley Cup Finals run.
Edmonton fans will hold their breath, hoping the injury isn't serious, but Draisaitl has been struggling to stay healthy all season. Once they get past the injury concerns, they'll shift the worry to whether he will go quiet in the playoffs for the second-straight season. He had a great start to the playoffs, recording points in 13 straight games to start the run. He totaled 25 points over those games.
Draisaitl's issues started in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars. He went pointless in Games 2 and 3 and recorded just three points over the remaining three games. The struggles continued in the Stanley Cup Finals, as he failed to record a point in the first three games, which led to a 3-0 hole. He bounced back for three points over the next three games, but then struggled again in Game 7.
It's short-sighted to blame just one person on a team losing when they made it to Game 7 of the Finals. Plenty of players on the Oilers could've stepped up and gotten their season over the finish line. However, it isn't a stretch to say the Oilers are sitting here as defending Stanley Cup champions if Draisaitl had given a little more production over the entire run.
It's pretty simple for the Oilers: If McDavid and Draisaitl are healthy and at the top of their games, they are one of the most challenging outs in the league.
