It's the most wonderful time of the year, as the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs are finally upon us. After a long and hard-fought season, 16 teams remain in the hunt for Lord Stanley's Cup. One of the teams that every hockey fan will be watching very closely is the Edmonton Oilers.

After making a run to the Western Conference Finals last year, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and co. have been even better this year. The Oilers finished the season second in the Pacific division with 109 points, the most they've had since the 1985-86 season when some guy named Wayne Gretzky was leading them.

What immediately stands out about the Oilers is their ridiculous offense, as they were by far the highest-scoring team in the league with 3.96 goals per game. Their power play is also historically good at 32.4 percent, which is the highest since the NHL began tracking that stat in the 1977-78 season. For comparison, the Toronto Maple Leafs had the league's second-best power play at 26 percent, which is over six percent lower than Edmonton's.

After such a great season, the Oilers have become a popular pick to win it all. They have the second-best odds to win the Western Conference only behind the defending-champion Colorado Avalanche, and they have the third-best odds to win the Stanley Cup behind the Avalanche and Boston Bruins. This is easily the best team the Oilers have had in the McDavid-Draisaitl era, and now they're out to prove it.

With that said, here are three reasons why the Oilers will win the Stanley Cup in 2023.

3. The Oilers depth is very underrated

Over the years, hockey fans have derided the Oilers as having McDavid, Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and a bunch of scrubs. In fairness, there were definitely a few seasons where that was the case. However, the Oilers have quietly put together a very good roster around their stars over the last couple years.

Up front, the Oilers have a wealth of complementary scorers alongside their big three. The two main additions in recent years are Zach Hyman, who had a terrific season with 36 goals and 47 assists, and Evander Kane, who only played half the season, but was good when he was on the ice. Depth forwards like Mattias Janmark, Warren Foegle, and Kaiser Yamamoto can also chip in offensively while playing a strong two-way game.

Darnell Nurse and youngster Evan Bouchard are both very good defenseman on the back end. However, Edmonton's best defender may be trade deadline acquisition Mattias Ekholm, who has 14 points and a +28 rating in 21 games since arriving. With Stuart Skinner developing into a quality starting goaltender, the Oilers have the tools to succeed at every position.

2. McDavid and Draisaitl are on another level for the Oilers

McDavid has been the best player in the NHL for years now, and Draisaitl has been top-five at least. Considering how they have consistently led the league in scoring and won three of the last six Hart Trophies, it's hard to argue that they aren't the best duo in the league right now. This year, they've ascended to a completely different plane.

Draisaitl had the highest point total of his career with 52 goals and 76 assists, which adds up to 128 points. McDavid on the other hand had an absolutely historic season with 64 goals and 89 assists for 153 points. He scored more goals in a single-season than anyone since Alexander Ovechkin scored 65 in the 2007-08 campaign, and recorded more points in a season since Mario Lemieux put up 161 back in the 1995-96 campaign.

To have any chance at beating the Oilers, their opponents must slow down McDavid and Draisaitl. The problem is that no team has been able to do that recently. Remember that these two led the playoffs in scoring last year despite only making it to the conference finals. If they can repeat that performance with a better team around them, the Oilers will be almost impossible to stop.

1. The Oilers are on fire

Having momentum entering the playoffs is paramount, and Edmonton has a ton of momentum on their side right now. In March and April, the Oilers posted an almost perfect record of 18-2-1 for a points percentage of .889. They have been the best team in the league over the last quarter of the season, even better than the historically great Bruins.

Everything seems to be firing on all cylinders right now for the Oilers. Their offense is historically good, and their defense and goaltending have rounded into form at just the right time as well. If they can keep that momentum going, they will be hoisting the Stanley Cup in June.