TSN: Mike Johnson and Craig Button focus on whether or not the Edmonton Oilers have achieved sufficient over the offseason to encompass Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to make it again to the Stanley Cup Ultimate once more.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Johnson: “It was an unimaginable season final 12 months for the Edmonton Oilers. So near profitable the Stanley Cup for the primary time in endlessly, to sport seven earlier than shedding it to the Florida Panthers. They made some adjustments this summer season. The crew seems slightly bit totally different.
However the one massive query Craig is, have the Oilers surrounded McDavid and Draisaitl with sufficient this 12 months to win the cup.”
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Button: “Not but. So it’s not a definitive No. You have a look at shedding (Philip) Broberg and (Dylan) Holloway to the supply sheets. Now you’re taking a look at a crew that’s attempting to present themselves cap flexibility, so as to add one thing actually vital over the course of the season previous to the commerce deadline.
Mike, you recognize that their prime pair of (Mattias) Ekholm and (Evan) Bouchard is without doubt one of the finest duos within the Nationwide Hockey League, on the blue line. After that, if you wish to compete for the Stanley Cup, it turns into lots tougher until you bolster that blue line.
And that’s the place they’re going to must look to try this work, as a result of as nice as McDavid and Draisaitl have been and are, they will’t win a Stanley Cup, in my opinion, with the blue line as at the moment constructed. It wants actually vital enchancment.”
Johnson: “The excellent news is, Craig, you’re not telling the Edmonton Oilers something they don’t already know. They’ve made some strikes this summer season to maintain the flexibleness to reply the very query that you simply simply addressed. That sure, we have now to get slightly bit higher on protection. We all know that Darnell Nurse and (Ty) Emberson on the second pair won’t be fairly sufficient, however we have now cab house for the primary time in a very long time to deal with that very query.
I’ll say this, although, the forwards proper now are higher than the forwards they ended final season with. I feel Arvinson goes to be implausible there. I feel Jeff Skinner goes to slot in fairly properly, lastly make the playoffs and recover from that hump for himself. We all know the ability performs there. We all know what Hyman and Nuge and everybody else can do in that group. Adam Henrique, underrated returning participant.
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Their forwards are stacked and, oh, I’d add, a return round playoff time, in all probability proper round sport certainly one of playoff time of a wholesome, rejuvenated, and rested. Evander Kane, what can that do for a crew as effectively?
So I feel in web, okay, Stuart Skinner. You want what you may have there. Up entrance, there are not any questions by any means. Solely query actually is for the Edmonton Oilers, and also you’ve nailed it, on protection. As a result of I feel they must go get a big participant, like they did after they obtained Mattias Ekholm. Take into consideration what a distinction he made for that crew from the day he arrived, partnered up with Bouchard, they’re among the finest pairings within the league. They’ve Darnell Nurse, who might be wholesome in some unspecified time in the future on that second pair, very seemingly. They want any person to go with him, to maximise him, to make that pairing dependable and environment friendly.
And in the event that they get that Craig, then you definately’d must say that the Edmonton Oilers, not solely are succesful when the Stanley Cup, they in all probability would be the favourite proper now to win the Stanley Cup. Not as they’re at the moment constructed, however what they are going to appear like when the commerce deadline lastly expires within the spring.”
Button: “And precisely, what they are going to appear like. I don’t assume there’s any query that after they had been contemplating matching or not matching the supply sheets to Broberg and Holloway, sure, you bought younger gamers that get drafted within the first spherical that confirmed some actually good, optimistic indicators within the playoffs final season.
However it’s a lot greater now for the Edmonton Oilers. They’re on the lookout for one thing greater than what Broberg and Holloway are able to delivering, in all probability at this time limit. And that’s the place the cap flexibility is available in. That’s the rationale for not matching these supply sheets.
And there’s going to be any variety of actually vital defenders accessible come commerce deadline, previous to the commerce deadline. And very similar to the Mattias Ekholm, commerce which not solely made the crew higher and stronger, it additionally allowed Evan Bouchard to raise his sport.
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And I feel that the place they sit and the place they’ll be evaluating is actually amongst these defenders accessible that may actually make a discernible distinction and root to competing for a Stanley Cup.”
Johnson: “Craig, the Oilers are in a great spot, as a result of they’re setting themselves as much as maximize on the greatness of Connor McDavid. We all know he’s the very best participant on this planet, among the finest gamers of all-time. He’s setting information, breaking Gretzky’s help information within the playoffs. There isn’t a competitors that’s too nice for him to beat.
And I feel they perceive that. Draisaitl coming again is large for them, however actually maximizing on his greatness. Received a pair extra years beneath contract. He’s within the prime of his profession. He’s nearly as good as he’s going to get. And I feel even with none additions, they might be a Stanley Cup contender due to Conor McDavid, due to that Greg, Craig,
However after they simply add slightly bit within the again finish, coupled with, a few the very best forwards and the very best a part of the world up entrance, then the Edmonton Oilers completely will you may have greater than sufficient to win a Stanley Cup for 2025.”
