The Edmonton Oilers still have plenty of work to do to make the Stanley Cup Final once again, but they won’t exactly have underdog status if they do return to the big dance.
With the NHL season getting underway last week in Prague — and this week in North America — media members around the NHL have been dropping their predictions as to which teams will win it all this season.
And while it might not exactly be the spiciest take to pick a team with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl that came one game away from winning the Stanley Cup last season, the Oilers have proven to be an exceptionally popular Stanley Cup choice this year.
Edmonton last won the Stanley Cup in 1990, while a Canadian team last won it in 1993 when the Montreal Canadiens were crowned champion. But according to multiple media members, that could all change come 2025.
DailyFaceoff.com‘s Frank Seravalli picked the Oilers as his Stanley Cup champion, writing: “It’s a matter of when and not if – McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are not going to be denied.”
The Athletic’s NHL staff was very Oilers-heavy in their predictions, with 46.4% of the team picking Edmonton to win it all this year. Meanwhile, 100% of their staff picked the Oilers to return to the postseason, one of just six teams to get the unanimous vote.
Meanwhile, 42.9 of their staff felt like the New York Rangers would be the league’s runner-up, which would be quite the matchup of two of Wayne Gretzky’s former teams. Though the Athletic didn’t break down their Stanley Cup picks among individual writers, it’s clear there’s a strong belief in the Oilers’ core from one of the league’s most widely-encompassing outlets.
NHL.com’s Brian Compton,William Douglas, Pete Jensen, Dan Rosen, Derek Van Diest, and Mike Zeisberger all picked the Oilers as well, marking six of the 14 staffers there who chose Edmonton.
The Oilers’ 2024-25 regular season begins on Wednesday night, when they host the Winnipeg Jets at 8 pm MT.
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