Edmonton Oilers bold predictions for 2024-25 NHL season

The Edmonton Oilers came close to the Stanley Cup in 2024. Unfortunately, they could not beat the Florida Panthers in Game 7 to claim hockey’s ultimate prize. Edmonton’s defeat extended the championship drought for Canadian teams by another year. But if there’s any team that could end that drought soon, it is this team.

The Oilers made some major moves in NHL Free Agency this summer. Some of these moves were well received. Their signings of Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson received praise. As did the Oilers’ trade for Matt Savoie. However, other moves were not well received. The controversial hiring of Stan Bowman especially garnered a lot of backlash.

How these moves affect Edmonton moving forward certainly remains to be seen. Regardless, this is certainly a team capable of big things as training camp draws near. Here are two Oilers bold predictions that could come true during the 2024-25 NHL season.

Connor McDavid somehow finds another gear

Connor McDavid is coming off a historic postseason performance. He scored eight goals and 42 points for Edmonton in 25 playoff games. He became the third player in NHL history to score 40+ points in a single postseason. And his 42 points are the fourth-highest amount of points scored in a single playoff campaign. Only Wayne Gretzky surpassed his postseason performance.

McDavid is by and large the best player in the world at this point. This summer, the Oilers superstar made changes to his training regime, opting for more rest. A more rested McDavid could certainly spell disaster for opposing teams in the upcoming season.

More rest is not the only reason McDavid could find success this season. The Oilers’ fatal flaw heading into the Stanley Cup Final was their unbalanced offensive attack. Outside of McDavid, Edmonton received offensive contributions from Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and Evan Bouchard. And that was about it.

This year, Edmonton’s offense should have more balance. The additions of Arvidsson and Skinner give them more scoring options in the top-six. This allows players such as Corey Perry to play a role more suited to their skill set. Skinner and Arvidsson — alongside the firepower brought by Draisaitl, Bouchard, and Hyman — should give McDavid every opportunity to hit a new gear offensively.

McDavid will set a career-high in points this upcoming season as he challenges the 170-point mark. It’s certainly a tall task for any player to reach, even one of McDavid’s caliber. However, with an improved offensive supporting cast, he has a chance to make a major impact during the 2024-25 NHL season.

Oilers avenge their loss

On the surface, it’s hard to say this qualifies as an Oilers bold prediction. After all, they made the Stanley Cup Final a season ago. Additionally, they came within two goals of the most improbable comeback in sports history. Of course, it’s within the realm of possibility for Edmonton to win the Stanley Cup in 2025.

However, it’s never that simple. Returning the Stanley Cup Final is a more common occurrence in recent history, sure. In fact, a Stanley Cup Finalist has returned to the summit in four of the last five seasons. In saying this, it is much more uncommon when looking more broadly.

Before 2020, only three teams returned to the Stanley Cup Final the year after appearing in it since 2000. The New Jersey Devils did so in 2000 and 2001. After that, the Detroit Red Wings achieved the feat in 2008 and 2009. Finally, the Pittsburgh Penguins did it twice. They made the Stanley Cup Final in 2008 and 2009 before doing it again in 2016 and 2017.

The Oilers certainly have the talent to make a return to the Stanley Cup Final. And in 2025, not only will they do so, they’ll do what their 2024 opponent did themselves. Connor McDavid will help lead Edmonton to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup since 1990 while further cementing his legacy as an all-time great.

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