So.. Edmonton has to be the favorites coming out of the west, right?

[JoeThorntonsRooster]

Yes and no

Vegas, St. Louis and Dallas are better teams but non have the game breaking talent of McDavid or Drai

that being said, our goaltending is also game breaking talent. It is very inconsistent and clearly the worst by a loooooong mile

Mark Stone is better than either of them.

 

[Oilers 322]

I don’t think so. The Oilers haven’t been a great 5v5 team this year and I would say that’s more important for playoff success than good special teams. They’re a dark horse to go deep if their trade deadline additions pan out and McDrai continues to play well.

 

[Kranix]

Pedigree is not results, it's a mentality. It's doing what it takes to win. Say what you want about their goaltending or their defense, but they are the 2nd best team at killing penalties.

When you watch them, you see McDavid and Drai giving it their all most nights. They set the tempo and the rest of the team follows, talent be damned.

Now they acquired either through trade or drafting players to compliment these guys who can produce.

Pedigree is recorded results.
Is this some kind of withdrawal symptom from the Leafs sucking down the stretch? Is it because you think Matthews isn't giving it his all most nights?

 

[Help]

Vegas, Blues

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Easy answer is no.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Pedigree is not results, it's a mentality. It's doing what it takes to win. Say what you want about their goaltending or their defense, but they are the 2nd best team at killing penalties.

When you watch them, you see McDavid and Drai giving it their all most nights. They set the tempo and the rest of the team follows, talent be damned.

Now they acquired either through trade or drafting players to compliment these guys who can produce.

I think McDavid and Drai are great players. But I don’t think any of their TDL moves really moved the needle much at all. Mike Green? Ennis? AA? Nothing that significant imo although definitely an improvement.
They still have huge holes on D and in net imo and still need more depth at forward.
You compared them to Pitts which is way too simplistic. Pitts had way more than two franchise centers. They had a franchise D in Letang, the best third line center in the league in Staal and elite goal tending in Fleury. Not to mention a much better supporting cast all round. By contrast before the TDL the Oilers had Neal and Kassian playing with McDavid. They improved on that but not nearly enough imo.
I think they are moving in the right direction and could become a top contender if Holland can make some big moves this summer. But they have cap constraints that will limit them. Probably still a couple of years away imo.

 

[Kranix]

Mark Stone is better than either of them.

Prove it with a paragraph or two of analytics, or I don't believe you.

 

[KlefDown]

Mark Stone is better than either of them.

ok

 

[North Cole]

Negative. I'm an Oiler fan, but until were securely in a playoff spot, we cant be considered favourites of anything. I'd say Vegas, the Blues, and Colorado. I'm not sold on Dallas yet.

 

[4EDM14OIL93]

Mark Stone is better than either of them.

This might be your worst take yet

 

[Kamiccolo]

Mark Stone is better than either of them.

One of the more over rated players both in the league and especially on here.

 

[Ambisextrous]

Eh, as others are saying hard to say they're the favorites in the West. They've improved on the deadline but still big question marks going forward. Defense and goalies will have to be 100% every night. Green still has offensive ability but god is he horrible at defense.
McDavid and Drai can win series for them, similar to the Avs with their reliance on Mackinnon and Rantanen for production. I have Edmonton and Vegas about tied for coming out of the Pacific. Dallas/Avs/Blues from the Central. On paper and in practice you'd be hard pressed to pick a favorite out of those 5 teams.

As a Canadian, Edmonton would probably be the only team I'd like to go far, but I'm not sure this is the team to get to the cup.

 

[dem]

Oilers fan...

Absolutely not. We will be thrilled to make the playoffs.

 

[CupofOil]

No, slow down a bit.

I'm happy with the moves and the Oilers are in the mix but they certainly aren't favourites. No #1 Dman, no #3 center, questionable goaltending and we have no idea how the new players will fit into Tippett's system. It's an exciting time for the Oilers but it's still a flawed team that's not on the level of the Blues, Avs, Stars and probably Knights until proven otherwise.
A trip to the Conference Finals would be a huge success for this group. Anything more than that is a pipedream IMO.

 

[gwh]

Some counter arguments to the OP:
- EDM is 5-4-1 in the last 10 games.
- Nearly the whole team is a "minus player". That is the opposite of dominating 5v5. In fact if there are few penalties, they will lose to even mediocre teams.
- Ranking 5th in the conference is not really that impressive.
- Starting goalie is Koskinen w 0.911 sv. Not thrash, but not Rask/Vasilievski either.
- Top D pair is Klefbom Nurse. They suck as a top pair in NHL. Also no 3rd pair depth.

2nd round exit?

 

[blankall]

How are they the favorites when they are 5th in points?

There's absolutely no way that AA puts them above Colorado or St. Louis.

 

[Kranix]

Some counter arguments to the OP:
- EDM is 5-4-1 in the last 10 games.
- Nearly the whole team is a "minus player". That is the opposite of dominating 5v5. In fact if there are few penalties, they will lose to even mediocre teams.
- Ranking 5th in the conference is not really that impressive.
- Starting goalie is Koskinen w 0.911 sv. Not thrash, but not Rask/Vasilievski either.
- Top D pair is Klefbom Nurse. They suck as a top pair in NHL. Also no 3rd pair depth.

2nd round exit?

This is what OP wanted, his agenda. A thread full of this. It balances out his universe.

 

[FerrisRox]

I personally, don't think there is a better team out west and they are likely one of the favorites if they played in the east.

I would put Vegas, Colorado and especially St. Louis ahead of them. I also think that Vancouver has a better team if their goaltending situation is settled by playoff time.

 

[lomiller1]

VGK or Colorado (if healthy) are the best teams in the west. After that, there is no real favorite or underdog. St Louis and Dallas are the best of the rest, but not enough to call them favorites IMO.

 

[MNRube]

A lock for the WCF? The Oilers? Cmon man.

 

[Kranix]

Quite masterful actually. A new level of Anti-Oilers. I'm impressed. He even got Oilers fans coming in doing his work for him.

 

[JoeThorntonsRooster]

Prove it with a paragraph or two of analytics, or I don't believe you.

The Ottawa Senators with Mark Stone on the ice over the past 3 seasons were a significantly better team than the Edmonton Oilers with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the ice. That's all you really need to know.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Blues aside who get that title due to being the recent champs I guess, but Edmonton looks legit now, and I think there are a few factors.

- Weak pacific division means in theory, they should have one of the easiest 1st and maybe 2nd rounds out of the entire league aside from whoever facing the 3rd spot in the Atlantic.

- Draisatl has come alive and is legit. Yammo has fit like a glove with him, and they have two legit superstars better than any two currently playing (yes better than Sido and Geno in their current form).

- McDavid is back and healthy and finally has wingers. This is the first time the Oilers have a legit top 6 in a decade.

- 1st PP in the league and 2nd best PK. In general, being top 5 in both is an indicator of playoff success.

- Then you look at what Draisatl produces the last time they made the playoffs, and realize McDavid is in his prime now.

I'm not sure there is a team out west that can stop the Oilers. Have to imagine that they should be a lock for at least the WCF, and if they do not make the finals, it will be in a hard fought series deep in the playoffs.

I personally, don't think there is a better team out west and they are likely one of the favorites if they played in the east. Maybe they are only stopped by a more experienced team from the east if they make the finals like Tampa or the Pens.

If you have to say "Blues aside" they're not the favorite coming out of the west.

 

[themelkman]

Not at all

 

[President Skroob]

VGK or Colorado (if healthy) are the best teams in the west. After that, there is no real favorite or underdog. St Louis and Dallas are the best of the rest, but not enough to call them favorites IMO.

I'd put St. Louis ahead of Vegas and Colorado