How the Oilers Match Up Against All 7 Pacific Division Opponents – Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers were just two goals shy of winning the Stanley Cup Final this past season, and they somehow made their roster even better this offseason. They were able to do that by signing two top-six players in Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner, while trading defensive end Vincent Desharnais for Josh Brown.

Related: Oilers' Kulak Possible Trade Candidate to Free Up Cap Space

As if that wasn't enough, the Oilers re-signed several of their agents-in-waiting including Adam Henrique, Connor Brown, Mattias Janmark, and defenseman Troy Stecher. It was a masterclass from Jeff Jackson, who was serving as interim general manager after Ken Holland's departure.

With the improvement, the Oilers are now considered the favorites to win it all this coming season in the eyes of many people. While there is still a lot of work to be done, this team should, at the very least, be the best in the NHL throughout the 2024-25 season, including in the middle of its division. Here's a look at how they stack up against their seven Pacific Division rivals.

Anaheim Ducks

• Top: Oilers
• Defenders: Oilers
• Goal: Oilers

It's been a long rebuilding process for the Anaheim Ducks, and while they're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel thanks to some young talent in Mason McTavish, Leo Carlsson, and Cutter Gauthier, they still have a ways to go before they are. rival.

The Ducks aren't even close to being in the same ballpark as the Oilers, and they figure to finish near the bottom of the standings again in 2024-25. It's a feeling Oilers fans can relate to, as they've been forced to watch their team languish for nearly a decade before finding success in recent years.

Calgary Flames

• Top: Oilers
• Defenders: Oilers
• Goal: Oilers

Like the Ducks, the Calgary Flames are also in the process of rebuilding, although it just started happening last year. They also appear to be ahead of the Ducks in many areas, as they have accumulated some impressive prospects that should help them return to being a competitive team in the next few years.

Unfortunately for Flames fans, they are not a contending team yet. The 2024-25 season could be a tough one, as their forward line has the best rating, and their blue line is among the worst in the league. Scoring is also a question mark, considering starter Dustin Wolf has just 18 games of NHL experience.

Los Angeles Kings

• Top: Oilers
• Defenders: Oilers
• Goal: Oilers

The LA Kings are the first team on this list where some may dispute these results. While the Oilers have the clear advantage going forward, the Kings' blue line is solid, and will be even better given promising talent Brandt Clarke.

What ultimately put the Oilers ahead is that their top players Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard are better than the Kings, which includes Mike Anderson and Drew Doughty. That said, Amakhosi have been a strong team for the past few seasons, and they are expected to be there in 2024-25. This time they will be praying to avoid the Oilers in the finals, as they have eliminated them three years in a row.

San Jose Sharks

• Top: Oilers
• Defenders: Oilers
• Goal: Oilers

Like the Ducks, San Jose Sharks fans have had to endure some very difficult years. The future looks bright, however, thanks to talented young players, especially Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. While they aren't anywhere near the Oilers in terms of competition up front, they should excel at that in a few years.

The Sharks will struggle again in 2024-25, however, in large part because their blue line, at least on paper, is the worst of all 32 NHL teams. What doesn't help at all is that behind them there are two strikers who don't drop down in MacKenzie Blackwood and Vitek Vanecek.

Seattle Kraken

• Top: Oilers
• Defenders: Oilers
• Goal: I mean

The Seattle Kraken are stepping down in 2023-24 after a special 2022-23 campaign. That's because of their forward group, as they have a lot of solid players, but none of them are top-notch producers. Matty Beniers' stats will be one, but he is still growing at only 21 years old.

The strongest part of the Kraken is their blue line. The top four is very talented with Vince Dunn, Adam Larsson, Jamie Oleksiak, and newly signed Brandon Montour. An argument can be made that they are as competitive as the Oilers, although their third pairing of Will Borgen and Ryker Evans remains a question mark. Between the pipes, Joey Daccord took over as the starting option last season, and he proved capable of doing so, posting a 2.46 goals-against average (GAA) and a .916 save percentage (SV%), both of which were better than Stuart Skinner's.

The Vancouver Canucks

• Top: Oilers
• Defenders: I mean
• Scoring: Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks, who were the most improved team in 2023-24, will be the Oilers' biggest competition in the Pacific Division this season. Although their forward group is not that strong, they have some good talent, led by JT Miller. They were able to add to that team with the signing of Jake DeBrusk.

Behind, the Canucks have one of the few defensemen more gifted than Bouchard in Quinn Hughes. He has a strong partner in Filip Hronek, although Hronek is not the same player as Ekholm. The second and third pairings are evenly matched, although the one area where the Canucks are winning is between the pipes. Thatcher Demko is one of the best goaltenders in the NHL, and if he had been healthy in the playoffs, the Canucks could have easily eliminated the Oilers in the second round.

Vegas Golden Knights

• Top: Oilers
• Defenders: Golden Knights
• Goal: I mean

The Vegas Golden Knights have been the strongest team since entering the league in 2017-18, although it looks like they will regress after a difficult season. Their forward group has talent like Jack Eichel and Mark Stone, but is nowhere near as dangerous as the Oilers. However, the background is a different story.

Related: 5 Oilers Fighting For Roster Spot Next Season

The Golden Knights were able to acquire Noah Hanifin at the deadline, and signed him to a long-term extension shortly thereafter. He, along with Alex Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore, are all defensemen capable of playing high-level minutes. Their other blue line is very strong with Brayden McNabb, Nic Hague, and Zach Whitecloud.

Oilers Should Win Pacific Division

Based on the results listed above, the Oilers it should to win the division title this season. That said, season results are often difficult to predict. If you remember, it looked like the Oilers would miss the playoffs entirely in 2023-24 after starting the year 5-12-1. Assuming they avoid such a bad start this time around, however, their shot at the division title looks very strong.