Although they were overshadowed somewhat by their provincial rival Calgary Flames the Edmonton Oilers have had an excellent offseason. The Oilers were able improve their goaltending position by signing Jack Campbell as a free agency, and they were also able to resign Evander Kane (and Brett Kulak) at very low costs. Ryan Murray and Mattias Januarymark are two other additions that will increase their depth up front.
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What can we expect from this group in 2022/23? Everyone knows that Connor McDavid will continue to be an offensive force. Both players are in their primes and should be able to score around 120 points if they stay healthy. There aren’t many certain things about this roster other than those two players, so it can be difficult to predict certain outcomes. Here are some hot takeaways on the Oilers’ 2022-23 campaign.
Evander Kane Pouch 50 From a production standpoint Evander Kane’s choice to sign with Oilers during 2021-22 was the best decision that he could have made. The 31 year-old has been a consistent NHL player and scored at least 20 goals seven times before last season. That said, his 22 goals in 43 regular season games playing alongside McDavid far outweighs any production he has had in the past, though that doesn’t mean it won’t continue.
Connor McDavid, Evander Kane and the Edmonton Oilers celebrate a goal. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images). As players such as Alex Chiasson and Patrick Maroon can attest, McDavid’s presence will increase your points totals. Kane proved this to be true, as he quickly bonded with the Oilers captain and should not have any problems doing so again in 2022-23’s regular season. There is a chance that he could score 50 goals if he remains healthy.
Although it may seem a stretch, he has never pounded more than 30 goals in one season. However, his incredible production since joining the Oilers is remarkable. He not only scored 22 goals in 43 regular season matches, but he also scored 13 in his 15 playoff appearances. It’s 35 goals in 58 games, or 49.48 in an entire 82-game schedule. It may not be likely, but it certainly isn’t out of the realm of possibilities.
Puljujarvi finally emergesOver the past two years, Jesse Puljujarvi displayed glimpses of his potential. He was the fourth overall draft pick in 2016. His rare combination of skill and size has left many curious about him. However, he is still not quite there yet. There have been some flashes but there have also been struggles.
Puljujarvi, who appeared to be as good or gone as this offseason earlier in the season, will be returning to Oilers for the 2022/23 season. He is thought to be the frontrunner to fill the right-wing spot alongside McDavid (and Kane) If this doesn’t work out for him, it is safe to say he won’t only fail to get an opportunity to produce as an Oiler, but the NHL as a whole.
Puljujarvi, at 24 years of age, is the right time to truly break out. There are many reasons to believe he can do so, despite all his detractors. I’ll go out on a major limb and suggest that the man known as the ‘Bison King’ will record north of 60 points this season.
Broberg Takes a Big Role Down the StretchPhillip Broberg seems to be close to being on the Oilers roster. Ken Holland, general manager of the Oilers, recently suggested that Broberg might need to take over the role of the Oilers’ top player. The fact that he was picked one spot higher than Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras during the 2019 Draft has caused him to be subject to a lot of scrutiny in his early career. (from ‘Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Oilers picking Philip Broberg over Trevor Zegras is still debated. Here’s why Ken Holland stands by it’, The Athletic, 02/17/22).
Despite some criticisms, Broberg remains a very promising prospect with the Oilers. Broberg showed fans a bit of what he can do last season. He played in the first 23 NHL games, scoring a goal and adding three points. This was while averaging 13 minutes per game.
While his offense didn’t show much at the NHL level, it certainly did during his time in the American Hockey League (AHL), scoring four goals and 23 points in just 31 games. It is evident that he is ready to move on. I believe that although he won’t bring the offense right away, he will soon prove that he is a good player at the NHL level. As a result, don’t be surprised to see him averaging 20 minutes a night as the season moves along.
Skinner to Receive 30+ Starts. The 23-year-old performed well in 13 games last year with the team and was even better in the AHL. He is well-prepared for the NHL’s backup role and will be allowed to show it.
Stuart Skinner, Edmonton Oilers (Photo: Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportwire via Getty Images). I think Skinner will get many starts because Campbell is very inexperienced as an opener. Before 2021-22, Skinner had never been in more that 31 games in a single year. This means that he will not be able to start as many games as some other number ones around the league, but thanks to having Skinner as a backup option that shouldn’t be much of an issue.
Skinner might also receive more starts than you would think because Campbell is far less certain. In 2021-22, he demonstrated that while he can be great when he’s on, he can struggle with inconsistency at times. Jay Woodcroft, the head coach, should not have any problem turning to Skinner if inconsistent play starts at any time this season.
Lots of excitement ahead The unpredictable nature of hockey means that we may be treated to some unexpected moments by this Oilers group in 2022-2223. One thing’s for sure, however, is that this team will give fans plenty to be excited about all season long.
Colton Pankiw, a former Jr. A hockey player, now shares his knowledge through writing. He’s been a very active and reliable source for nearly two years at The Hockey Writers. He is a credentialed journalist for the Calgary Flames and also features on other teams in the league. Yahoo Sports, Las Vegas Chronicle and Oil On Whyte are some of his other writing credits. Colton also hosts the Oilers Overtime podcast and Flames Faceoff podcast. He can be reached on Twitter to request information and/or interviews. Check out his work.
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