While it’s an overstatement to claim the Edmonton Oilers were never close to winning a Stanley Cup, acknowledging their recent backward steps is necessary. Their consecutive appearances in the Stanley Cup Final, including a hard-fought Game 7 loss in 2025 after a remarkable comeback in 2024, demonstrate they were indeed contenders.
The fact that the Oilers forced a Game 7 in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, following their 2024 rally from a 3-0 deficit against the Florida Panthers, highlights how narrowly they missed victory. Losing by a single goal in such crucial games underscores their proximity to winning the championship.
However, as acknowledged by Leon Draisaitl, this season presented significant challenges, not only for opponents aiming for the Final but also for the Oilers themselves, who struggled to secure a playoff spot. Draisaitl voiced his concerns, stating the team has taken a wrong turn.
“Yes, I am concerned about that. And a little bit of that leads into obviously us players. Like I said before, we didn’t do a good enough job of properly winning games,” Draisaitl explained when asked about his worries regarding the team’s trajectory. “And I don’t like using the terminology of taking the regular season seriously, because we do. We go into every game, and we try to do it right. We say the right things.
But I think you really have to in the regular season, form these moments, you have to get comfortable in these moments. And we didn’t do that this year, and it ended up showing in the first round here. So, but yes, I am concerned, because we’re not trending in the right direction. We’ve taken big steps backwards, and we’ve got to get a grip of this and head back in the right direction.”
Draisaitl has been candid about his assessment of the team’s performance throughout the season. A recurring sentiment among the players is the imperative for improvement across the board, coupled with a necessary shift in mindset.
Connor McDavid echoed these sentiments, stating after Game 6 of the First Round series against the Anaheim Ducks that the team had been merely average. He reinforced these observations, agreeing with Draisaitl that the team has regressed.
“Yeah, I feel the same way. It’s only a couple days ago I made those comments. Obviously, I feel the same way I did a couple of days ago,” McDavid responded when asked if the team had taken a step back and if he still felt they were average. “And agree with Leon that the organization as a whole is taking a step back. And that starts with me, starts with Leon. We all can be better. We all need to be better.”
Achieving three consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances is a rare feat. While teams like the Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning have managed it, it requires everything to align perfectly and for the team to peak at the opportune moment. The Oilers, in recent years, have lacked the depth necessary for such sustained runs.
Regardless of external acknowledgment, the team has played a significant amount of hockey since 2022. The path back to the Stanley Cup Final exists, but it hinges on collective commitment. As Kris Knoblauch noted, other players on the team need to assume larger roles, moving away from a reliance on just a few key players, drawing parallels to the depth demonstrated by the Colorado Avalanche during their championship season.
The Edmonton Oilers possessed that crucial depth in 2024, with players like Evander Kane, Corey Perry, Ryan McLeod, Philip Broberg, Dylan Holloway, Vincent Desharnais, Cody Ceci, and Warren Foegele contributing significantly. Leon Draisaitl even referred to the 2024 Oilers as their best team.
The responsibility for the current lack of depth can be attributed to management and their decisions at the conclusion of the 2024 season. To return to their previous level of contention, the Edmonton Oilers must improve, take the regular season more seriously moving forward, establish a distinct team identity, and ultimately find consistent success.
