*This story is the first installment of my new “Rink Report” hockey column.
Beer mugs clinking in spirited bars, the slashing of sticks, the last-second buzzer-beater, TV announcers left speechless, fans on their feet. The unmistakable feeling of NHL hockey will be upon us so very shortly. Before its kickoff, though, it’s time to make the grand prediction for this long-awaited, doubtlessly exceptional upcoming season.
My Cup Prediction: Edmonton Oilers
The 2024 regular season was very successful for the Oilers. The team finished ninth overall in the league in points, led by the all-star Leon Draisaitl alongside the largely undisputed best-in-the-league Connor McDavid.
In the playoffs, the Oilers went on to a run unlike any other. Round after round finished with an Oilers victory, some closer than others, culminating in their 3-4 Final loss to the Florida Panthers in perhaps the greatest Final on record. The team clawed back the 0-3 series for three games straight, including a spectacular 8-1 turnaround Game 4.
The good fortune didn’t stop there: the 2024 offseason treated Edmonton quite kindly, earning a strong A- overall rating from The Athletic. The club landed the solid Viktor Ardvinsson and the young Vasily Podkolzin to help out in the front, finally buying out Jack Campbell, and most importantly, clearing out the necessary cap space while ensuring the stay of its most important assets.
As a Blackhawks fan, it honestly annoys me quite a bit that this all is happening under Stan Bowman, who managed to successfully ruin the Hawks’ legacy after 2015. Yet, I cheered on the Oilers in the Final against the dominant Panthers, and after this past offseason, it is clear Edmonton believes they’ve still got what it takes to be great.
Could other teams prevail in winning the Cup? Certainly. This is not at all one of those surefire “Tampa Bay back-to-back sweep” years like was the case recently (why couldn’t it have been three in a row??). The Dallas Stars are currently in a very similar position to Edmonton. A better record last season, along with a near loss to the Oilers in the semifinals point to a similarly great season for the Stars.
The Rangers, likely still bitter after their prosperous last few seasons, climaxing in their dominant 55-win season last year, failed to push them past the Conference Final, are in a comfortable position heading into next season, as well. 2024 #4 overall points leader Artemi Panarin, Igor Shesterkin, among the NHL’s top in goal, and a good all-around rest of the team are a recipe for success, whether now or a year or two down the road.
Nonetheless, I stand by my half-prediction, half-hope. The Oilers, and specifically McDavid, deserve the Stanley Cup in potentially their last couple years playing at full potential. Draisaitl deserves it; Corey Perry deserves it after becoming the first ever to make the Final with five different teams (and still lose four of them). Canada deserves it after its 30-year-long Cup drought. And we, as fans, deserve the pleasure of a hockey season better than the last, if that is even possible.
