The media reveals why the Oilers will not win the Stanley Cup in 2024-25
After reaching the Stanley Cup final last season the Edmonton Oilers have been the subject of some heavy scrutiny over the NHL offseason.
Michael Ostrower, an accredited writer a the Hockey Writers recently published an article with a few hot takes regarding the Oilers success next reason. In Ostrower's article, he breaks down several reasons as to why the Oilers won't win the Stanley cup in 2024-24.
Defensive Depth Concerns
The team lost Philip Broberg, Cody Ceci, and Vincent Desharnais this offseason. While none were massive contributors to the defense, they each played a role in getting the team to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. Even with their mishaps, losing three defensemen will hurt the team, at least to begin the regular season.
No Cap Space
If the Oilers decide to begin the regular season with their current roster, it is not like they would be able to easily make a midseason trade to improve the blueline. As of now, the team has $945,833 in projected cap space. Enough salary could be accrued to add a solid defenseman at the 2025 Trade Deadline, but without a first-round pick in the 2025 Draft, it will be hard to find an affordable, impactful defenseman.
Ekholm's Age
Not only is it a longshot for Ekholm to repeat last season's success, but a significant drop-off seems inevitable. Historically, defensemen regress quicker than forwards, and given Ekholm's extensive workload last season, especially in the playoffs, a lot can go wrong. Hopefully, this will not be the case, but Oilers fans should undoubtedly temper expectations for their top-pairing defenseman.
Lack of Forward Chemistry
As great of an offseason as the Oilers had, there is a lot of uncertainty on the roster, and the forward core is no exception. The team moved on from Warren Foegele, Dylan Holloway, and Ryan McLeod and brought in Jeff Skinner, Viktor Arvidsson, and Vasily Podkolzin.
Although Ostrower makes some compelling arguments, many hockey analysts have predicted the Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup next season. It is very important to remember that the core of the team has remained the same, and they have bought in to Knoblauch's coaching system. Will the Edmonton Oilers find themselves back in the Stanley Cup final? Only time will tell.
source: The Hockey Writers
6 Reasons the Edmonton Oilers Will Not Win the 2025 Stanley Cup
| POLL | ||
Will the Oilers win the 2025 Stanley Cup? | ||
| Yes | 189 | 76.5 % |
| No | 58 | 23.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
