Around the NHL: Is this the year that This Team Wins the Cup?

The Oilers have made the Stanley Cup Final only once to and that was in 2006. Their last Cup championship was in 1990. The greatest trophy in sports has also not been raised by a Canadian team since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993.

However, the Oilers should be among the favorites to hoist the Cup in 2023.

Contributing players on entry level contracts shows a lot. You have room to spend elsewhere and still are getting production from your «lower grade» players. The Oilers have the opportunity for some of their younger players to step up and play big roles, including Evan Bouchard, Philip Broberg, Stuart Skinner, and possibly Dylan Holloway. Bouchard broke out in his first full NHL season in 2021-22 and gave the Oilers a legitimate offensive threat from the blue line at just $863,333. With a full season of mentorship under coaches Jay Woodcroft and Dave Manson, Bouchard should only get better.

The @EdmontonOilers drop the puck on a new NHL season exactly one month today...

You know what never gets old?

Seeing Connor McDavid's celebration scoring the series-clinching OT winner in the Battle of Alberta pic.twitter.com/6OhYj0vuoS� Bob Stauffer (@Bob_Stauffer) September 12, 2022

Oilers general manager Ken Holland has finally found a goaltending tandem with no constraints, and it has allowed Skinner to finally graduate to the NHL. The 23-year-old goaltender outperformed both Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen when he got his shot and had a very good season in the American Hockey League (AHL). The home-grown, hometown goalie will get his chance to backup Jack Campbell and give the Oilers a great 1-2 punch in net this season. Their biggest issue by far has been solid goaltending and that problem may have finally been solved.

The Oilers brought back possibly the best finisher McDavid has had as a winger in his career besides Leon Draisaitl. Evander Kane returned on a great deal to help the Oilers reach the promise land. The team also re-signed Kulak for four seasons at a very cheap price considering the market this offseason for defensive defensemen.

Throw in a number of core wingers who can easily put up 50-plus points, and the Oilers will be among the top scoring teams in the NHL in 2022-23. They should be a lock to make the playoffs, but with the experience many players gained after a successful 2021-22 season, expectations are very high, and it could be their year.