Edmonton Oilers will have major advantage in upcoming season

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Liam McCormick
September 2, 2024 (6:05 PM)

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The Edmonton Oilers have the talent, coaching, and experience to have an elite season this year, but one external factor may be their biggest advantage.

According to a recent ranking of division strengths from Bleacher Report, the Pacific Division was ranked the weakest in the NHL. The Edmonton Oilers are undoubtedly a cup-contender though, and will get the major benefit of beating up on a poor division in the regular season.

Aside from the Oilers, the biggest playoff threats in the Pacific don't have a real chance at the Stanley Cup, and are facing some questions for even the regular season.

The Vancouver Canucks and Vegas Golden Knights will be the most threatening teams to the Oilers in the division, but neither team had a great offseason. The Canucks lost some rental players and added some playoff-tested talent, but Thatcher Demko's status is questionable heading into the year. Vegas could only add Victor Olofsson this summer, and are now up against the salary cap with an aging core. The Los Angeles Kings may make the playoffs, but after beating them in the first round three straight years, the Oilers won't be too concerned about them.

Other than that, the other Pacific Division teams are clearly rebuilding and may be in contention for the first overall pick. The Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, and Seattle Kraken aren't expected to be competitive at all this season, and the Oilers will thankfully match up against them plenty of times.

The Oilers will have a fantastic opportunity next season to rack up plenty of wins against a weaker division, and potentially contend for their first President's Trophy in the McDavid era. The actual award for best regular season team might not mean much to the players, but the home-ice advantages in the playoffs will certainly make a real impact with Oil Country behind the team. As long as they don't repeat their horrific start from last year, the Oilers look ready to be the class of the NHL this year.