Oilers reporter predicts four team members to have major bounce back seasons

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Ryan Hall
September 13, 2024 (8:48)

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Oilers Training camp is set to open, and the dawn of a new season begins, Oilers reporter Preston Hodgkinson of the daily hive predicts 4 Oilers players will have bounce back seasons.

The incredible run the Oilers gave their fanbase will never be forgotten but after the stinging loss in Game 7 to the Florida Panthers, these four players are looking to turn the page and prepare to have one of their best seasons with this team.

Connor Brown is the most obvious choice in terms of looking for a new lease on life and a bounce back season. After signing a one-year deal with the team last year and re signing for this year, the Oilers have confidence that he will bounce back quickly after he had to recover from several injuries. The 30-year-old forward played 71 games last year, but only had four goals with eight assists for 12 points and was a - 8 with 12 minutes of average ice time.

Even though he is in a bottom 6 role, the Oilers have high hopes that he will be the depth they need and chipped the puck in the net every so often.
Hodgkinson thinks that Darnell Nurse is also a player looking for better results this season. He had become the target and bullseye of many NHL pundits, reporters and NHL fans for his poor play off and on throughout the season while holding a cap hit of over $9 million a year.

It's safe to say the Oilers need more from him and he needs to find it in himself to dig deeper and show them that he has changed his ways. He will also have a new defence partner as two key defensemen have left the organization in Vincent Desharnais and Cody Ceci. Unfortunately, He will not be ready to start training camp.

The Oilers have taken a chance on Viktor Arvidsson, the talented winger who played with the Los Angeles Kings for the past three seasons had seen a steady decline in his point totals after he suffered major injuries. The free agent signing will certainly pay off for the Oilers as he hopes to have a great comeback year with an even better team to play with. If he's healthy, he could likely be one of the best signings in this year's offseason in the entire league.

And finally, Hodgkinson has determined that he thinks goaltender Stuart Skinner should have a bounce back season. Wildly inconsistent at times throughout the season, many people including myself felt that he is not the answer in goal.

However, he showed that he took the team to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals and learned how to play grueling playoff hockey through 4 rounds. It's clear that it's his net now and with Jack Campbell out of the way, the Oilers hope that Skinner will take them to the finals yet again.

Source: Daily Hive

4 Oilers primed to have bounceback seasons