FRETTING THE FUTURE
Key challenges for Oilers
It never hurts to worry.
People like doing it for a reason: It's easy, it's popular, there's never a shortage of material and it provides a nice rush of warmth when you realize it was all for nothing.
That last part hasn't been the case very often for Edmonton Oilers fans, who've watched the playoffs get pushed out of reach on a pretty annual basis by off-season concerns that grew up to be regular-season problems.
It's getting better, but on the list of what needs to go right for the Oilers to be successful, there aren't a lot of sure things outside of Connor Mcdavid, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-hopkins.
And since it's never too soon to worry, here is some stuff to think about looking ahead to next season (whenever that is) — you can decide for yourself if they're worth being nervous about.
TYSON BARRIE
There is no reason to believe he won't do exactly what everyone expects of him — provide a layer of offence from the blue line that the Oilers haven't had in years, blend into an already lethal power play and make the forwards better by feeding them breakout passes on the fly.
But while the adage is true about the best defence being a good offence, you still need good defence, which isn't necessarily his strong suit. With concerns about Edmonton's goaltending, team defence becomes even more important. Barrie will have to prove his critics wrong or at least generate more than he gives up.
POWER PLAY
How can you worry about a power play that finished with one of the highest percentages (29.5) in modern-day NHL history and accounted for 59 goals in 71 games?
That's just it. It's hard to imagine the Oilers duplicating those numbers, even with an offensive-minded puck mover like Barrie working the blue line. Nobody expects it to fall off the face of the Earth, but just a slight drop into the normal range of top power plays (25 per cent) could leave a mark. The man advantage is their lifeblood and, until they figure out secondary scoring, they need every percentage point.
KOSKINEN AND SMITH
Edmonton's goaltending tandem is taking a lot of criticism this off-season, more than a starter with a .917 save percentage and a backup who went 12-3-3 in his last 18 games before the pause probably deserve.
Nevertheless, Mikko Koskinen and Mike Smith will be a focal point in a goalie-rich division, on a team that isn't really known for making life easy on its keepers. They can both be lights-out, but they also wrestle with consistency issues.
Ready or not, the season is riding on their shoulders.
EVERYBODY ELSE
Just as the bottom of the Pacific Division was settling into a comfortable mediocrity — L.A., San Jose, Anaheim and Arizona are all relatively easy marks — the Oilers might be shuffled into a wildly competitive Canadian circuit.
That would mean ferocious battles with Winnipeg, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and even Montreal for one of the top three spots. No easy nights, just a lot of cold, hostile environments.
The Metropolitan Division is still the NHL'S Group of Death, with the seventh-place New York Rangers boasting 37 wins and a first overall draft pick, but Canada could get very hot this winter.
PENALTY- KILLING
It was another strength last season, finishing second in the league at 84.4 per cent and tying for fewest power play goals against (31). It saved their bacon on many nights and deserves much credit for helping Edmonton to second in the Pacific.
But Oscar Klefbom, who ranked first on the team in short-handed ice time, is out with an injury, and Riley Sheahan, who ranked second, hasn't been re-signed. This might not be the sexiest area that needs addressing, but few things sink a team faster than average penalty killing.
BEAR AND JONES
Another instance where a bright spot from last season could potentially drop off, Ethan Bear and Caleb Jones took major steps in their careers last season, but they remain 23-year-old sophomore defencemen with 149 NHL games between them.
Those guys often run into growing pains. There is little doubt they'll grow into quality, puck-moving defencemen well suited for today's NHL, but on a blue line that just swapped Klefbom's defence for Barrie's, they can't afford any sort of jinx.
KYLE AND JESSE
Edmonton's need for secondary scoring has been well documented over the years and became painfully evident during the Oilers' four-game exit in the qualifying round, when the Big 3 put up 23 points and the rest of the forwards put up eight.
So, there is a lot riding on a third line that will likely start out with Kyle Turris and Jesse Puljujarvi. Both of their stocks are low right now after Turris got bought out in Nashville and Puljujarvi took a year off from the NHL to play in Finland.