DIVERSIFY PRODUCTION
IT USED TO BE
that you’d look at Edmonton’s blueline and cringe as you scrolled down. But with its ‘Big Four’ hitting their prime between the ages of 23 and 28, and the firm belief that high picks Evan Bouchard and Philip Broberg will join them in the next couple of years, there’s every reason to think the Oilers are on the cusp of icing a balanced, well-rounded lineup. And with coach Dave Tippett a stickler for defensive awareness, the future is finally looking very bright.
IMMEDIATE NEEDS: The Oilers made great strides in 201920 developing a second wave of offense behind superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The maturation of Kailer Yamamoto and the early success of James Neal diversified the attack. Even Zack Kassian and Josh Archibald scored at career-best paces. More is necessary to keep defensive focus away from the top guns. LONG-TERM NEEDS: Goalie Mikko Koskinen shone in a platoon role with 38-year-old Mike Smith this season. It’s time Koskinen took over the bulk of the workload, and there’s every reason to believe he can. But he does turn 32 soon, and Edmonton doesn’t have a goalie of the future in the system. The Oilers have drafted a stopper in each of the past six years, but none rank among the team’s top 10 prospects. Keep trying. CAP SITUATION: New deals for Darnell Nurse and Kassian kick in next season, and RFA Andreas Athanasiou is set for a small raise. Edmonton hopes to add another free-agent forward on the cheap to be part of their vaunted attack.
IN THE SYSTEM 2020-21: Bouchard has a cannon shot and had a solid rookie pro season in AHL Bakersfield. The Oilers await the day he blasts away on the league’s best power play. The time is now. DID YOU KNOW: Edmonton drafted Esa Tikkanen in 1983, and he became an all-time great pest. But did he put a Finnish curse on the Oilers? In the 37 years since, Edmonton has drafted 22 Finns and none have had staying power, combining for 525 games.