Move over, Bon Jovi. The Edmonton Oilers are halfway there.
They might have reached the midway mark of the 2024-25 NHL regular season, but it still feels like it was yesterday they left the ice at Amerant Bank Arena as the Stanley Cup was about to be presented to the Florida Panthers after the final buzzer sounded in Game 7.
Oh, sorry. Still too soon? Keep the faith, Oilers fans.
The wound still may be fresh, but the Oilers have hardly been livin’ on a prayer when it comes to their pursuit of a playoff redo. They’ve been earning their wins. And while some victories have proven both slippery and wet (see Thursday’s forgettable 5-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins), Edmonton has piled up enough Ws to sit second in the Pacific Division and tied for seventh overall with 53 points and a 25-13-3 record 41 games into the 82-game schedule.
Now is as good a time as any to break down the pieces and see if the sum of this team’s parts could add up to another impressive runaway through the post-season. They’ll cross that road when they get there.
But considering how high expectations are when it comes to these Oilers, from both inside and outside of the dressing room, that’s what we will use as the basis for individual grading on their midseason report cards.
Before we begin, if you’re wondering where the failing grades are, just know that this team has lost four of its past 20 games, which shows there is simply no room for passengers on this roster.
CENTRE
Come on, what did you expect? This guy sets the tone and provides the pace for his team. And we do mean his team. How he goes, so go the Oilers.
And the 27-year-old phenom is, to the surprise of absolutely no one, putting together yet another elite season as he hits the halfway mark in the top five in points, with 58 (16 goals, 42 assists) in 38 games played.
As far as leading by example, it really doesn’t get much better than this.
Leon Draisaitl, A+
OK, disregard that last line. The other part of Edmonton’s dynamic duo has shed the sidekick designation when it comes to putting pucks in the net.
Draisaitl has taken the spotlight this year, leading the league in goals (31), even-strength goals (24), overtime goals (four), game-winning goals (nine) and shooting percentage (23.9) of any player with more than 100 shots. ‘Nuff said.
Oh, and he’s been doing it after signing the most lucrative contract in league history, making next year’s contract extension for a cool $14 million a year look like quite the bargain, at this rate.
Adam Henrique, B-
With just 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 41 games, Henrique is on pace for a lean year, as Edmonton’s third line has had trouble gaining offensive traction this year. Bonus points for his work on special teams, however.
Derek Ryan, C
Having recently hit the 600-game mark on his career, the 38-year-old has been serviceable with five points in 32 games played (one goal, four assists), while playing a diminished role this year. Nothing to see here.
WINGERS
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, B-
With five goals in his past seven games, the longest-serving member of the Oilers dressing room appears to be getting back on track.
But that doesn’t excuse how we are seeing his points total shrink over the past couple seasons from 100 and change, to 60 and change to now being on pace for 40 and change — all the while playing on the top line with McDavid.
Zach Hyman, B
OK, nobody expected a repeat of the 54-goal performance that set a new high-water mark in Hyman’s career. But his current pace of 51 points (he has 13 goals and 11 assists in 36 games so far) would mark his lowest since joining the Oilers in 2021-22.
It’s a big step backward after averaging 80 points each of the past two years.
Connor Brown, B+
Brown doesn’t need a player grade to know he’s done something right this season. That fact becomes apparent when seeing his name listed on the top line next to his former junior linemate, McDavid.
With 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) in 41 games, Brown needs to make the most of his opportunity over the second half if he doesn’t want to see the chance at increased ice time go to someone else.
Bonus points for his tireless efforts on the penalty kill, too.
Vasily Podkolzin, B+
The points aren’t adding up for Podkolzin, but they sure have been for the guy he plays beside on Edmonton’s second line. And that’s why the Oilers have been able to show patience with the 23-year-old Russian, who, prior to finding a home here, looked like little more than a failed first-round Canucks draft pick.
But he’s been doing everything right that doesn’t get measured in tallies on the stats sheet (with just four goals, 10 assists in 41 games), so the Oilers can overlook a lack in numerical productivity. For now.
Viktor Arvidsson, C
We would need a larger sample size to effectively grade the veteran newcomer, who has played just 26 games due to injury since joining the team as a free agent in the off-season. But he has 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in that time and has shown an ability to play on the second line next to Draisaitl far better than a certain other veteran free agent did.
Jeff Skinner, D
This off-season acquisition hasn’t lived up to expectations. At least, not yet. Bouncing around up and down (but mostly down) all four lines and even finding himself a healthy scratch, Skinner hasn’t looked like the goal-sniping assassin the Oilers thought they signed in the summer. He has 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 40 games. Simply not good enough.
Mattias Janmark, B+
You could make a full line of Janmarks and each position would churn out solid workmanship. Nicknamed the Janitor, he does all the jobs, and a lot of the ones nobody really wants to do. His duty on the penalty kill should not go unnoticed, either.
Corey Perry, C
The Oilers knew what they were getting from the grizzled veteran when they picked up and dusted off the castaway of the Chicago Blackhawks last year. Now, he’s another year older, with 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in 40 games.
DEFENCE
Darnell Nurse, A
If Nurse hasn’t exactly rediscovered his game, he’s certainly found his passion to play it once again. The six-foot-four, 220-pound force has become a physical presence once more, with the chip on his shoulder aimed back at the opposition, where it belongs, rather than wherever it was before.
And his defensive game is benefiting, as well, despite having taken on a new partner this year in Troy Stecher, who is proving able to keep up with the same workhorse-like effort.
Evan Bouchard, B
If a defenceman’s grades were based on offensive ability alone, Bouchard would get an A+ for sitting third on the team with 31 points (seven goals, 24 assists) in 41 games. Unfortunately for Bouchard, all the coaching in the world from Hall-of-Fame blueliner Paul Coffey doesn’t escape the fact he still needs to be a defenceman first.
While we can appreciate he’s working on that part of his game, it gets harder and harder to sit idly by each time another turnover winds up in the back of his own net.
Mattias Ekholm, B+
All he’s done since arriving in Edmonton at the 2023 trade deadline is lead the league with a plus-minus rating of up over 70. And he doesn’t even get any power-play time.
The big Swede has 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) in 41 games and is coming off a career-high 45-point season, despite it being his 12th in the league already, at that point.
Brett Kulak, B
The local product is surpassing expectations, on pace for a career-best 28-point season (with five goals and nine assists in 41 games, so far).
And he’s been doing it while also bringing along a new partner in 24-year-old defenceman Ty Emberson.
GOALTENDING
Stuart Skinner, B
Consistency is what’s separating Edmonton’s starting netminder from the league’s elite. Then again, what third-year NHL player doesn’t suffer from some drop-off in performance now and again?
Sure, having a sub-. 900 save percentage (. 898) halfway through the year leaves room to be desired, and his 2.77 goals-against average could always be lower, but Skinner isn’t someone the Oilers need to make excuses for. He has already done more during his short time in the blue paint than a whole host of his predecessors. And he’s only going to get better with more experience.
Calvin Pickard, B+
Edmonton’s capable backup benefits from spot duty against non-playoff opponents, for the most part. But Pickard can only play the teams he’s put in against. But that hasn’t stopped him from showing an ability to surprise you from time to time. Especially come playoff time.
He also has a .898 save percentage to go along with a goals-against average of 2.43.
E-mail: [email protected]
On Twitter: @GerryModdejonge