Analysts report Oilers will fail to qualify in the 2025-26 playoffs
Photo credit: Imagn Images
According to reports, the Edmonton Oilers are not as good a team this season as they were last season, and in all likelihood, won't advance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2025-26.
Hockey writer and analyst Matt Larkin, in a column he wrote for Daily Faceoff yesterday, believes Edmonton got noticeably weaker.
«This team simply isn't as good as last year's. You're lying to yourself if you believe otherwise,» Larkin wrote. «That doesn't mean Edmonton's pursuit of a third straight Cup Final appearance is doomed. Any team with McDavid, Draisaitl and Bouchard will contend. But a shallower team makes the task taller - and makes Edmonton far more vulnerable if any of the big three gets banged up.»
Of course, Matt Larkin is simply stating the obvious. Any team that loses one, or more, of their top players, will be compromised. Yet, it's noy only the Daily Faceoff writer that believes Edmonton won't repeat last year's run.
«I backed the Oilers to win the Cup in the last two seasons,» Scott Pearson of Sportsbook Review said. «What do they say about fool me twice? I'm not willing to learn what they say about being fooled three times. Unless, of course, they finally sign an elite and consistent netminder.»
There it is then, poor goaltending being blamed for the Oilers' losing in the finals, twice.
When Stan Bowman replaced Ken Holland as the Oilers' GM, despite goaltending being criticised for losing in the 2023-24 finals, he failed to react to the overwhelming consensus, and prioritized signing pending-UFAs over goaltending.
The following year, Stuart Skinner was yet again criticized for his play in the 2024-25 finals, when the Oilers again lost to Florida.
It's understandable that some analysts believe the Oilers are weaker this year, but they are simply projections. As far as Stan Bowman is concerned, the Oilers will move ahead with Skinner and Pickard in goal.
Where that takes the team, we'll just have to wait and see.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 27 | 265 ANSWERS Analysts report Oilers will fail to qualify in the 2025-26 playoffs Are the Edmonton Oilers weaker than last year? | ||
| yes | 128 | 48.3 % |
| no | 137 | 51.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
TRENDING NOW
