Surprising reports released concerning Oilers' push for playoffs

Oilers currently sit 6th in the Pacific with a record of 10-9-5 and 25 points, tied with the Sharks at 2-points out of a Wild Card spot. That would place them in a 4-way tie for the 2nd WC.

Almost one-third into the season, the picture continues to blur, with the team's direction uncertain. Twenty-four games into the season and Oilers are slightly above the .500 mark, and outside of the playoff picture.

Many analysts and fans blame fatigue, and they wouldn't be entirely wrong, with the team having played the 2nd-most games of any in the last 3 years.

Except, Edmonton has been here before. Last year and the year before that in fact. The 2023-24 campaign comes readily to mind, where the Oilers started with a record of 2-9-1, but finished the playoffs one-game away from winning the Cup.

Nevertheless, according to MoneyPuck, Edmonton has a 1 in 3 chance of qualifying for the post-season this year, or 33%. I suppose that's fair, given where they sit in the standings.

To win the Pacific, MoneyPuck has them at 3.1% and to win it all, 1%. Those are bleak odds. Except, Edmonton has been defying the odds for years, and have had success, all considered.

This year likely will be the same. When you have a Connor McDavid and a Leon Draisaitl, you are never quite out of it. Not really. Three-points separates them from taking the 1st Wild Card position, with 58 games left to play on the season.

Of course, there are others that believe the Oilers will rebound. The Athletic projects them to finish 1st in the Pacific Division, while other analyst have them finishing in the top-3.

There is hope yet. The next few games will determine how quickly GM Stan Bowman will move on securing a goalie upgrade, though it's almost certain that one will be acquired by the trade-deadline in March.