Oilers lead NHL with significant schedule disadvantage next season

The NHL has unveiled their new schedule for next season already, and this year will also feature an interesting wrinkle for the Oilers - they'll be done in the Eastern Time Zone before the New Year, limiting their travel in the second half of the season.

Just by being the farthest north team in the NHL, the Oilers will always forced into more travel miles than any other team. That didn't change last year, as the Oilers travelled nearly twice as much as the 32nd ranked team.

Especially last season as the Oilers were already coming off a Stanley Cup Final loss, the amount of games played and distance travelled could seriously fatigue the team over the course of one season.

Also dealing with injuries late in the season, and the accelerated schedule with the 4 Nations Tournament, their travel schedule didn't give them any favours.

The Oilers may always have to travel a bit more than other teams, but given the gruelling conditions they faced last season, the travel may have taken a bigger toll last year.

That's why it's especially encouraging to see the Oilers get a rare schedule break at the back half of next season. It will be a critical time for the Oilers to rest up and prepare for another long playoff run, and the travel schedule is much better suited for those goals.

Hopefully the Oilers can use the help next season - and the team's struggles in the back half of last year are somewhat explained by a harsh schedule.