Will Edmonton Remain Stanley Cup Contenders Longer?

Edmonton Oilers remain favorites to win the 2025 Stanley Cup despite an inauspicious 2024-25 NHL season start, posting 7-7-1 after 15 games (including an 8-3 victory over Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night), placing fifth in their division and six points back of division-leader Los Angeles Kings.
Even with their early season struggles, oddsmakers still view Edmonton Oilers as one of the teams to beat. Current betting odds place Edmonton as the favorite to claim the 2025 Stanley Cup at +800, ahead of Dallas Stars (+950) and Carolina Hurricanes (+1000), two teams playing fantastic hockey themselves. This speaks volumes for their perceived potential and belief that any current issues are temporary rather than an indicator of deeper issues with this team.
Early Struggles for Edmonton
The Oilers have had an inconsistent start this year that recalls last season when they started 3-9-1 and forced coach Jay Woodcroft out, leading them back under Kris Knoblauch who guided a strong comeback ultimately reaching the Stanley Cup Finals before losing against Florida Panthers. Bettors familiar with NHL understand much can change between now and playoff time but their play at home remains worrisome where they sit 2-5-0 overall.
One of the Oilers’ most concerning aspects has been their special teams’ play. Once considered a strength, Edmonton currently sits 25th in the league with just 15.8% power play percentage – an alarming decline from last season when they boasted one of the four-best power plays in NHL – as well as having only 59% success rate when operating penalty kill.
The Oilers have also experienced unexpectedly limited offensive production this season, scoring just 40 goals while conceding 48. This result comes as quite a shock given that two offensive superstars like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl combined for over 200 points last season.
Injury Scare
Edmonton Oilers fans were given cause for alarm on October 28th when captain McDavid suffered an ankle injury against Columbus Blue Jackets and initially expected him to miss two to three weeks, yet McDavid ended up missing only three games before returning on November 6th against Vegas Golden Knights.
Oilers’ management made an incredible commitment to their core this offseason by signing Leon Draisaitl to an eight-year, $112 million extension deal – something no other team had done previously – which underscored their belief in their team being competitive for championships for years to come. This move, as well as McDavid remaining with them for now and into the future is testament to this.
Long Season
It should be stressed that an NHL season is a marathon rather than sprint. With 67 regular-season games remaining for their regular-season schedule, Edmonton Oilers have ample opportunity to turn things around and move up the standings, evidenced by last season’s turnaround performance.
The Oilers have shown promising defensive play through 15 games, conceding only 45 goals to opposing teams like Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings. If Edmonton can maintain this defensive stability while finding their offensive flair again quickly ascend the standings.
One factor contributing to an Oilers revival could be their star players returning to form. Although Connor McDavid missed time due to injury, he managed 13 points in 11 games, while Leon Draisaitl led with 18 points from 15 contests despite missing some action himself. As these players continue producing and potentially increase output to meet previous seasons’ standards, their fortunes should likely improve – contributing further momentum back into Edmonton’s fortunes.
In the coming weeks, the Oilers coaching staff will likely focus on honing their special teams’ play. A return to form on both power play and penalty kill could provide just the spark needed to start winning streaks and push up standings tables.
While it’s too soon to make definitive statements about Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup hopes, their early struggles provide a fascinating storyline as the 2024-25 NHL season progresses. Will they overcome early hurdles and fulfill preseason predictions as favorites or will their slow start be too much of an obstacle in an extremely competitive Western Conference? Only time will tell; one thing remains certain though: with their talent-laden roster, Edmonton remains one of the teams worth keeping an eye out for during 2024-25 season of NHL hockey.