TSN.ca's 2014-15 NHL Season Preview: Edmonton Oilers

With the regular season right around the corner, TSN.ca profiles each NHL team leading up to puck drop. Next up is the Edmonton Oilers - who hope that this is the year when they can finally be a playoff team. Catch up on their off-season moves and the issues they face this season, as well as their analytical breakdown by TSN's Scott Cullen.

Division: Pacific   GM: Craig MacTavish   Head Coach: Dallas Eakins

2013-14: 24-44-9 (7th in Pacific)   Playoffs: Did not qualify

Goals For: 199 (24th)   Goals Against: 267 (30th)  PP: 17.0% (21st)   PK: 82.1% (15th)

That Was Then:

Head coach Dallas Eakins brought with him a reputation of being able to get the most out of his young players, but needed NHL experience.

Growing pains under his philosophy were prolonged to the point that the team tallied just four wins in its first 21 games. Eakins had high profile incidents with both Taylor Hall and Nail Yakupov over the course of the season, with Yakupov finding himself in the press box less than two weeks into the season.

The issues with this team ran a lot deeper than simply a new coach. They were dead last in the West in shots taken, second-to-last in even-strength goal ratio and their team Corsi was -538, third-worst in the league with a 41.6 goals for percentage (178 goals against, last in the league).

Not to mention a paltry 11 regulation wins in 50 games against Western Conference opposition.

But there were still some positives. Hall finished with a career-high 80 points and was seventh in league scoring. David Perron was a solid addition, setting career highs in goals (28), assists (29) and points (57) in his first year in the Alberta capital.

Ben Scrivens and Viktor Fasth give the Oilers their best tandem at goal in a long time and both showed flashes of brilliance (Scrivens made a record 59-save shutout of the San Jose Sharks in late January).

With a strong work ethic and dressing room presence, Andrew Ference demonstrated with ease why he was selected as the team's 14th captain.

 

Scott Cullen's Analytics

 

Key: GPG= goals per game, GAA= goals-against per game, SH%= even-strength shooting percentage, SV%= even-strength save percentage, SAF%= score-adjusted Fenwick percentage (differential of shot attempts faced vs. shot attempts, excluding blocked shots, adjusted for game score),PTS%= percentage of available points.

Analysis:

Games 1-20: Abysmal goaltending from Devan Dubnyk put the Oilers behind right from the start.

Games 21-41: Goaltending recovered, but possession remained a problem.

Games 42-62: Possession collapsed as Oilers defence, aside from Petry and Marincin, struggled.

Games 63-82: Not much improvement late but, for the season, puck possession and goaltending shortcomings far outweighed above-average finishing.

Key 2014 Additions: D Keith Aulie, D Mark Fayne, D Nikita Nikitin, LW Benoit Pouliot

Key 2014 Subtractions: D Anton Belov, D Mark Fraser, C Sam Gagner, LW Ryan Jones, LW Ryan Smyth

This Is Now: 

Since taking the reins as general manager, Craig MacTavish has worked actively to put his mark on the team and feels that he now has a squad ready to compete in the Western Conference and push for a playoff spot.

The team made a big commitment to Benoit Pouliot with a five-year, $20 million deal. Teddy Purcell will get a fresh start in Edmonton after a 42-point season in Tampa Bay.

The offence is certainly not without its big questions, though.

Yakupov is entering the final year of his rookie deal and you can bet that the first-overall pick in 2012 is well aware of the lengthy extensions already given to Eberle, Hall and Nugent-Hopkins before him. Yakupov regressed badly last season. While his skill level has never been in question, his work ethic is something the young winger must address immediately. His minus-33 rating was fourth worst in the NHL last season.

The Oilers' blue line had a facelift that MacTavish feels is for the better. Gone are Anton Belov, Mark Fraser and Phillip Larsen. Mark Fayne comes over from the New Jersey Devils and is able to use his size to neutralize a forecheck and is defensively reliable.

Nikita Nikitin has yet to play a full NHL season, but the 28-year-old has a cannon of a shot and is a solid skater. He's a low-risk, high-reward proposition for the Oilers, despite his struggles last year with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

In goal, Scrivens and Fasth are both eager to prove their credentials as No. 1 goalies in the NHL in their first full seasons with the Oilers. Considering that the team used six different goalies last season, having some consistency with a set tandem will go a long way in settling the players in front of them.

TSN Edmonton reporter Ryan Rishaug's Five Key Storylines heading into training camp:

1. Should they keep the kid?

First-round pick Leon Draisaitl has a good chance to make this Oilers team that's short on depth at centre, but is it a good idea to keep him even if he is one of their top three centres at camp?

2. Depth at Centre

Nugent-Hopkins, Boyd Gordon, Mark Arcobello, Anton Lander and Draisaitl - The Oilers are very soft at centre and that needs to be addressed.

3. Blue Line Battle

Darnell Nurse has added some weight and muscle, but will he be ready? Is there room for him after the Oilers' added blue line acquisitions Fayne, Aulie and Nikitin?

4. Crowded Crease

It's a 1A and 1B scenario to start the season between Scrivens and Fasth. Will either emerge as a much-needed No. 1 guy?

5. Bounce-back for Nail?

After a dreadful season, can Nail Yakupov rebound and prove why he was a No. 1 pick? Will he get onside with what coaches want of him? And will he and Eakins stay on same page after a rocky campaign?

 

DEPTH CHART

 

Craig's List

A list of the Oilers' top prospects as ranked by TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button.

 

Fantasy - Cullen's Player to Watch - Benoit Pouliot

A 27-year-old winger who has played for four different teams in the past four seasons, Pouliot scored a career-high 36 points for the Rangers last season, while playing a modest 13:26 per game. While Pouliot has been a puck possession stalwart in each of his previous stops, Pouliot might be in line for an increase in ice time with the Oilers. That wouldn't be a bad idea, as Pouliot's 5-on-5 points per minute over the past four seasons ranks between Joe Thornton and Jarome Iginla, guys that typically play more than 13 minutes a night.

Just getting a big contract and having some good stats doesn't assure more ice time, and Pouliot currently falls behind Taylor Hall and David Perron on the left wing depth chart for the Oilers, but the Edmonton lineup does have potential for three scoring lines and the Oilers' commitment to Pouliot ought to ensure that he isn't used as a spare part.

If Pouliot plays a few more minutes per night, including time on the power play, and catches some breaks around the net, a 20-goal season wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility.