Edmonton Oilers fans make predictions ahead of the 2023-24 season
11 months ago
We had the excitement of Ryan McLeod signing a new deal and Jeff Jackson becoming the new CEO of Hockey Operations. But, since that news broke, the dog days of summer have returned as we all wait for the start of hockey season.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve enjoyed some time off vacationing in England and France. I figured the best way to get back into the swing of things was to hear from all of you and what your predictions are for the 2023/24 season.
The standards were simple: it didn’t matter if you had the simplest take or the boldest, I wanted to get an idea of what fans were thinking as the season slowly approached.
Simple and Most Likely
Sometimes, the simplest thoughts are the most accurate ones. Dangersuede and Surveyor Brett take the crown for that because what they had to say feels extremely accurate.
The Soup Revenge Tour
It was tough to watch Jack Campbell some nights last season. He struggled the majority of the way but managed to put in killer performances in the postseason. While he never started in the playoffs, that relief appearance in game four versus the Los Angeles Kings arguably saved the Oilers’ season. The fan base believes that Campbell can bounce back from his tough first season with the Copper and Blue.
It’s fair to say we are all rooting for Campbell to perform this season. If he and Stuart Skinner both play around league average at minimum, the Oilers won’t have a problem between the pipes.
One Goal
The last couple of seasons have been tons of fun. Watching Connor McDavid dominate in the 2021 playoffs with a massive performance in game seven against the LA Kings and then go on to eliminate the Calgary Flames en route to a Western Conference Finals appearance was an incredible ride. Whilst last season didn’t go as planned, the ride was still an enjoyable one. With that said, expectations are higher than they have been in a very long time in Edmonton and for many fans, the 2024 season feels like cup or bust.
The Haters
Of course, not every response was a positive one. A few people wanted to put negative vibes into the Oilers atmosphere. If anything like this happens, you guys know who to blame.
Player Predictions
Outside of the Campbell predictions, fans had thoughts on other players for the 2024 season. Elvis really went all out with his predictions suggesting that Evan Bouchard hits 100 points, while other predictions included Dylan Holloway, Raphael Lavoie and Connor Brown. Hopefully, Bouchard will resign before the season starts.
My Predictions
Since you all gave your predictions, it’s only fair that I put mine out into Oil Country.
My player prediction is that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will hit the 100-point mark again. Last season, the Nuge had an unbelievable season, and many think he won’t hit those highs again. However, getting the chance to play with either Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl every night gives him every opportunity to do it and Nugent-Hopkins will play a big part in what will be another strong powerplay.
As for my team predictions, the Edmonton Oilers are going to the Cup final. Will they win? I hope so, but I am not ready to put my chips all in just yet. There are still question marks with them, but the reaction to getting eliminated last season makes me believe this team isn’t ready to go home early.
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