The schedule is set and the matchups are in place for the first round of the 2024-25 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and for the first time, we get an official glimpse at what the Edmonton Oilers are up against if they hope to reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the second straight season.
We all know the Oilers’ path last year, beating the Los Angeles Kings in five games in the first round, the Vancouver Canucks in seven games in the second round, the Dallas Stars in six games in the Western Conference finals before losing in 7 to the Florida Panthers in the finals.
In the Western Conference, the first team the Oilers would need to be concerned with are the Kings, whom they meet in the first round for the fourth consecutive season. Then, it’s the winner of the Vegas Golden Knights and Minnesota Wild. Vegas earned top spot in the Pacific Division, while the Wild slid into the first Wild Card spot.
The other side of the bracket in the West will see the Winnipeg Jets face host the St. Louis Blues and the Dallas Stars host the Colorado Avalanche. The winner of those series will meet in Round 2, while the winner there would — if the Oilers can down the Kings and one of the Golden Knights or Wild — in the Western Conference finals.
It’s certainly not an easy path forward for the Oilers.
Edmonton and Vegas have met seven times in the last two regular seasons with the Oilers going 4-3, outscoring the Golden Knights 21-18 in what have been some tight games. The Oilers have snagged 5-1, 6-3, 3-2 and 5-4 (SO) wins, while Vegas won their three 1-0, 4-2 and 3-1. Only three of these seven games have been one-goal games and this season, Edmonton went 2-1.
When it comes to the Wild, things have been even tighter in the six games they’ve played over the last two years, with the teams splitting the series 3-3 and Edmonton outscoring Minnesota 25-23. The Oilers, however, have had some big wins with 7-1, 5-3 and 4-3 wins, while Minnesota feels similar, with 5-3, 4-2 and 7-4 wins. Talk about some high scoring games. This season, Edmonton went 2-1 against Minnesota.
Briefly looking at the other teams in the West, here’s how the Oilers fared against them over the last two regular seasons, and this season:
- Winnipeg: 6GP: 3-1-2, 16 GF – 18 GA || 3 GP: 1-1-1, 7 GF, 11 GA.
- St. Louis: 6 GP: 4-1-1, 19 GF, 18 GA || 3 GP, 3-0, 11 GF, 7 GA.
- Dallas: 6 GP: 2-4, 16 GF, 24 GA || 3 GP, 1-2, 9 GF, 12 GA.
- Colorado: 6 GP, 3-2-1, 21 GF, 19 GA || 3 GP, 2-1, 12 GF, 9 GA.
It’s a mixed bag in here to say the least against these teams, to say the least. There’s a reason they’re all playoff teams, and I can’t say I’m overly optimistic about any of these potential matchups.
At the very least, I think it’s safe to say that this year offers the Oilers one of their bigger challenges they’ve faced in terms of making a deep playoff run. The Wild and Stars enter the first round with the worst recent stretch of the Western Conference teams, with .525 and .550 point percentages over their last 20 regular season games, while the Kings, Blues, Avalanche, Golden Knights and Jets have all posted a .700 points percentage or better, while the Oilers enter with a .625.
Nonetheless, this first round in the West — and East, for that matter — might be one of the best opening rounds in quite a while.
Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the DFO DFS Report. He can be followed on Twitter, currently known as X, at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.
