Nation Thoughts: Biggest Takeaways from the Preseason

Dear Garry Bettman,

Please never make the preseason eight games long again. It is far too many, and we want to watch our favourite teams playing meaningful hockey.

Secondly, if the Vancouver Canucks ever ask to play a game, of any sort, in Abbotsford again, please recommend a new camera.

Sincerely,

Hockey Fans.

Now that’s out of the way, the preseason is over!

However, before we get into regular season mode, I want to touch on the preseason again. Whilst we have all complained about the length of the preseason, it has been great to have Connor McDavid and the boys back in our homes.

It’s been fun to debate. It felt like Edmonton had some tough decisions for the first time in a while. The team’s core was set, but who would Ken Holland and Jay Woodcroft implement as complementary players?

For this week’s Nation Thoughts question, I wanted to know your biggest takeaway from the preseason. We’ll get to my thoughts shortly, but here’s what you had to say.

It is safe to say Dylan Holloway made his mark during the preseason, which is really what it’s all about. He came into camp and proved himself. He’s now proved extra depth to an Oilers forward group with ten legit top-nine forwards. The depth up front is something Edmonton has missed. Last season, we saw it more, but this season feels different.

With the way Jay Woodcroft likes to play 11 and 7, the idea now makes the Oilers significantly more dangerous. When McDavid or Draisaitl rotate through shifts with the 10th and 11th forwards, they aren’t doing that with Devin Shore and Josh Archibald anymore; instead, it’s with the likes of Warren Foegele, Derek Ryan and maybe even James Hamblin or Tyler Benson. Players who can make an impact on the scoreboard.

The biggest takeaway is that the Oilers are more dangerous than before. They have too many scorers not to be, and I think they’ll be the highest-scoring team in the NHL this season. There are still some question marks with the defence, but if you can score four or five a night, it gives you time to fix your defence issues gradually.