A number of NHL stars in the Western Conference consider the Edmonton Oilers to be their biggest rival, revealing their dislike for last year’s champions of the conference.
Of the 11 players who play in the Western Conference that were featured in the video, five said the Oilers were their biggest rival going into the season. If you take away Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl since they were both included, that means over half the participants from the West think Edmonton is their biggest foe right now.
Rivalries renewed? 🤔
We asked some NHL players who they think their biggest team rival will be this season: pic.twitter.com/3gTrxBNSRE
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 9, 2024
Given that the Oilers are the reigning Cup finalists and a good chunk of the players included were from teams that eliminated them, it is understandable why some feel that Edmonton is their biggest obstacle to overcome. Look no further than Quinton Byfield, who has seen his Los Angeles Kings lose three consecutive playoff series to them since 2022.
“Probably Edmonton again,” he said. “They beat us three times, so we gotta beat them.”
The only player that was on a team that beat the Oilers in the postseason was Jack Eichel who did so during the 2023 playoffs en route to the Golden Knights capturing the Stanley Cup. Vegas had a fairly pedestrian run to winning the title that year but it was Edmonton that proved to be their biggest challenge that spring. Given both teams are expected to not only be among the top teams in the Pacific Division but also among the favourites to reach the Finals, it is understandable why Eichel feels Edmonton is a big rival currently.
The most interesting answers were the ones given by the two Oilers included as both chose different teams as their biggest rival with McDavid choosing the Kings while Draisaitl went with the Canucks. You can understand why they went with what they chose given that Edmonton has had to play Los Angeles three straight years while their second-round series against the Canucks was hyper-competitive and went the distance. These are two teams the Oilers will also have to overcome if they hope to get another shot at hoisting the Cup.
While this video only provided a small sample size of players, it is clear that a good chunk of players in the Western Conference see the Oilers as their biggest foe going into this season. That means Edmonton will need to give it their all so they can maintain their spot as the team to beat in the West.
