The year 2024 was incredibly memorable for the Edmonton Oilers.
For those of us who weren’t fortunate enough to live through the high-flying dynasty days of the 1980s, it was undoubtedly the best year to be a fan of the Oilers — so far.
The year started with a 16-game heater that challenged the record for most consecutive wins in league history and the team came just one victory from reaching the ultimate goal in the spring. After the heartbreak of losing to a very impressive Florida Panthers team, multiple players took pay cuts to stick around in Edmonton, a stark contrast to the exodus that followed the Oilers’ last run to the Stanley Cup in 2006.
While 2024 was a year that Oilersnation will never forget, I’ve got a feeling that 2025 will be even better.
A Trade Deadline for the Ages?
Something fans have been demanding for years during the Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl era has been a massive grand slam swing at the trade deadline.
Both Peter Chiarelli and Ken Holland were focused on balancing a short- and long-term approach when they were steering the ship in Edmonton. For better or worse, they were weary of moving too many prospects and draft picks for a single playoff run.
Holland’s addition of Mattias Ekholm ahead of the deadline in 2023 was the best of both worlds — a top-notch defender and leader signed for multiple years who the team could build around.
Getting Ekholm was the biggest in-season move an Oilers general manager had made since Kevin Lowe’s masterclass back in 2006. Lowe emptied the cupboards to acquire Dwayne Roloson, Sergei Samsonov, and Jaroslav Spacek and those additions helped an eighth-place team reach the Stanley Cup.
After coming one game short last spring, anything short of a championship this year will be a letdown. Any prospect and draft pick should be on the table for the Oilers to get over the hump.
A player who stands out this year as a perfect fit for the Oilers is Yanni Gourde, a pesky two-way forward who won two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
A Stanley Cup Championship?
The Oilers have dealt with some frustrating and even humiliating defeats in the playoffs since McDavid and Draisaitl entered the league.
Losing to the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks in the bubble in 2020 and then being swept by the Winnipeg Jets in 2021 were both wildly disappointing results. Coming up short against the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights added to the concern about whether this team could get the job done.
While many hoped McDavid and Draisaitl would have th==e immediate success Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin or Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews had when they came into the league, those teams are the exception rather than the rule. The likes of Mario Lemieux, Steven Yzerman, Alex Ovechkin, and Ray Bourque are some of the best to ever play the sport and they had to wait for quite some time to lift the Stanley Cup.
The bitterness that came from losing to the Ducks, Hawks, Jets, Avs, Knights, and Panthers over the years has ultimately served as lessons for what it takes to win. Those losses forged this team’s never-say-never identity.
A Contract for Connor McDavid?
It was much easier to accept losing to Florida in 2024 than it was losing to Carolina in 2006 because of what followed.
Shortly after the Hurricanes lifted the Stanley Cup, star defenceman Chris Pronger requested a trade. A bunch of other quality veterans followed him out the door as free agents and the Oilers fell flat the following season. To add insult to injury, the heart and soul of the team, Ryan Smyth, was moved at the trade deadline because the team couldn’t get a new contract sorted out.
That wasn’t the case last summer. The Oilers proved with their impressive regular season and playoff run that they were a true contender and Edmonton is suddenly a destination for players who want to go on a run.
After a busy month of July, the Oilers got Leon Draisaitl inked to an eight-year contract extension, ending any anxiety that the German pivot would leave to become the star of his own team.
Next up is a long-term deal for Connor McDavid. Since he was drafted in 2015, hockey media has trolled about the idea of the Richmond Hill native leaving for Toronto to play for his childhood Maple Leafs.
Though McDavid has shown tremendous loyalty and commitment to the Oilers thus far, the narrative still persists. It’s time to put an end to that conversation.
Winning the Stanley Cup and getting McDavid signed to become an Oiler for life is the goal for 2025.
For a fanbase that’s seen just about every star player leave for one reason or another — from Wayne Gretzky to Mark Messier to Doug Weight to Chris Pronger to Ryan Smyth — having McDavid and Draisaitl as career Oilers would mean the world to Edmonton.
A Message From the Editor…
I’ll make this quick because this isn’t why any of you clicked to read the article.
It was announced on Monday that Baggedmilk will be stepping away from his role as editor of Oilersnation so that he can focus his efforts on the business end of the company. I’ll be taking over as editor of the site and my good friend Zach Laing will be the associate editor.
I want to use this opportunity to express gratitude to a few people.
First and foremost is the legendary Wanye Gretz, who started this whole thing after Ryan Smyth was traded away back in 2007. His never-ending energy and passion to create something new and unique and interesting is why we’re all here right now.
Another thank you goes to Jay Downton, who has done a tremendous amount of lifting to keep the wheels spinning at this place. His work ethic is what sets the standard for all of us each day.
Finally, there’s Baggedmilk himself, the man of mystery. It’s his curiosity and relentless pursuit of being on the cutting edge that’s ultimately led us to becoming what we are today.
A few weeks from now will be my 10-year anniversary of starting at the Nation Network. From doing One Minute Men videos with Chris the Intern to being credentialed for the Stanley Cup Final, being a part of this company’s growth has been an incredible experience.
My goal is not only to maintain the creation of those aforementioned three individuals, but also to continue to move Oilersnation into the future. We’ll be a source of accurate and insightful information, interesting and engaging entertainment, and a community with a passion that’s second to none.
Best wishes, everyone. We’ve got a very exciting year on the horizon.
