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For the second 12 months in a row, ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski is predicting that the Edmonton Oilers will win the Stanley Cup.
Final 12 months in October, Wyshynski wrote: “Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are generational abilities on the identical workforce. The gravitational pull of these stars will, finally, ensnare a Stanley Cup for the franchise. Because it did for Gretzky and Messier, for Mario and Jagr, for Sakic and Forsberg and for Crosby and Malkin. So why not now?”
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Simply now, he’s saying the identical: “The Edmonton Oilers are going to win the 2024 Stanley Cup… My logic final time was that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are generational abilities on the identical workforce, and that finally that sort of partnership results in a Stanley Cup win… I nonetheless consider that to be the case for Connor and Leon however now have a further cause to consider that is the 12 months: They’ve reached a degree of utter disgust over falling brief within the playoffs. Have a look at Draisaitl’s response after being eradicated by the Vegas Golden Knights final season. Hood up. Eyes stuffed with rage. He’s over it. I see in him what I noticed in Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche earlier than they gained the Stanley Cup: I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.”
In late April 2023, after Boston and Colorado have been eradicated from the playoffs, plenty of higher providers, reminiscent of BetMGM, had the Oilers because the favourites to win all of it. So as, the favoured groups in accordance with BetMGM have been Edmonton, Toronto, Vegas, Carolina, Stars, Panthers, Devils, Rangers and the Kraken.
Moneypuck additionally had Edmonton with the very best shot at successful the Cup, 23.3 per cent, adopted by Toronto, 19.3 per cent. Moneypuck had had the Oilers as their Cup favorite because the final week of the common season.
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Edmonton’s legendary sports activities author Terry Jones additionally predicted an Oilers Cup win final July, saying: “My historical past as a hockey author going again to ‘Weak kneed wimps’ has not been to be a cheerleader or a fan. However I used to be just about all in for the Oilers 5 Stanley Cup run and have stopped nicely in need of predicting Cups earlier than or since. However I’m prepared. That is the 12 months. Wager on it… Having simply declared this to be an Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup 12 months, I don’t suppose Ken Holland ought to add one other participant. I consider Holloway to be lacking hyperlink on the highest six. And I consider GM must have cap area to do one other deadline deal on defence like he did final 12 months.”
My take
1. There’s been loads of bullish speak in regards to the Oilers successful the Cup since Connor McDavid was drafted. And this 12 months the workforce does certainly look higher than the squad we noticed final 12 months because of the addition to 2 stable NHL vets, Connor Brown and Mattias Ekholm. Most significantly, after getting beat by Vegas, Edmonton has adjusted its defensive system, adopting a zone just like the one which Vegas used to thwart probably the most harmful of Oilers assaults in crunch time within the 2023 playoffs.
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2. Speak is reasonable. The Oilers comprehend it. It’s all about getting it achieved on the ice, however the Oilers now know that too, a lot in order that I count on a severe dedication to defensive hockey and to the appropriate defensive programs from October till June. That’s the most important factor that can make a distinction for Edmonton. You may’t win a playoff sequence permitting virtually 4 objectives per recreation and Edmonton’s gamers and coaches seem to have lastly realized this.
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