Who are the top Three toughest matchups this season?
By Evan Mead
Edmonton Oilers
Dates: Oct. 22, Nov. 27, Jan. 14, Apr. 16
So, this one doesn’t need much explanation, but I’m going to give it to you anyways. The Vegas Golden Knights and the Edmonton Oilers are officially back into the Pacific division and with that means some very good, tough, and exciting matchups.
The Edmonton Oilers are undoubtedly a power-house in the NHL. They have a level of talent on their roster that is quite frankly, unmatched. With arguably the top two players in the entire NHL with Connor McDavid, and Leon Draisaitl, if you don’t win, there’s a bigger problem that needs to be diagnosed. Looking at their entire roster behind McDavid, and Draisaitl, you’ll recognize they also have a lot more talent than just that. The Oilers also have Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and they brought in Zach Hyman through free agency as well. Next, you take a look at their defense and recognize they have a very solid core. With Darnell Nurse, Tyson Barrie headlining the Oilers defense you can’t forget the off-season acquisition for Duncan Keith.
With the undeniable talent they have on the roster, counting the Oilers out is a terrible mistake. The Oilers have done a great job at rebuilding the organization after a long stretch where they were considered the worst team in hockey. After obtaining multiple top picks in the first-round, they were able to get now superstars: Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
The matchups in the upcoming season between the Oilers and the Knights is going to be considered one of the most difficult. The Knights have made a lot of good moves this off-season and still have a very good team, but just how good are they going to be when it comes to facing a power-house like Edmonton?