theScore is previewing each team leading up to the 2016-17 season.
Is this the year the perpetually rebuilding Edmonton Oilers finally rise to the ranks of the competitive?
A full season out of Connor McDavid will certainly give them a fighting chance, while a deep and talented forward corps, and a bona fide starting goalie may be enough to cover up apparent weaknesses that remain on the blue line.
Here's what the opening night roster may look like in Edmonton.
Forwards
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
| Milan Lucic | Connor McDavid | Jordan Eberle |
| Patrick Maroon | Ryan Nugent-Hopkins | Nail Yakupov |
| Benoit Pouliot | Leon Draisaitl | Jesse Puljujarvi |
| Matt Hendricks | Mark Letestu | Zack Kassian |
- Kris Versteeg entered training camp on a professional tryout, and could have a good shot at landing an opening night roster spot as an experienced depth forward.
Defense
| LD | RD |
|---|---|
| Oscar Klefbom | Adam Larsson |
| Andrej Sekera | Mark Fayne |
| Darnell Nurse | Brandon Davidson |
- Eric Gryba returned to the Oilers on a PTO of his own heading into training camp.
- As much as Adam Larsson's addition was meant to bolster the blue line, this remains Edmonton's greatest area of weakness.
Goalie
| G |
|---|
| Cam Talbot |
| Jonas Gustavsson |
- Cam Talbot proved to be up to the task of stepping into a starter's role last season, but Jonas Gustavsson may not be solid enough insurance to afford him the rest he'll need if they hope for meaningful hockey late in the season.
NHL Depth Charts
ANA | ARI | BOS | BUF | CGY
CAR | CHI | COL | CBS | DAL
DET | EDM | FLA | LA | MIN
MTL | NSH | NJD | NYI | NYR
PHI | PIT | OTT | STL | SJ
TB | TOR | VAN | WSH | WIN
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