Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said he wouldn't have taken the risk of challenging Aleksander Barkov's goal that the Edmonton Oilers got wiped off the board Friday night had the situation been reversed.
However, Maurice acknowledged that Sam Reinhart might have been offside on Barkov's tally, which would've cut the Oilers' lead to 2-1 mere seconds after Edmonton took a two-goal lead. The Pacific Division squad ultimately won 5-1 to force Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
"I have no idea. It may well have been offside," Maurice told the media postgame, including TSN. "The linesperson informed me that it was the last clip that they got where they made the decision that it shows it's offside. I don't have those. So I was upset after the call, based on what I see at my feet and what my video person looks at."
Maurice explained he wouldn't have challenged the call had the script been flipped because nothing he viewed showed it as being definitive at that moment. A failed challenge results in a two-minute minor against the team that attempts to overturn it.
"There was no way I would have challenged that if (the situation were) reversed," he said. "There was no way I thought you could conclusively say that was offside. I don't know what (angles) the Oilers get. I don't know what the league gets. I just know that (if) I had to challenge that based on what I saw, I would not have challenged."
The Panthers bench boss also joked that he and his staff would analyze the footage like a government agency.
"I'm not saying it's not offside," Maurice said. "We'll get still frames, we'll bring in the CIA, we'll figure it out. But in the 30 seconds that I would've made that call, I would not have challenged."
Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe somewhat echoed Maurice's sentiments, pointing out that it was the kind of call needing numerous looks to determine.
"I'm sure it's the right call if they're watching a million replays," Verhaeghe said, according to TSN's Chris Johnston.
But Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said he didn't think the play "was that close," per Sportsnet.
"In my mind, it was definitely offside," he added. "I guess you never know. But it was something we wanted to challenge almost immediately when we saw it."
Had it counted, Barkov's goal would've come 10 seconds after Adam Henrique gave the Oilers a 2-0 lead 46 seconds into the second period.
The Panthers captain scored later, cutting the Oilers' lead to 3-1 on a wrist shot less than 90 seconds into the third period. But Edmonton's Ryan McLeod and Darnell Nurse buried empty-netters to seal Edmonton's victory.
Game 7 is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Monday in Sunrise, Florida.
The Florida Panthers thought they'd gotten one back 10 seconds after the Edmonton Oilers took a 2-0 lead in the opening minute of the second period in Friday's Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final.
However, the Oilers challenged Aleksander Barkov's goal due to Sam Reinhart potentially going offside, and the tally was overturned on review.
After the Panthers thought they cut the Oilers lead in a half, a coaches challenge for offside goes the way of the home team. pic.twitter.com/wiqOzY5gLj
Kings general manager Rob Blake acknowledged he deserves some of the blame for Pierre-Luc Dubois' disappointing tenure in Los Angeles after shipping the center out Wednesday.
"I don't think I did a good enough job integrating him in the right roles on the team here this year," the GM told reporters after trading Dubois to the Washington Capitals for goaltender Darcy Kuemper. "I think it wasn't a great fit in that aspect for us, and we'll take responsibility for that."
Blake didn't elaborate, simply noting he and the club could've done more.
"I put it on us," he said. "We've got to work better as a group within this organization to make that fit."
The GM also revealed that trade discussions started picking up earlier this month.
"I think the attention, probably from the (scouting) combine in Buffalo where teams start to talk ... kind of took place from there," he said.
Last June, Blake landed Dubois in a sign-and-trade from the Winnipeg Jets for forwards Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, and Rasmus Kupari, along with a second-round pick in this year's draft. The Jets inked him to an eight-year, $68-million contract before sending him to L.A. because the Kings would've only been able to give him seven years.
Dubois was coming off a campaign with Winnipeg in which he tied his career high of 27 goals and established new personal bests in assists (36) and points (63). However, he failed to match those numbers in his first and only season with the Kings.
The pivot, who'll turn 26 on Monday, collected only 16 goals and 24 assists, though he did play all 82 games for the first time since 2018-19. Dubois also authored favorable underlying numbers with a 53.88 expected goals for percentage and a 53.66 scoring chances for percentage, per Natural Stat Trick.
However, his average ice time of 15:42 was the second-lowest of his seven-year career.
Dubois spent his first three seasons and five games of his fourth with the Columbus Blue Jackets, who drafted him third overall in 2016. The Blue Jackets dealt him and a third-round selection to the Jets for Patrick Laine and Jack Roslovic in January 2021.
Connor McDavid notched two goals and two assists as his Edmonton Oilers continued to stay alive with a 5-3 win over the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday.
McDavid's first goal of the contest was his 40th point this postseason, which tied him for the fourth-best playoff output in NHL history. He finished with 42 and now sits in sole possession of fourth behind Wayne Gretzky's 47 in 1985, Mario Lemieux's 44 in 1991, and Gretzky's 43 in 1988.
The current Oilers captain also set the NHL record for most points in a two-game span in a Cup Final with eight. He posted a goal and three assists in Edmonton's Game 4 victory on Saturday.
Edmonton became the first team ever to win Game 5 on the road after trailing 3-0 in the Cup Final.
Edmonton goaltender Stuart Skinner made 29 saves, while his Florida counterpart, Sergei Bobrovsky, turned aside 19 of 23 shots.
Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch alluded to the fact that his team has been written off ever since he was hired amid their struggles in the fall.
"We were counted out a lot through the playoffs, regular season, whatever, but it doesn't faze the group in there," he told the media, including Sportsnet. "They've got a lot of belief and a lot of just enjoying every extra day. ... There's a lot to smile about."
Panthers bench boss Paul Maurice insisted his club isn't feeling down despite losing two in a row after winning the first three.
The Vancouver Canucks inked defenseman Filip Hronek to an eight-year contract carrying an average annual value of $7.25 million, the club announced Tuesday.
Hronek was a pending restricted free agent.
The 26-year-old Czech blue-liner posted career highs in assists (43), points (48), blocked shots (87), and games played (81) while averaging 23:26 of ice time in his first full season with the Canucks. He skated alongside Quinn Hughes on Vancouver's top pairing while playing on the team's second power-play unit and second penalty-killing group.
Hronek also dished out 104 hits this season, falling one short of the career best he established in 2019-20, his second NHL campaign.
Filip Hronek, signed 8x$7.25M by VAN, is a two-way D who plays effectively on both special teams. Found success and production on the top pairing this year, which the model attributes mostly to a combination of Hughes and on-ice shooting %. Some consistency issues. #Canuckspic.twitter.com/3XIvmEvolp
On March 1, 2023, the Detroit Red Wings traded Hronek to the Canucks along with a fourth-round pick in that year's draft for a first- and second-rounder. The Red Wings used the first-round selection (17th overall) on rearguard Axel Sandin Pellikka.
Hronek played four full seasons and 60 games of his fifth with Detroit before the trade. He suited up for only four contests with the Canucks in 2022-23 due to a shoulder injury he sustained in his final game with the Red Wings.
Connor McDavid scored his first goal of the Stanley Cup Final and added three assists as the Edmonton Oilers denied the Florida Panthers a sweep with an 8-1 victory in Game 4 on Saturday.
Dylan Holloway scored twice and chipped in an assist for the victors. McDavid's primary helper on Holloway's second marker gave the Oilers captain an NHL-record 32nd assist in a single postseason, passing Wayne Gretzky. The Great One required only 19 games to collect 31 in 1987-88, while McDavid picked up his 32nd in his 22nd contest.
Nurse snapped one home early in the second period to give the Oilers a 5-1 lead and chase Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Florida backup netminder Anthony Stolarz relieved Bobrovsky, who gave up five goals on 16 shots. Stolarz turned aside 16 of the 19 he faced.
Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner permitted only one goal on 33 shots. Vladimir Tarasenko netted the lone marker for the Panthers.
Despite the lopsided victory, McDavid acknowledged his team still has plenty of work to do.
“We got to go to Florida and do a job and drag them back to Alberta.”
Oilers forward Connor Brown believes his squad's at its best when the pressure's on.
"I feel we're most comfortable when our ... backs (are) against the wall," he said. "That's kind of what we showed at the beginning of the year when we were dead last ... we came out and had some historic runs. So I think we're a unique club in that regard."
Florida head coach Paul Maurice looked at the big picture after his team's loss.
"We came into Edmonton to get a split, and we got it," the Panthers bench boss said, according to team reporter Jameson Olive.
Maurice insisted his team wasn't getting ahead of itself before Game 4.
"In general, things will be far more extreme outside your room than inside. So, at 3-0, we're not sitting there getting the engravers out," he said, per NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "We lost a game tonight. … There's going to be a Game 5."
The seven-goal difference is the largest margin of victory ever for a team facing elimination in the Cup Final. The Toronto Maple Leafs held the previous mark by virtue of their 9-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings in Game 5 of the 1942 series. The Leafs won the next two games to become the first and only team to rally from a 3-0 series deficit to win the Cup.
Game 5 of this Cup Final is scheduled for Tuesday night at 8 p.m. ET in Sunrise.
Stuart Skinner believes his Edmonton Oilers can dig themselves out of a three-game hole and win the Stanley Cup Final despite how rarely that's happened.
"It is disappointing being down 3-0, we've got to let that reality sink in," the goaltender told reporters after a 4-3 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 3. "I'm not too sure what the stats are coming back (from this deficit), but if anyone can do it, it's the Oil."
Skinner added that the Oilers' late surge in Game 3 - in which they scored two third-period goals to trim the Panthers' lead to one - gives Edmonton confidence.
"I think the way that we finished this game, too, also brings a strong belief in this group, the way that we battled back," the netminder said. "If we play like that for 60 minutes, we'll give ourselves a really good chance to win games. I think that gives you a lot of belief, and we've got nothing but hope in this room."
The Toronto Maple Leafs are the only team to pull off a reverse sweep in the Cup Final, doing so against the Detroit Red Wings in 1942. That was also one of only four times it's been accomplished in any round in NHL history.
The Los Angeles Kings did it en route to winning the title in 2014, but that was a first-round comeback over the San Jose Sharks. Four years earlier, the Philadelphia Flyers overcame a 3-0 series deficit to oust the Boston Bruins in the second round. The New York Islanders did it to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1975, but they pulled it off in the quarterfinals.
The Panthers will have a chance to ensure it doesn't happen to them in Game 4 on Saturday in Edmonton.
"We're trying to figure them out," Oilers superstar Connor McDavid said postgame Thursday. "Obviously, we haven't beaten them in three games. We've had stretches of good, we've had stretches of bad, (but) we're trying to figure them out."
McDavid also channeled Yogi Berra when he added that "it's not over 'til it's over."
The Winnipeg Jets aren't slamming the door on the possibility of trading Nikolaj Ehlers.
Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff is open to having conversations about Ehlers with interested teams, TSN's Darren Dreger reported on Wednesday's edition of "Insider Trading." Winnipeg would like to extend Ehlers, but that'll be complicated given Jets sniper Kyle Connor eventually needs a new pact, Dreger added.
Ehlers tied for fourth on the Jets in goals (25), ranked third in assists (36), and tied for third in points during the 2023-24 regular season. He added a pair of helpers in five playoff games this spring.
The Danish winger is signed through 2024-25 at a cap hit of $6 million, and his contract allows him to submit a 10-team no-trade list, according to CapFriendly. He'll be eligible to sign an extension on July 1.
Ehlers has a history of injury woes, but he played all 82 contests this past season for the first time since 2017-18. It was only the third time he's done so in his nine-year career, which he's spent entirely with the Jets. Winnipeg drafted Ehlers ninth overall in 2014.
Connor, the Jets' leading goal-scorer this season, buried 34 tallies in only 65 games. He's on the books for two more campaigns beginning in 2024-25. Connor will be due a hefty raise on his cap hit of $7,142,857, either on July 1, 2025 - when he's first eligible to ink an extension - or at the end of his deal as an unrestricted free agent.
The Edmonton Oilers are back in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in nearly two decades. It's been almost 18 full years since the Carolina Hurricanes defeated them in Game 7 to win the championship in 2006. So how did Edmonton get back to the final?
The Oilers have developed more than a dozen players from within, and their numerous draft lottery wins over the years are well-documented. It would be irresponsible not to mention the No. 1 picks as a factor in Edmonton's roster construction, and the team wouldn't be where it is without the one they landed in 2015.
However, this season's Oilers also featured 17 players they brought in from outside the organization. The challenge for president of hockey operations and general manager Ken Holland (who's had the job since 2019) has been surrounding his two superstars with a championship-caliber supporting cast.
Steve Tambellini (2008-13), Craig MacTavish (2013-15), Peter Chiarelli (2015-19) and Keith Gretzky (interim in 2019) preceded Holland in building this Oilers roster. Here's how the current GM and his predecessors assembled the squad that has a chance to become the first Canadian team to win the Cup since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993:
Method
Players
Homegrown
13
Trade
6
Free agency
11
Note: All players played at least one game for Oilers during the regular season
Homegrown
Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (June 24, 2011): Nugent-Hopkins has endured many years of ups and downs (mostly the latter) in Edmonton, and he's the longest-tenured player among both teams in the Cup Final. The skilled forward has played all 13 seasons with the club that drafted him first overall. And yet, he's still only 31 years old.
Darnell Nurse (June 30, 2013): The Oilers drafted another mainstay a couple of years later, selecting Nurse seventh overall. The defenseman has had a rough go of it in these playoffs, and his average ice time in the regular season was his lowest since 2016-17. But Nurse still plays in all situations.
Leon Draisaitl (June 27, 2014): The Oilers landed the first half of their two-headed megastar monster when they chose Draisaitl with the third pick - coincidentally sandwiched between a trio of players (after Aaron Ekblad and Sam Reinhart, and right before Sam Bennett) he'll face in the Cup Final. Draisaitl has blossomed into one of the NHL's absolute best, with three seasons of at least 50 goals and five of at least 100 points. He also won the Hart and Art Ross trophies in 2020.
Connor McDavid (June 26, 2015): Edmonton's fortunes took a monumental step forward when it won the 2015 draft lottery. The term "generational player" gets thrown around a lot these days, but McDavid was rightfully considered one from an early age, and he's more than lived up to the hype. The three-time MVP is a finalist again for the sixth time in nine seasons, and he's clearly the biggest reason the Oilers have made it this far.
Vincent Desharnais (June 25, 2016): Desharnais overcame the odds to become one of the best stories on the team. Edmonton didn't pick him until the seventh round - 183rd overall - but the 6-foot-7, 226-pound rearguard emerged as a physical force in 2023-24. He racked up 135 hits and 122 blocked shots during the regular season, but he's been replaced by another homegrown blue-liner in the lineup lately.
Philip Kemp (June 24, 2017): Another seventh-rounder (picked 208th) hasn't panned out as well, to say the least. Kemp played just one game for the Oilers during the regular season (his NHL debut), spending his other 64 with their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. In fairness to Kemp, the American defenseman is only 25. Desharnais didn't debut in the NHL until he was 26.
Stuart Skinner (June 24, 2017): The Oilers made a far more consequential selection the same day they drafted Kemp, choosing Skinner 130 picks earlier in the third round. The Edmonton-born netminder took over as the primary man in the crease last season and followed up those 50 games with 59 in 2023-24. He's had trouble in both of his postseasons, but as McDavid said, Skinner "absolutely stole" the series clincher Sunday.
Evan Bouchard (June 22, 2018): Bouchard already had a couple of solid campaigns under his belt, but he enjoyed a true breakout this season. The 24-year-old ranked fifth in the league among defensemen in goals (18), third in assists (64), and fourth in points while averaging exactly 23 minutes of ice time. Bouchard is now a fixture on the Oilers' top power-play unit, on which his bomb of a shot is a major asset.
Ryan McLeod (June 23, 2018): McLeod was a depth player at the start of his career after Edmonton took him 40th overall. But lately, he's been lining up on Draisaitl's wing, helping the German dynamo rank second in playoff scoring leaguewide behind McDavid this spring. McLeod doesn't pile up points himself, but his contributions are largely unquantifiable.
Philip Broberg (June 21, 2019): Broberg is the aforementioned rearguard who's taken Desharnais' job of late. The Oilers chose Broberg eighth overall five years ago. The Swede, who'll turn 23 on June 25, scored his first-ever playoff goal in Game 5 of the conference final against the Dallas Stars.
Raphael Lavoie (June 22, 2019): The Oilers drafted Lavoie 38th overall, so expectations weren't as high for him. But the 23-year-old forward was held pointless in all seven NHL games he played this season - his first taste of action at the highest level. Lavoie hasn't gotten into a playoff game this spring, but he remains part of Edmonton's future.
James Hamblin (April 30, 2020): Hamblin finished his season in Bakersfield, but he did play 31 contests for the Oilers in 2023-24. The Edmonton-born winger managed two goals and an assist in that span, and the 25-year-old appears to be nothing more than organizational depth at this point.
Dylan Holloway (Oct. 6, 2020): It's too early to call Holloway a bust, especially considering 2020 first overall pick Alexis Lafreniere didn't erupt for the New York Rangers until these playoffs. However, Holloway has yet to live up to the potential that inspired the Oilers to draft him 13 picks later. The 22-year-old has three goals and an assist over 18 games in this postseason.
Trade
Mattias Ekholm Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty
Warren Foegele (July 28, 2021): Foegele has been a healthy scratch for the last few games, but he hasn't always been in the doghouse. Edmonton landed him in a one-for-one swap with the Carolina Hurricanes for blue-liner Ethan Bear. Foegele set career highs in goals (20), assists (21), and points during the 2023-24 regular season, his third campaign with the Oilers.
Brett Kulak (March 21, 2022): They reeled in Kulak - another Edmonton-born player - in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens, who then used the conditional second-rounder they got in the deal on star college blue-liner Lane Hutson. While that's not the best look for the Oilers, Kulak has been a reliable top-four rearguard.
Mattias Ekholm (Feb. 28, 2023): Ekholm has been a dream fit since the Oilers acquired him in a trade with the Nashville Predators. The Swede's known for steady defensive play, but he also established career highs with 11 goals and 45 points while boasting elite underlying numbers in 2023-24.
Sam Carrick (March 6, 2024): Edmonton acquired Carrick two days before the deadline as part of a deal with the Anaheim Ducks. The 32-year-old depth forward has played in nine of the Oilers' 18 playoff games this spring.
Adam Henrique (March 6, 2024): Henrique was the bigger add in that trade with the Ducks, as he was still playing effectively for Anaheim at 34 years old. The veteran notched six goals and three assists over 22 games for Edmonton down the stretch, and he's added two tallies and two helpers in 10 playoff contests so far.
Troy Stecher (March 7, 2024): The Oilers acquired Stecher and a seventh-round pick from the Arizona Coyotes for a 2027 fourth-rounder. The defenseman, who turned 30 about a month later, played seven games for Edmonton before an infected ankle cyst sidelined him and eventually required surgery in late May.
Free agency
Zach Hyman Derek Cain / Getty Images
Cody Ceci (July 28, 2021): Ceci was often maligned during his tenures with the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Pittsburgh Penguins, but he's largely flown under the radar with the Oilers. He drove possession in 2023-24, providing surprising stability on Edmonton's third pairing.
Zach Hyman (July 28, 2021): The Oilers made their most impactful free-agent signing - and one of their most important moves period - on the opening day of the frenzy a few years ago. Hyman fit in seamlessly in Edmonton, and he exploded for 54 goals over 80 games this season. His cap hit of $5.5 million through 2027-28 is a bargain given the numerous ways he contributes.
Derek Ryan (July 28, 2021): Ryan is in his third season with the Oilers after playing three with the rival Calgary Flames and his first three with the Hurricanes. The 37-year-old fourth-liner is the second-oldest player in this Cup Final and the second-oldest Oiler. He joined Edmonton on a two-year, $2.5-million deal and then inked another for the same term and a total of $1.8 million last June.
Evander Kane (Jan. 27, 2022): Undeterred by Kane's numerous indiscretions, Holland took a chance on the mercurial winger less than three weeks after the San Jose Sharks released him. Kane inked a one-year, $1.375-million deal that January, and he made an immediate on-ice impact. In July 2022, the Oilers signed him to a four-year, $20.5-million pact. Kane, who'll turn 33 in August, scored 24 goals in this regular season with his lowest average ice time since his rookie year with the Atlanta Thrashers.
Jack Campbell (July 13, 2022): Giving Campbell a five-year, $25-million contract turned out horribly for Holland. The ex-Toronto Maple Leaf wasn't the solution in the crease the organization thought he would be, and he's still under contract through 2026-27 with the right to submit a 10-team no-trade list.
Calvin Pickard (July 13, 2022): Pickard joined Edmonton on a two-year, two-way contract. Skinner obviously benefited the most from Campbell's woes, but Pickard earned the backup job in the regular season, and he's been an important piece in these playoffs. Pickard relieved Skinner in Game 3 against the Vancouver Canucks and started the next two for a .915 save percentage in that span before Skinner got back in the crease.
Mattias Janmark (July 17, 2022): Janmark signed for one year and $1.25 million, then re-upped for another year and $1 million. The 31-year-old depth forward doesn't light up the scoresheet, but he can still contribute. He scored the eventual winner in Game 4 against the Stars.
Connor Brown (July 1, 2023): The Oilers inked Brown to a one-year deal for $4 million, but with just $775,000 counting against the cap. He ultimately got the rest by playing 10 games. Brown tore his ACL four contests into his 2022-23 season, but he suited up for 71 games with Edmonton and then another 12 so far in these playoffs, chipping in a goal and three assists alongside Janmark and Henrique on the third line in the postseason.
Adam Erne (Oct. 13, 2023): Erne has played sparingly since he signed a one-year deal for the league minimum (the same cap hit as Brown but without the incentive). The 29-year-old forward hasn't appeared in a playoff game this spring and last got into the lineup on April 18 - his first appearance since January. Erne played 24 contests in the regular season.
Sam Gagner (Oct. 31, 2023): Gagner truly had to earn a roster spot to ensure a third stint with the Oilers. They brought in the journeyman - who'll turn 35 this August - on an AHL tryout, and he eventually signed a one-year pact with the Condors. Eight days later, Gagner inked a one-year, two-way contract with Edmonton. He hasn't played in this postseason, but he did post 10 points in 28-regular season games for the Oilers.
Corey Perry (Jan. 21, 2024): Despite the inappropriate conduct that led the Chicago Blackhawks to terminate his contract, the Oilers gave Perry a one-year deal at the minimum with bonuses totaling $325,000, all of which he's now hit. At 39 years old, Perry has become the first player ever to reach the final with five different teams, and he's seeking his second Cup win 17 years after his first.
The Edmonton Oilers are back in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in nearly two decades. It's been almost 18 full years since the Carolina Hurricanes defeated them in Game 7 to win the championship in 2006. So how did Edmonton get back to the final?
The Oilers have developed more than a dozen players from within, and their numerous draft lottery wins over the years are well-documented. It would be irresponsible not to mention the No. 1 picks as a factor in Edmonton's roster construction, and the team wouldn't be where it is without the one they landed in 2015.
However, this season's Oilers also featured 17 players they brought in from outside the organization. The challenge for president of hockey operations and general manager Ken Holland (who's had the job since 2019) has been surrounding his two superstars with a championship-caliber supporting cast.
Steve Tambellini (2008-13), Craig MacTavish (2013-15), Peter Chiarelli (2015-19) and Keith Gretzky (interim in 2019) preceded Holland in building this Oilers roster. Here's how the current GM and his predecessors assembled the squad that has a chance to become the first Canadian team to win the Cup since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993:
Method
Players
Homegrown
13
Trade
6
Free agency
11
Note: All players played at least one game for Oilers during the regular season
Homegrown
Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (June 24, 2011): Nugent-Hopkins has endured many years of ups and downs (mostly the latter) in Edmonton, and he's the longest-tenured player among both teams in the Cup Final. The skilled forward has played all 13 seasons with the club that drafted him first overall. And yet, he's still only 31 years old.
Darnell Nurse (June 30, 2013): The Oilers drafted another mainstay a couple of years later, selecting Nurse seventh overall. The defenseman has had a rough go of it in these playoffs, and his average ice time in the regular season was his lowest since 2016-17. But Nurse still plays in all situations.
Leon Draisaitl (June 27, 2014): The Oilers landed the first half of their two-headed megastar monster when they chose Draisaitl with the third pick - coincidentally sandwiched between a trio of players (after Aaron Ekblad and Sam Reinhart, and right before Sam Bennett) he'll face in the Cup Final. Draisaitl has blossomed into one of the NHL's absolute best, with three seasons of at least 50 goals and five of at least 100 points. He also won the Hart and Art Ross trophies in 2020.
Connor McDavid (June 26, 2015): Edmonton's fortunes took a monumental step forward when it won the 2015 draft lottery. The term "generational player" gets thrown around a lot these days, but McDavid was rightfully considered one from an early age, and he's more than lived up to the hype. The three-time MVP is a finalist again for the sixth time in nine seasons, and he's clearly the biggest reason the Oilers have made it this far.
Vincent Desharnais (June 25, 2016): Desharnais overcame the odds to become one of the best stories on the team. Edmonton didn't pick him until the seventh round - 183rd overall - but the 6-foot-7, 226-pound rearguard emerged as a physical force in 2023-24. He racked up 135 hits and 122 blocked shots during the regular season, but he's been replaced by another homegrown blue-liner in the lineup lately.
Philip Kemp (June 24, 2017): Another seventh-rounder (picked 208th) hasn't panned out as well, to say the least. Kemp played just one game for the Oilers during the regular season (his NHL debut), spending his other 64 with their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. In fairness to Kemp, the American defenseman is only 25. Desharnais didn't debut in the NHL until he was 26.
Stuart Skinner (June 24, 2017): The Oilers made a far more consequential selection the same day they drafted Kemp, choosing Skinner 130 picks earlier in the third round. The Edmonton-born netminder took over as the primary man in the crease last season and followed up those 50 games with 59 in 2023-24. He's had trouble in both of his postseasons, but as McDavid said, Skinner "absolutely stole" the series clincher Sunday.
Evan Bouchard (June 22, 2018): Bouchard already had a couple of solid campaigns under his belt, but he enjoyed a true breakout this season. The 24-year-old ranked fifth in the league among defensemen in goals (18), third in assists (64), and fourth in points while averaging exactly 23 minutes of ice time. Bouchard is now a fixture on the Oilers' top power-play unit, on which his bomb of a shot is a major asset.
Ryan McLeod (June 23, 2018): McLeod was a depth player at the start of his career after Edmonton took him 40th overall. But lately, he's been lining up on Draisaitl's wing, helping the German dynamo rank second in playoff scoring leaguewide behind McDavid this spring. McLeod doesn't pile up points himself, but his contributions are largely unquantifiable.
Philip Broberg (June 21, 2019): Broberg is the aforementioned rearguard who's taken Desharnais' job of late. The Oilers chose Broberg eighth overall five years ago. The Swede, who'll turn 23 on June 25, scored his first-ever playoff goal in Game 5 of the conference final against the Dallas Stars.
Raphael Lavoie (June 22, 2019): The Oilers drafted Lavoie 38th overall, so expectations weren't as high for him. But the 23-year-old forward was held pointless in all seven NHL games he played this season - his first taste of action at the highest level. Lavoie hasn't gotten into a playoff game this spring, but he remains part of Edmonton's future.
James Hamblin (April 30, 2020): Hamblin finished his season in Bakersfield, but he did play 31 contests for the Oilers in 2023-24. The Edmonton-born winger managed two goals and an assist in that span, and the 25-year-old appears to be nothing more than organizational depth at this point.
Dylan Holloway (Oct. 6, 2020): It's too early to call Holloway a bust, especially considering 2020 first overall pick Alexis Lafreniere didn't erupt for the New York Rangers until these playoffs. However, Holloway has yet to live up to the potential that inspired the Oilers to draft him 13 picks later. The 22-year-old has three goals and an assist over 18 games in this postseason.
Trade
Mattias Ekholm Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty
Warren Foegele (July 28, 2021): Foegele has been a healthy scratch for the last few games, but he hasn't always been in the doghouse. Edmonton landed him in a one-for-one swap with the Carolina Hurricanes for blue-liner Ethan Bear. Foegele set career highs in goals (20), assists (21), and points during the 2023-24 regular season, his third campaign with the Oilers.
Brett Kulak (March 21, 2022): They reeled in Kulak - another Edmonton-born player - in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens, who then used the conditional second-rounder they got in the deal on star college blue-liner Lane Hutson. While that's not the best look for the Oilers, Kulak has been a reliable top-four rearguard.
Mattias Ekholm (Feb. 28, 2023): Ekholm has been a dream fit since the Oilers acquired him in a trade with the Nashville Predators. The Swede's known for steady defensive play, but he also established career highs with 11 goals and 45 points while boasting elite underlying numbers in 2023-24.
Sam Carrick (March 6, 2024): Edmonton acquired Carrick two days before the deadline as part of a deal with the Anaheim Ducks. The 32-year-old depth forward has played in nine of the Oilers' 18 playoff games this spring.
Adam Henrique (March 6, 2024): Henrique was the bigger add in that trade with the Ducks, as he was still playing effectively for Anaheim at 34 years old. The veteran notched six goals and three assists over 22 games for Edmonton down the stretch, and he's added two tallies and two helpers in 10 playoff contests so far.
Troy Stecher (March 7, 2024): The Oilers acquired Stecher and a seventh-round pick from the Arizona Coyotes for a 2027 fourth-rounder. The defenseman, who turned 30 about a month later, played seven games for Edmonton before an infected ankle cyst sidelined him and eventually required surgery in late May.
Free agency
Zach Hyman Derek Cain / Getty Images
Cody Ceci (July 28, 2021): Ceci was often maligned during his tenures with the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Pittsburgh Penguins, but he's largely flown under the radar with the Oilers. He drove possession in 2023-24, providing surprising stability on Edmonton's third pairing.
Zach Hyman (July 28, 2021): The Oilers made their most impactful free-agent signing - and one of their most important moves period - on the opening day of the frenzy a few years ago. Hyman fit in seamlessly in Edmonton, and he exploded for 54 goals over 80 games this season. His cap hit of $5.5 million through 2027-28 is a bargain given the numerous ways he contributes.
Derek Ryan (July 28, 2021): Ryan is in his third season with the Oilers after playing three with the rival Calgary Flames and his first three with the Hurricanes. The 37-year-old fourth-liner is the second-oldest player in this Cup Final and the second-oldest Oiler. He joined Edmonton on a two-year, $2.5-million deal and then inked another for the same term and a total of $1.8 million last June.
Evander Kane (Jan. 27, 2022): Undeterred by Kane's numerous indiscretions, Holland took a chance on the mercurial winger less than three weeks after the San Jose Sharks released him. Kane inked a one-year, $1.375-million deal that January, and he made an immediate on-ice impact. In July 2022, the Oilers signed him to a four-year, $20.5-million pact. Kane, who'll turn 33 in August, scored 24 goals in this regular season with his lowest average ice time since his rookie year with the Atlanta Thrashers.
Jack Campbell (July 13, 2022): Giving Campbell a five-year, $25-million contract turned out horribly for Holland. The ex-Toronto Maple Leaf wasn't the solution in the crease the organization thought he would be, and he's still under contract through 2026-27 with the right to submit a 10-team no-trade list.
Calvin Pickard (July 13, 2022): Pickard joined Edmonton on a two-year, two-way contract. Skinner obviously benefited the most from Campbell's woes, but Pickard earned the backup job in the regular season, and he's been an important piece in these playoffs. Pickard relieved Skinner in Game 3 against the Vancouver Canucks and started the next two for a .915 save percentage in that span before Skinner got back in the crease.
Mattias Janmark (July 17, 2022): Janmark signed for one year and $1.25 million, then re-upped for another year and $1 million. The 31-year-old depth forward doesn't light up the scoresheet, but he can still contribute. He scored the eventual winner in Game 4 against the Stars.
Connor Brown (July 1, 2023): The Oilers inked Brown to a one-year deal for $4 million, but with just $775,000 counting against the cap. He ultimately got the rest by playing 10 games. Brown tore his ACL four contests into his 2022-23 season, but he suited up for 71 games with Edmonton and then another 12 so far in these playoffs, chipping in a goal and three assists alongside Janmark and Henrique on the third line in the postseason.
Adam Erne (Oct. 13, 2023): Erne has played sparingly since he signed a one-year deal for the league minimum (the same cap hit as Brown but without the incentive). The 29-year-old forward hasn't appeared in a playoff game this spring and last got into the lineup on April 18 - his first appearance since January. Erne played 24 contests in the regular season.
Sam Gagner (Oct. 31, 2023): Gagner truly had to earn a roster spot to ensure a third stint with the Oilers. They brought in the journeyman - who'll turn 35 this August - on an AHL tryout, and he eventually signed a one-year pact with the Condors. Eight days later, Gagner inked a one-year, two-way contract with Edmonton. He hasn't played in this postseason, but he did post 10 points in 28-regular season games for the Oilers.
Corey Perry (Jan. 21, 2024): Despite the inappropriate conduct that led the Chicago Blackhawks to terminate his contract, the Oilers gave Perry a one-year deal at the minimum with bonuses totaling $325,000, all of which he's now hit. At 39 years old, Perry has become the first player ever to reach the final with five different teams, and he's seeking his second Cup win 17 years after his first.
