BY NATE MOSER
After a close series between Edmonton and the Vancouver Canucks in Game Seven, the Oilers move on to the Western Conference Final to take on the Dallas Stars. They meet a Dallas team who eliminated the Colorado Avalanche in six games. Immediate reactions upon this matchup is it could go either way. The Stars were in the Stanley Cup Final back in 2020, losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in what was a weird postseason due to the COVID-19 pandemic earlier in the year. The Oilers, on the other hand, have not made it to the Cup Final since 2006, when they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games.
Looking specifically at the forwards for each team, there is solid depth on both sides. Starting with Edmonton, it starts with the best hockey player in the sport in Connor McDavid. He has captivated the hockey world since he was with the Erie Otters back in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) as a teenager. He is an absolute machine on the ice and some of his moves when he is out there are so automatic that he looks like a robot on skates. His point production being as high as it has been for seasons now is just assumed at this point. It’s McDavid, of course he is going to tally 100 points. However, in true McDavid fashion, he has found new ways to be unprecedented in his career. He finished the 2023-24 campaign with 100 assists. Yes, that stat is correct. Not 100 points, 100 assists. What makes this even more mind-blowing is the fact that this was not even his best season in points, because he only potted 32 goals. To put this in perspective, he had 64 goals in 2022-23, and 44 in 2021-22. Here are his stats from the last few seasons:
- 2021-22: 44 goals and 79 assists for 123 points in 80 games
- 2022-23: 64 goals and 89 assists for 153 points in 82 games
- 2023-24: 32 goals and 100 assists for 132 points in 76 games
Stars players are going to have to do the impossible job of trying to contain McDavid, because if he gets his way, it could be a quicker series for everyone with Dallas eliminated as a result. Looking beyond him, the Oilers also have another dangerous weapon in Leon Draisaitl. Along with McDavid, Draisaitl puts up 100-point seasons so easily. 2023-24 was no exception. He scored 41 goals and added 65 assists to finish the regular season with 106 points. That was his fifth time having at least 100 points in a season. Below are all the seasons he achieved this feat:
- 2018-19: 50 goals and 55 assists for 105 points in 82 games
- 2019-20: 43 goals and 67 assists for 110 points in 71 games
- 2021-22: 55 goals and 55 assists for 110 points in 80 games
- 2022-23: 52 goals and 76 assists for 128 points in 80 games
- 2023-24: 41 goals and 65 assists for 106 points in 81 games
McDavid and Draisaitl are the main components of the Oilers’ offense, but they have a solid group of talent around them as well. There is Zach Hyman, who scored 54 goals and a total of 77 points; Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who tallied 67 points; and Adam Henrique among others. Dallas will have their hands full with all of the talent that is in Edmonton’s forward core.
However, the Stars have their fair share of lethal talent as well. Leading the charge in that regard in the regular season was Jason Robertson who accumulated 80 points in 82 games (29 goals and 51 assists). Following Robertson in points is Joe Pavelski, who had himself 67 points on the season in 82 games (27 goals and 40 assists). A few other names to round out the top five in points are Wyatt Johnston (32 goals and 33 assists for 65 points), Roope Hintz (30 goals and 35 assists for 65 points), and Matt Duchene (25 goals and 40 assists for 65 points). They have an offense by committee as well. Robertson is the offensive face but his teammates like Pavelski, Duchene, and Hintz cannot be ignored. This roster carries a lot of offensive skill.
Then, there are the defenses for each organization. The Oilers have a defense who know how to produce offensively. In fact, the Oilers’ third highest point total belonged to Evan Bouchard, who had 82 points in 81 games (18 goals and 64 assists). Mattias Ekholm continued to be a stellar acquisition from the Nashville Predators by accruing 11 goals and 34 assists for 45 points in 79 games. That is his best point total in a single season for his career, beating out his 44 points he had with the Predators during the 2018-19 campaign. Other defenders who will try and help Edmonton get past Dallas include Darnell Nurse, Brett Kulak, Cody Ceci, and Vincent Desharnais.
The Stars, meanwhile, are led on the backend by Miro Heiskanen. The 24-year-old played in his sixth NHL season and did not disappoint with nine goals and 45 assists for 54 points in 71 games. So far, in the 2024 postseason, Heiskanen is a point-per-game with five goals and eight assists in 13 games. He has solid backup on the blueline though as well. 22-year-old Thomas Harley suited up for 79 games in the regular season, tallying 15 goals and 32 assists for 47 points. In the playoffs right now, Harley has two assists in 13 games. Also, do not underestimate the veteran leadership a player like Ryan Suter brings. His career has spanned over 1,400 games between his time on the Predators, Minnesota Wild, and now with Dallas. The younger Stars defensemen could soak up a lot of knowledge through how Suter carries himself. There was a reason he was sought after and paid a lot by the Wild back during the 2012 free agency window.
Goaltending is where this series gets extremely intriguing, because the Oilers recently had to rely on their backup goalie for a portion of their previous series. Their starter Stuart Skinner played 10 postseason games, but after a poor performance against the Vancouver Canucks, he got pulled during the contest and replaced with backup Calvin Pickard. Pickard has been a journeyman goalie throughout his career; having played for the Avalanche, Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, Arizona Coyotes, and Detroit Red Wings. He has made a difference to an extent, helping the team win a game and bring them closer to winning the series. Skinner played for Edmonton in Game Seven, which saw the Oilers eliminate the Canucks by a 3-2 final score. Between Skinner and Pickard, time will tell how the goalie matchup on their side goes as the series goes on versus the Stars. With Dallas, it is the Jake Oettinger Show. He has been awesome to help get the Stars this far. His record in the 13 games he has started so far is 8-5 with a goals-against-average (GAA) of 2.09 and a save percentage (SV%) of .918.
Ultimately, I think this series could go either way. I think the McDavid and Draisaitl vs. Oettinger matchup will be key. If McDavid and Draisaitl get their way with the puck and they take full advantage, Edmonton is going to make the progress they need to against Dallas. If Oettinger helps shut those two down, it will make a massive difference and create a big challenge that the Oilers will have to figure out. That is not even factoring the talents the Stars have in Robertson, Pavelski, Duchene, and Heiskanen that were referenced earlier. It should be a great series all-around. Between the two, it feels like the Stars are going to figure out a way to get it done. The official prediction is Dallas in six games.
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