NHL Power Rankings Week One: Capitals, Lightning, Predators, And Ducks Are Favorites

Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports

NHL Power Rankings: #24 – Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers aren’t quite ready to make the playoffs yet. Rome wasn’t built in a day. However, the Oilers finally have their franchise cornerstone and their building blocks in place. Now it’s up to their front office to continue to bring in building blocks and role players. It’s also up to their players to continue to develop.

STRENGTHS: It took the Oilers a bunch of first overall picks, but they have finally built a very strong core of young forwards. Jordan Eberle is quietly one of the best forwards in the NHL. Taylor Hall should get a lot more attention than he gets. You could make the argument that he is better than Tyler Seguin. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is an excellent center. Nail Yakupov isn’t a bust yet. He’s extremely talented and he finished strong last season.

Cam Talbot could be the answer for the Oilers eternal goaltending issues. He has limited playing experience due to being stuck behind Henrik Lundqvist. However, when he has gotten playing time, he has been impressive.

WEAKNESSES: The Oilers blue line is still a work in progress. Andrej Sekera is a solid veteran. Oscar Klefbom could be a star in the making. Justin Schultz has the potential to be a solid offensive defenseman. However, other than that, their talent is a bit lacking. Griffin Reinhart hasn’t lived up to his potential yet (though Edmonton has the patience to let him grow). Eric Gryba and Andrew Ferrence are not impressive.

OUTLOOK: The Oilers could be like the Stars last year. They will most likely score a ton of goals. The issue is that they might allow a lot as well because their defense is poor. The difference? The Stars had a better offense than the Oilers do this year.

Next: #23