2016-2017 NHL Team Predictions: Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers are next on our list of Canadian teams, and they are hard to predict where they will be at the end of the 2016-2017 NHL season. Will McDavid carry them to the playoffs? Or do we have another year or two before this team's struggles finally pay off?

With 48 points in 45 games in his rookie year, Connor McDavid could very well win this year's Art Ross trophy. The success of the Oilers comes down to this one player, not that their team as a whole is weak, but he's a franchise star. With Crosby in his second year, the Penguins climbed the standings ahead of Sid's personal success in 2007. The Oilers were in the playoff race last year before Connor McDavid went down to injury.

Over the summer, the Oilers initiated a huge trade involving elite scorer Taylor Hall and bringing in a promising young defender in Adam Larsson. The Oilers also signed power forward Milan Lucic to a seven year $42 million contract and drafted Finnish youngster Jesse Puljijarvi, who seems to be top six NHL ready. The Devils may have gotten the better piece in the trade but the Oilers as a whole are a better team and should be tougher to play against with the style and leadership Milan Lucic brings.

Projected Lineup
Forwards
Lucic  McDavid  Eberle
Pouliot  Draisaitl  Puljijarvi
Maroon  Nugent-Hopkins  Yakupov
Hendricks  Letestu  Kassian

Defence
Klefbom  Larsson
Sekera  Fayne
Nurse  Davidson

Goalies
Talbot
Gustavsson

Prediction: 4th Pacific

The Oilers are probably the hardest team to predict. It comes down to really how good Connor Mcdavid is, and the health of their better players such as Eberle, McDavid, Klefbom. I like this team on paper alot though, I have them 4th in the Pacific Division but really anything is possible.

Related:

2016-2017 NHL Team Predictions: Calgary Flames
2016-2017 NHL Team Predictions: Vancouver Canucks
2016-2017 NHL Team Predictions: Winnipeg Jets