7 Oilers who could record 60 or more points this season

When discussions arise surrounding the makeup of the Edmonton Oilers, some still suggest that they rely far too heavily on Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. For years, that was a valid critique, as they lacked the forward depth to support their two superstar forwards.

That is no longer an issue, however, as Ken Holland has done an excellent job in putting together a dynamic group up front who can run up the score on any given night. Their elite goal-scoring abilities were on display last season, as they racked up a league-high 325 goals. This upcoming season, they should be capable of even more if they can remain healthy, as they have at least seven players who have an opportunity to record 60 0r more points. Here’s a look at them.

Connor McDavid

Barring any major injury, McDavid will easily surpass the 60-point mark, as he has done throughout all of his NHL seasons aside from his rookie campaign in 2015-16 where he was limited to just 45 games. The 26-year-old remains the best player in the game today and is still finding ways to get better.

As dominant as McDavid had been in previous years, he was able to bring his game to an entirely different level last season, posting career highs of 64 goals and 153 points. Whether he is able to produce those staggering numbers again remains to be seen, but with 100 or more points in six of his eight seasons, he’ll have no issue reaching 60.

Leon Draisaitl

Much like McDavid, Draisaitl will easily reach 60 points this season, it’s just a matter of when. Though he fails to always get the credit he deserves due to being on the same team as McDavid, Draisaitl is one of the game’s elite offensive talents. His 537 points over his past five seasons are second throughout the NHL, trailing only McDavid’s 594.

This past season saw Draisaitl hit the 50-goal mark for the third time in his career while finishing with a season-best 128 points. He and McDavid are undoubtedly the league’s most dynamic duo as of now and are showing zero indication of slowing down anytime soon.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

If last season was any indication, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is another Oiler who shouldn’t have any issue surpassing the 60-point mark. After entering the 2022-23 campaign with a career-high 69 points, the 30-year-old had a ridiculously impressive season, registering 37 goals and 104 points.

Nugent-Hopkins has always been an extremely valuable member of the Oilers, but last year’s offensive outburst made him even more so. While another 100-point season may not take place, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him hover around the point-per-game mark, thanks largely to the Oilers’ tremendous power play.

Zach Hyman

Though Zach Hyman’s offence had slowed down as the 2022-23 season came to a close, he still had a career year with 36 goals and 83 points in 79 outings. The 31-year-old has seen his offensive totals improve tremendously since signing as a free agent with the Oilers and should be in store for another big season.

While Hyman isn’t as skilled as some others on this list, his effort level each and every shift is something that fans in Edmonton have come to admire. He adds an element this team was missing in the past, and like the others on this list, should surpass 60 points if he is able to stay healthy.

Evander Kane

While health has been brought up several times already, it doesn’t apply to anyone on this list more so than Evander Kane. The 32-year-old was limited to just 41 games last season due to a number of injuries, most notably a skate laceration to his wrist which kept him out for months.

When healthy, Kane has proven to be one of the Oilers’ best goal-scorers, while also providing a physical element that this team lacked in the past. Despite how good of a player he has been since his rookie season back in 2009-10, Kane has never hit the 60-point mark but has a great opportunity to do so in 2023-24 if he can avoid injury.

Connor Brown

Though the Oilers didn’t make a ton of changes this summer, they made a big addition to their already lethal forward group with the signing of Connor Brown. An ACL tear forced the 29-year-old to miss all but four games last season but allowed the Oilers to sign him to a deal with a cap hit of just $775,000.

Despite his injury, Brown was said to have several other suitors throughout the NHL and left money on the table to join what he believes is a Stanley Cup-winning roster. He is clearly very motivated, and as of now is penciled in to begin the season on a line with McDavid. That alone should have him surpass 60 points for the first time in his career.

Evan Bouchard

Fresh off of a new contract extension, Evan Bouchard is in line for what could be a huge 2023-24 season. With his spot on the first power play unit secure with Tyson Barrie out of the picture, the 23-year-old has a real shot at being one of the league’s highest-scoring defencemen this season.

Bouchard quickly showed last season how dominant he can be offensively when given the opportunity. After Barrie was traded, he was given his chance with the first power-play unit, and recorded 17 points in just 12 playoff outings. He should have zero problem blowing by his current career-high 43 points.

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