Elliotte Friedman picks the Oilers as his Stanley Cup winner

It isn’t just Edmonton Oilers fans who are optimistic that Connor McDavid and company can win the Stanley Cup this season.

Despite being ousted by the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of last year’s playoffs, many believe this is the season in which the Oilers will hoist the Cup. Former Oiler defenceman Ryan Whitney has made it clear he believes it will happen, and he isn’t the only media personality to express that opinion.

With the season officially beginning today, a number of analysts are giving their predictions for what will unfold. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman is one of them, and in his latest 32 Thoughts podcast, he picked the Oilers as his team to win it all.

“I’m picking them to win the Stanley Cup,” Friedman said about the Oilers. “I think they’re really good. I think they’ve got a lot to prove. It’s a tough division and a tough road, but if [Jack] Campbell can play at a higher level, and [Stuart] Skinner can play at the same level, that’s their key to winning.”

It is a very valid point by Friedman, as goaltending played a major part in why the Oilers were sent packing in last year’s playoffs. With Campbell looking much more comfortable in Edmonton based on his play in the preseason, there is reason to believe they will be much better between the pipes in 2023-24.

While goaltending remains a question mark, there is little doubt that the rest of this lineup is Stanley Cup-worthy. They not only have two of the best players on the planet in McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but have a great supporting cast for them up front including Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Evander Kane, Zach Hyman, and Connor Brown. While not elite, their back end is solid, made up of defenders Mattias Ekholm, Darnell Nurse, and Evan Bouchard.

It’s early and things can certainly change as the season plays out, but as of right now, having the Oilers pegged as this year’s Stanley Cup champions seems like a very reasonable pick from Friedman.

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