"There's one goal here": Oilers' Draisaitl looking to bring the Stanley Cup to Edmonton
There is a different vibe surrounding the Edmonton Oilers heading into the 2023-24 season.
Two years ago, it seemed they were headed in the right direction but still had a ways to go, as they were swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final. This past year, it felt like they had the team to go the distance, but they were instead eliminated in the second round by the Vegas Golden Knights.
The overall sentiment from within the Oilers room was that the loss to the Golden Knights stung much more than the prior year, as they also felt they had a team capable of winning the Stanley Cup. While it was undoubtedly frustrating, it has resulted in a very motivated group heading into this season.
Despite September only just beginning, the Oilers players decided to head back to Edmonton to begin skating weeks ahead of training camp to ensure they are ready for the season. Speaking with reporters on Thursday, Leon Draisaitl made it clear that he and his teammates have one goal and one goal only for the upcoming year.
“We’re determined. You can see it in the fact that everyone’s here, working hard and trying to get things going early,” Draisaitl said. “There’s one goal here. Whether it pans out that way, we’ll see, but one thing that’s guaranteed is that we’re going to do everything in our power to achieve that goal and get to that point. We’re excited for the year; we’re excited for new guys coming in, new additions, new faces. Should be a good year.”
The 27-year-old Draisaitl has continued to raise his game to new heights each and every year, and last season was no different. While his 52 goals were three shy of his career high set a season prior, he managed a new career high in points with 128. That total had him second in league scoring last season, trailing only Connor McDavid’s 153.
As Draisaitl mentioned, there is no guarantee that their goal will pan out, but it is hard not to be optimistic if you’re an Oilers fan. Their loss to the Golden Knights in last season’s playoffs certainly lit a fire under them. Perhaps after plenty of long years for the Oilers organization, it is finally their time to get back to being winners once again.
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