7 reasons Oilers can win the Stanley Cup next season

The mood amongst the Edmonton Oilers and its entire fan base is as low as it possibly could be following last night’s Stanley Cup Final loss to the Florida Panthers.

The entire city of Edmonton was abuzz over the last week as the Oilers nearly pulled off what felt like an improbable comeback, trailing 3-0 in a series they wound up taking to seven games.

As low as the mood is right now, however, there are still plenty of reasons to be optimistic about this team’s future and its chances of winning a Stanley Cup as soon as next season.

Panthers experienced the same fate

As high as the Panthers are feeling right now, they were going through this exact same experience the Oilers currently find themselves in just one year ago. After barely sneaking into the playoffs, they managed to go on a long run before falling to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final.

As painful of an experience as it was for the Panthers, they were able to use it as a learning lesson and came back stronger than ever this season. It wouldn’t surprise many if the Oilers were able to do the exact same thing next year.

Oilers are right there

For three straight seasons, the Oilers have been eliminated by a team that has gone on to win the Stanley Cup. That was the case in 2022, when they fell to the eventual Cup-winning Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final, and it was last season when they lost to the Golden Knights in the second round.

These heartbreaks are never easy for a fan base, but there is a silver lining in that it shows just how close they are. Hockey is a game of bounces, and had they been on the right end of one or two more, they may already have their Cup. There’s no reason to think that can’t change in 2025.

Another shot with the core intact

Though there has been plenty of speculation regarding the future of Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, given their contract situations, they are both still locked up for the time being. They’ll have at least one more shot, with Draisaitl still having one more year on his deal, and that may be all they need.

It’s also worth noting that there have been some top insiders, most notably Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, who have suggested both McDavid and Draisaitl want to remain in Edmonton long term. Should that be the case, they’ll have many more cracks to win it all.

Skinner up for the challenge

There were plenty of questions surrounding Stuart Skinner heading into this season, as he completely fell apart in last year’s playoffs versus the Golden Knights. His struggles appeared to have come back after he sat for two games in the second round versus the Vancouver Canucks, but after he got the net back, he delivered.

Not only did Skinner prove in this run that he is capable of being a Stanley Cup-winning goaltender, but he’s also still just 25 years old. His best years are ahead of him, and Oilers fans can feel very confident in him as their number-one goalie moving forward, given what he showed in both the Western Conference and Stanley Cup Final.

Young talent took big steps

One major critique of the Oilers in recent years is that they lack the depth needed to be a true Stanley Cup contender. They proved that wrong this year by falling just one game shy of the ultimate goal, and they may be even better in the depth department next season.

The biggest reason for that is the emergence of Dylan Holloway up front and Philip Broberg on the back end. After limited stints during the regular season, both players were called upon to play big roles in the final two rounds of this year’s playoffs. Not only did they hold their own, but they exceeded expectations and should be even better come next season thanks to this experience.

Knoblauch is the real deal

Many Oilers fans questioned Ken Holland’s decision early in the season to not only fire Jay Woodcroft but replace him with a rather inexperienced coach in Kris Knoblauch. Some even believed the hiring was only to please McDavid, who had Knoblauch as his head coach during his junior hockey days with the Eerie Otters.

Any doubts surrounding Knoblauch’s abilities behind the bench have been silenced as the 45-year-old put on a coaching clinic in the playoffs. Whether it was swapping players in and out of the lineup or choosing to start Calvin Pickard for two straight games in the second round, everything he seemed to do paid off for his team. Oilers fans can now feel very confident knowing he’s the man calling the shots moving forward.

Elite talents always find a way

Most Oilers and general hockey fans would have expected McDavid to have a Stanley Cup by this point. There’s no denying that he’s the best player on the planet and is already considered by many to be one of the greatest to ever play the game.

The fact that he hasn’t reached his ultimate goal yet is undoubtedly disappointing, but the truly elite players – which he very much is – always find a way. Steve Yzerman was 32 when he won his first Cup, as was Alex Ovechkin. McDavid will get his at some point, and this current heartbreak will only make it that much sweeter.

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