3 underrated Oilers players poised for a playoff breakout
The Edmonton Oilers are hoping the magic of the Stanley Cup Playoffs rubs off on some players this postseason.
Playoff hockey is among the most entertaining sporting events on the planet for the sheer amount of speed and skill on display, not to mention the stories that come out of it. The NHL’s postseason is a breeding ground for stories about underdog teams and players finding ways to break out and beat the odds.
Just look back at the 2006 Stanley Cup run that the Oilers went on. That team had some star power with Chris Pronger, Ales Hemsky, and Dwayne Roloson pulling their weight, but it was perennial bottom-six man Fernando Pisani who stole the limelight with a league-leading 14 goals, five of which were game-winners.
June 14, 2006
Game 5 #StanleyCup final
In a do or die game for the #Oilers @pisani_34 scores shorthanded at 3:31 of overtime forcing game 6 in Edmonton
4-3 #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/uZoFhqlhbN— Vintage Oilers (@VintageOilers) June 14, 2022
Every successful team has moments where the unsung hero rises out of nowhere to save the day. So, who could be that player for the Oilers this time around? There are a few options…
Dylan Holloway
If you’re looking for a young player who may surprise everyone with a great playoff, Dylan Holloway is at the top of that list.
It’s been tough sledding for the 22-year-old so far in his NHL career. He has just nine goals and 18 points through his first 89 NHL games with the Oilers. The good news is that three goals and five points have been recorded in his last six games since getting called up from the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors.
“I feel confident in myself, my abilities, not trying to get too high or too low,” Holloway said this morning. “I thought I was trending in the right direction and I think in the long run going down to Bakersfield was good for me.”
His impressive play has earned him a spot in the lineup for Game 1 of Edmonton’s first-round series against the Kings. He brings a lot of speed into the Oilers’ bottom six and his tenacity on the forecheck has been giving opposing teams fits.
Holloway also possesses an impressive shot and has shown glimpses of being a great goalscorer. It feels like he is starting to figure things out in the NHL and if that translates into the playoffs, Holloway could be a huge part of this team moving forward.
Ryan McLeod
It’s been a weird season for Oilers third-line centreman Ryan McLeod.
He began the year on a horrid slump where he could not find any goals and then exploded at the midway mark to end the season with a career-high 12 goals and 30 points. McLeod has been a reliable pivot on the team’s third line, so much so that head coach Kris Knoblauch has decided to keep him there over veteran trade deadline acquisition Adam Henrique.
McLeod is most useful to the Oilers in their own zone as he plays a responsible 200-foot game, but that is not to say he doesn’t possess the toolkit to be a more offensive player. Outside of Connor McDavid, McLeod might be the team’s fastest skater.
CLOUDER finds a corner 📐 pic.twitter.com/fXx6hDTl04
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) March 4, 2024
He doesn’t possess a heavy shot like the other players on this list, but he has shown an ability to pick his spots. If he can get to the right spots on the ice and discover a bit more of a scoring touch, McLeod might be able to turn some heads in the playoffs.
Warren Foegele
It’s now or never for Warren Foegele to become an impact player on this Oilers team.
The 28-year-old is in the final year of his contract and is coming off the most impressive NHL season of his career so far, hitting the 20-goal plateau for the first time and nabbing a career-high 41 points.
There’s no doubt he has been more than useful for Edmonton this year, which has earned him primetime minutes alongside Leon Draisaitl to begin the playoffs.
EDM ARI G81. April 17, 2024. Warren Foegele goal. 2-3. 🎥: Sportsnet | NHL pic.twitter.com/vWeQex0Tss
— Nation Network Media (@NationNMedia) April 18, 2024
He has one of the best shots on the team and it looks like he has figured out some of his finishing problems that plagued him in previous seasons. If he can continue to score in the playoffs, Foegele has the potential to be a game-changer for the Oilers.
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