Quoting: TheFlamingC
My thoughts on the Oilers. This is apart of my big Pacific Division thread coming out soon.
Edmonton Oilers - 2nd in the North last year with a first round exit. Have since swapped James Neal, Dominik Kahun, Alex Chiasson, Jujhar Khaira, Adam Larsson, Ethan Bear, Dmitry Kulikov and Caleb Jones for Zach Hyman, Warren Foegele, Derek Ryan, Duncan Keith and Cody Ceci. At 1C, Connor McDavid is by far the best player in the NHL. Zach Hyman is a two way first line winger. Last year, Jesse Puljujarvi became a two way top 6 winger with first line potential. Now with McDavid, I think we see that first line potential come out. Both Hyman and Pulju are capable first line wingers and with McDavid this becomes one of the best 1st lines in the NHL. Leon Draisaitl at 2C is a top 5C in the world, playing 2C. Ryan Nugent Hopkins is a two-way first line winger playing 2LW. Kailer Yamamoto was elite in 2020 and a middle 6 winger in 2021. I think he'll be a good fit on 2RW in 2022. This elite 2nd line along with the 1st line makes this one of the best top sixes in the NHL. At 3LW, Warren Foegele is a good 3rd liner who could be a solid middle 6 winger if he was even competent at scoring goals. He's a good play driver though and good defensively. Ryan McLeod is in over his head on the 3rd line. Josh Archibald is a 4RW PK guy playing 3RW. Overall this 3rd line is pretty much a disaster for about 10 minutes a night. Now onto the don't suck line. Devin Shore. Fail. Derek Ryan. Pass, he's a middle 6 centre and will in short order replace McLeod. Zack Kassian. BARELY pass. This 4th line works, but is probably bottom 10 in the league. Overall the top 6 is one of the best, bottom 6 is one of the worst. Dominant forwards for 40, disastrous for 20. Darnell Nurse is a top pairing defensemen who can't play defence. Probably a fringe #1, solid #2 guy. Tyson Barrie is like a second pairing defensemen offensively if you take out McDavid, the secondary assists and the PP and the NHL's worst defensemen defensively. This combines to make him a 3rd pairing d-man playing #1RD. Yikes. Duncan Keith, is also a 3rd pairing d-man playing 2LD. Cody Ceci is also a 3rd pairing defensemen playing 2RD. Kris Russell is a decent 4-5 option. Good fit at 3LD. Evan Bouchard is a capable top 4 d-man and this team's 2nd best d-man. Unfortunately he'll play 3rd pair. This defensive corps is a disaster. A good 3rd pair but the worst top 4 you could imagine. In net, Mike Smith sucks. Last season will not happen again. I'd bet my house. Mikko Koskinen also sucks. This team is a disaster in net. The PP. PP1 is Hyman-Nuge-Draisaitl-McDavid-Barrie. Might be the NHL's best PP. Overall, they have an elite top 6, horrific bottom 6, a horrific defense, horrific goaltending and an elite PP.
Nuge, Hyman, McDavid, Draisaitl, Barrie or... Point, Kucherov, Stamkos, Hedman, Killorn/Perry...Im taking the Lightning as the leagues best pp, Hedman is better than Barrie, Kucherovv is equal to Draisaitl to me on the pp, McDavid is better than stammer, point is better than Nuge and I'd take the net front of Killorn or Perry over Hyman.