Can these Oilers win the Stanley Cup? Why they're the 'mystery team' of 2025 NHL playoffs

EDMONTON The Edmonton Oilers enter the playoffs under a shroud of doubt from outside their dressing room, thanks to a plethora of injuries and weeks of uneven play.

Still, theyve got two of the best players in the league on their roster, and they entered the season as Stanley Cup favorites after losing in Game 7 of the championship series by a goal.

They were third in the NHL by points percentage at the end of January, too.

Advertisement The mystery team of the whole playoffs is Edmonton, said a former NHL coach.

The Athletic contacted this coach, a former NHL player and an NHL scout all of whom keep close tabs on the Oilers to gauge the perception of this team heading into their fourth straight first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings.

They were all granted anonymity to speak freely.

The consensus was that despite this rosters upside, theres likely just too much to overcome for the Oilers to be true contenders.

They could be in serious jeopardy versus the Kings, the scout said.

This is the first year since Edmonton started making the playoffs again where the team isnt on a heater to finish the final quarter of the year.

The injuries to their key players are serious, and I dont think they have good confidence on which goalie to start the series.

Added the former player: They are not healthy, and the playoffs is a long battle, so I dont know if they have enough in the tank.

The vibes of this season just havent felt like last year at all.

The team doesnt feel as tight.

Theres a lot to gnaw on, but the biggest question mark around the Oilers surrounds the condition of several key players.

Defenseman Mattias Ekholm has already been ruled out of the series because of a lower-body injury.

Evander Kane (abdominal and knee) and John Klingberg (foot) are on long-term injured reserve, and their statuses are unclear as the postseason begins.

Its anyones guess how effective Kane will be whenever he plays, given the 10-month layoff between games.

Trent Frederic hasnt skated with the team since reaggravating his ankle injury on April 5.

Hes believed to be doubtful for Game 1.

The Oilers played without their three best forwards in Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman for stretches late in the season, with Draisaitl getting hurt on two occasions.

Top-four defenseman Jake Walman and goaltender Stuart Skinner were also sidelined.

Skinner has returned, but the combination of being unavailable for seven games because of a concussion and some inconsistencies in his play has his No.

1 job in jeopardy.

Advertisement At least those five players, plus depth blueliner Troy Stecher (undisclosed injury), have either played this month or are expected back for Game 1.

Thats a big reason why theres confidence internally.

We have this like aura about us that were the walking wounded, but were just fine, McDavid said.

Everybodys going to be ready to roll.

Everybody is doing whatever they can.

I dont like this whole notion that were the walking wounded here.

Were ready to roll.

Thats convincing stuff from the Oilers captain.

But its hard to know what the Oilers will look like for Game 1 with any degree of certainty given just how many players have been out of commission.

Case in point, Tuesdays optional practice before the Oilers departed for their regular-season finale in San Jose.

Just four players were skating: McDavid, Draisaitl, Klingberg and freshly signed college free agent Quinn Hutson, whos ineligible for the playoffs.

Kane, Hyman, Frederic, Walman and Stecher all missed Mondays 5-0 loss to the Kings and werent on the ice.

The latter three players didnt participate in Wednesdays morning skate in San Jose, either.

Nobody knows what they have, the former coach said.

Nobody knows whos going to come out for Game 1 in the lineup.

You dont know.

They could come out and be just loaded, or they could be coming out banged up and just hanging on.

If the Oilers were healthy, theyd be a hell of a hockey club.

Theyre not fully healthy, though.

Losing Ekholm is a massive blow.

Hes completely revamped the defense corps since being acquired from Nashville in February 2023 and has been the ideal partner for Evan Bouchard.

Without Ekholm, the coaching staff will have to find the right mix within a top four consisting of Bouchard, Walman, Darnell Nurse and Brett Kulak.

I wish I could spin that one for you, but thats obviously disappointing, McDavid said.

Theres no way around that.

Well miss him for a little bit.

That being said, hes going to do everything possible to be healthy, whenever that may be.

Advertisement Hes a great player.

He just does everything right.

Maybe the most all-around defenseman there is.

Even if McDavid is spot-on and the rest of the Oilers are shipshape and properly tuned, they should have their stiffest test yet from the Kings.

The Oilers have dispatched their rivals quicker in each successive series.

They needed seven games and wins in the last two contests to knock off the Kings in 2022.

Last years five-game knockout was never in doubt.

The Oilers almost certainly wont have such an easy time this go-around.

L.A.

needs this win badly, the former player said, so the Oilers need to match that urgency, or they will be in trouble.

Sometimes, you just get sick of losing, the former coach said.

Thats more the attitude.

From goaltending on out Darcy Kuemper has been one of the best in the league all season these Kings should be formidable foes.

The scout feels the addition of Andrei Kuzmenko before the trade deadline has given Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe the perfect linemate and a different look on the power play.

Kevin Fiala, Quinton Byfield, Alex Laferriere and former Oiler Warren Foegele have provided consistent depth scoring, the scout added.

The Kings have improved since last season a lot, the scout said.

Theyre deeper than theyve ever been, the former coach added.

The one thing or two things the Oilers have going for them are McDavid and Draisaitl.

One is the true generational player and reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner.

The other is a tour de force and might win his second MVP this season.

Both players have excelled in the postseason before while hampered by injuries.

Theyre third and fifth in league history for points per game in the playoffs.

The Kings have felt their wrath for three springs in a row.

Individually, they can dominate series, but collectively they can really dominate, the former coach said.

They make up for a lot of lost players.

Those two can control the series by themselves.

As a tandem, theyre almost unstoppable.

Advertisement The Oilers might need more from their superstars than ever before.

Leon and Connor can bring any team to the Cup, the former player said.

He also said he felt the Oilers were a Cup-contending team until the last 20 games.

That timeline coincides with all their injury troubles.

The Oilers havent played a game with a healthy lineup since March 4, just before Walman was acquired from San Jose.

The Oilers havent been able to test drive their full squad.

There will be a lot of variables, such as new line combinations and changed roles thrown into the mix as more players are added, or re-added, to the mix.

Whos to say whats bad and whats good? Maybe its good, McDavid said.

Everyones going to be rested.

Would it have been nice to get some games with a full lineup? Sure.

But thats not the case were dealing with.

But, as I said, everybodys ready to roll.

Not everything is as it seems.

The Oilers were trounced by the Kings with a scaled-back roster on Monday.

That locked in Games 1 and 2 for Los Angeles, the first time the Oilers will start on the road in the first round with McDavid and Draisaitl on the roster.

However, they managed to win six of eight games before that.

Those whove been mainstays in the lineup see some positives.

It really shows where we are as a team and how we can handle the whole adversity that were going through, veteran Corey Perry said.

The level of belief is extremely high in our group, added winger Connor Brown.

We understand that weve got a lot of dogs and guys that are hungry.

Count McDavid as part of that hungry group.

He hears those doubting the Oilers loud and clear, and he has no time for their negativity.

I just dont like the theory that people are counting us out.

Were a great team in here, he said.

Were a dangerous team when were rolling and were healthy.

And we are healthy.

I think youll see that over the next little while, and were looking forward to showing it.

(Photo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl: Chris Tanouye / Freestyle Photography / Getty Images).

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