After having the first pick in the NHL entry draft in three out of the last five years, you’d expect the Edmonton Oilers to be somewhat of a force to be reckoned with within the Western Conference by now. However, although their young guns have yet to gel into a collective unit that has the ability to win enough games to make it into the postseason, their roster still consists of a healthy amount of firepower. This upcoming season may very well mark the beginning of something that could be very special. Expect the so far underachieving Oilers lineup to finally break out in what is an extremely important season for their franchise. Don’t be shy when it comes down to these five Oilers. They are sure to make your fantasy hockey team get off to a hot start.
5. Nail Yakupov- R
Although 2013-14 was a massive disappointment for those who were excited for Yakupov to make his much-anticipated debut, the fact that he is seemingly healthy heading into his sophomore season is great news for those willing to take a stab at him in later rounds of their draft. Although Yakupov did show some promise after the Oilers exemplified their patience for the youngster to try and find his game, Yakupov struggled at the defensive end of the ice. In 2014-14, the right right winger needs to find the back of the net in order to improve his -33 standing from only a season ago. The sky is the limit for Yakupov. If you show him the same type of patience as the Oilers are planning on doing. He could be useful for your fantasy team once he finds his groove.
4. David Perron- L
This seven-season veteran had a break out season in 2013-14 after scoring a very solid 57 points, including 28 goals and 29 helpers. He is the exact type of player that the Oilers need to step up when their youngsters are down and who you need to plug in when your top dogs are slumping. Perron has the ability to be a 30+ goal scorer, and if the Oilers’ prized possession start to find their way, the left winger could potentially have 40+ assists. Don’t take him right away, but Perron is definitely good enough to take in deeper rounds.
3. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins- C
Nugent-Hopkins is another first overall pick that the Oilers are patiently waiting on to find the back of the net on more of a consistent basis. Although he had a career high in goals scored with 19 in 2013-14, the centerman will have to figure out a way to get on the score sheet more often than not if the Oilers want any chance of playing playoff hockey in the hear future. Hopkins has the ability to score 30+ goals and although -12 last season, that doesn’t necessarily tell the tale of how good he is as a two-way player. Hopkins is poised to have a breakout season sooner rather than later.
2. Jordan Eberle- R
Like Nugent-Hopkins, Eberle’s ability to play great two-way hockey shouldn’t be dictated by the fact he was -11 in 2013-14. The right winger may very well be the best overall talent that the Oilers have on their roster, and this should only become more apparent in 2014-15. Eberle finished with a team high 28 goals along with 37 assists. Expect Eberle to come up even bigger this upcoming season as the Oilers try their hand at once again playing one of the NHL’s youngest rosters. This could be a very big season for Eberle and his linemates.
1. Taylor Hall- L
Hall outlasted the rest of his teammates by scoring a team-high 80 points in 2013-14. It was by far his best overall season of his young career and finally started to prove that he was worthy of being the first overall pick in 2010 NHL entry draft. Hall’s overall talent exceeds most in today’s NHL, and 2014-15 should be yet another season where the native of Edmonton’s rival city, Calgary, continues to show the rest of the NHL exactly what he is made of. Don’t let Hall slip past the second round. If his teammates get hot, he will stay that way as well. The Oilers have enough firepower to blow any team out of the water on any given night. Whether they can do it consistently or not remains to be seen. However, if they come out of the gates running, it all starts with Hall.