How the Oilers got into the top 5 is baffling to me and more about them not seeing the warts on that team, and to me one of those warts is Connor McDavid. As much as people call him generational, I think he's a star, a super star even, but I don't see anything that makes me think, that guy wants to win at all costs, and that's what makes Sid Generational, and this year Ovie climbed that wall and showed it.
McDavid comes across with a slight me first feel, and you can blame the Oilers and their lets win Connor a trophy movement for more then half a year.
To use the Iron Man Captain America line. I don't see McDavid as that guy determined enough to lay on Barbed wire and let his team mates crawl over him, nor do I think he's smart enough to think about cutting the wire.
Have the Oilers done enough to compete with Vegas, Anaheim or San Jose? Nope, and I believe that the Ducks and Vegas are going to be vulnerable teams this year, but I still take their lineups over the Oilers. How about LA or Colorado
The Kings weren't busy, and I think that signing Kovalchuk is going to be a bad idea, but they look like a stronger top to bottom team.
Colorado didn't do much, but they have a solid younger base to deal with, but they're that team that could be in or out, but I still think they're stronger then the Oilers right now.
St Louis worked to address their problems with Bozak and Perron, they should be a real playoff threat.
I really don't like Dallas' blueline or goaltending and I don't think they're a playoff team, but that forward group is solid
I think Calgary did a great job of re balancing their lineup, and strengthening their ofense without giving up blueline depth, the big question is goaltending but I believe that the Flames will punch the Oilers lights out this year because top to bottom, its just a better overall team.
I don't think that Chicago is going to be awesome, but I believe they did enough to improve over the oilers.
The bottom feeders in Vancouver and Arizona are still going to be bottom feeders, but who knows with Arizona, every predicts that their youth will take up any time now.
Lets look at the Oilers moves. they radically overpaid for a KHL backup goalie, They signed Reider who could be a decent move, but he's not that much of a difference maker. They signed an ancient Brodziak who was decent last year with st Louis, but the Blues seem to make every depth guy look better then he is. He's more then likely going to succumb to father time, but I don't believe that he's anything more then a illustration of how weak the Oilers prospect pool is. Graval crap, and they got a guy from Washington to keep the popcorn machine cleaned out.
The oilers didn't address their deficiencies on the wings, they weakened themselves at center with RNH moving to the wing because they don't have enough bonified top line wingers (shocking for a team with a monopoly on high picks). Their blueline looks gross and they need Talbot to recover from shell shock and rubber poisoning.
If anything the Oilers are the same team as last year but teams around them have improved, so the Oilers by that math will probably drop in the standings.
As all of the other teams tee off on the Oilers this year, they'll be saying the same thing
New Haircut, same dead arm
NHL Tonight ranks worst to best non-playoff teams heading into 18/19
