Oilers season preview: McDavid, Draisaitl continue pursuit of Cup

The 2023-24 NHL season starts Oct. 10. With training camp underway, NHL.com is taking a look at the three keys, the inside scoop on roster questions, and the projected lineup for each of the 32 teams. Today, the Edmonton Oilers

Coach: Jay Woodcroft (third season)

Last season: 50-23-9; second place in Pacific Division, lost to Vegas Golden Knights in Western Conference Second Round

3 KEYS

1. Raising the bar

Forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl reached new heights last season, finishing first and second in the NHL scoring race with 153 points (64 goals, 89 assists) and 128 points (52 goals, 76 assists), respectively. Following the disappointment of an early Stanley Cup Playoff exit, losing to the eventual champion Vegas Golden Knights in six games in the Western Conference Second Round, the two will be highly motivated to bring the Cup to Edmonton for the first time since 1990. McDavid, 26, and Draisaitl, 27, are each in their prime and capable of posting even higher totals this season, if they stay healthy. Their ultimate goal, however, is to win the Stanley Cup. Anything short of that will be considered a disappointment this season.

2. Another Connor in the mix

The Oilers signed veteran forward Connor Brown to a one-year contract July 1. Brown was teammates with McDavid with Erie of the Ontario Hockey League for two seasons, and the 29-year-old had 128 points (45 goals, 83 assists) in 68 games playing alongside McDavid in 2013-14, his final season of junior hockey. Edmonton hopes Brown can regain his previous chemistry with McDavid and be a strong contributor offensively coming off a major knee injury, which forced him to miss all but four games with the Washington Capitals last season. A two-time 20-goal scorer in the NHL, Brown had 36 points (20 goals, 16 assists) in 82 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016-17 and 35 points (21 goals, 14 assists) in 56 games with the Ottawa Senators in 2020-21.

3. Bounce-back season for Campbell

Goalie Jack Campbell signed a five-year contract July 13, 2022, to be Edmonton’s starter, but struggled in his first season and lost the No. 1 job to rookie Stuart Skinner. Campbell did not get a start in the postseason but did play well in relief of Skinner, who had a 3.68 goals-against average and .883 save percentage in 12 playoff games, a key reason the Oilers were eliminated by the Golden Knights. Edmonton is looking for Campbell to bounce back with a better second season and battle to become the starter again, knowing they’ll need better goaltending throughout the season and into the playoffs if they hope to contend for the Cup.

ROSTER RUNDOWN

Making the cut

Forward Dylan Holloway started last season with the Oilers and had nine points (three goals, six assists) in 51 games before being assigned to Bakersfield of the American Hockey League. The 22-year-old sustained an upper-body injury in his first game there Feb. 18, which kept him out for more than a month. He finished with 10 points (seven goals, three assists) in 12 games for Bakersfield and did not return to the Edmonton lineup, but is expected to challenge for a roster spot this season and become a regular on the bottom two lines.

Most intriguing addition

Forward Brandon Sutter is at camp on a professional tryout after missing the past two seasons because of the effects of long COVID-19. The 34-year-old, selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round (No. 11) of the 2007 NHL Draft, last played for the Vancouver Canucks during the 2020-21 season and had 12 points (nine goals, three assists) in 43 games. The son of former NHL player and coach Brent Sutter is a two-time 20-goal scorer in the League and could add to the Oilers depth at forward.

Biggest potential surprise

Forward Ryan McLeod signed a two-year contract with the Oilers and is expected to take the next step in his development. The 24-year-old had 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 57 games last season and should take on more responsibility in a bottom-six role. McLeod is one of the best skaters on the roster and has the potential to become an effective shutdown forward and penalty killer.

Ready to contribute

Forward Raphael Lavoie, 22, has yet to play a game in the NHL and has spent the past three seasons in Bakersfield, but appears ready to play a role in Edmonton. Selected in the second round (No. 38) of the 2019 NHL Draft, Lavoie had 45 points (25 goals, 20 assists) in 61 games for Bakersfield last season.

Fantasy sleeper

Brown, RW (fantasy average draft position: 170.0) -- He reunites with elite center Connor McDavid, the universal No. 1 player in fantasy hockey, after they played on the same line with Erie of the Ontario Hockey League during their time as teammates there from 2012-14. Brown missed most of last season because of a knee injury but showed flashes of fantasy potential with the Ottawa Senators in 2020-21 with 21 goals in 56 games (82-game pace: 31). Brown could shatter his previous NHL career highs across the board if he can stick with McDavid and/or Leon Draisaitl, the second-ranked player in fantasy, at even strength. -- Pete Jensen

PROJECTED LINEUP

Evander Kane -- Connor McDavid -- Connor Brown

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- Leon Draisaitl -- Zach Hyman

Dylan Holloway -- Ryan McLeod -- Warren Foegele

Mattias Janmark -- Lane Pederson -- Derek Ryan

Darnell Nurse -- Cody Ceci

Mattias Ekholm -- Evan Bouchard

Brett Kulak -- Vincent Desharnais

Stuart Skinner

Jack Campbell