April 17, 2023 by Raghu Sharma

After reaching the 2022 Western Conference Final, expectations were high for the Edmonton Oilers coming into the season. However, the Oilers posted a mediocre 10-10-0 record in their first 20 games, which was awfully concerning for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations.

Though they didn’t get out to the start they wanted, the Oilers went 40-13-9 in their final 62 games, finishing second in the Western Conference with 109 points. The 2022-23 Oilers delivered plenty of peaks and valleys, but ultimately they peaked at the right time – right before the playoffs.

Below is their record over the 10-game stretches:

Games 1-10: 7-3-0 (.700)
Games 11-20: 3-7-0 (.300)
Games 21-30: 7-3-0 (.700)
Games 31-40: 4-4-2 (.500)
Games 41-50: 7-1-2 (.800)
Games 51-60: 5-1-4 (.700)
Games 61-70: 6-4-0 (.600)
Games 71-80: 9-0-1 (.950)

Top Performers

Connor McDavid: 82-64-89-153 (1.87 points per game)

• First player with 150 points in 27 years
• First player to claim hockey’s triple crown in 36 years
• Fifth player in NHL history with five Art Ross Trophies
• One goal shy of most single-season tallies in the salary cap era

Leon Draisaitl: 80-52-76-128 (1.60 points per game)

• Tied for second-most single-season points in the salary cap era
• Fourth 100-point season
• Third 50-goal season

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins: 82-37-67-104 (1.27 points per game)

• First 100-point season

Zach Hyman: 36-47-83 (1.05 points per game)

• First point per game season

Darnell Nurse: 82-12-31-43 (0.52 points per game)

• Plus-23 rating (only one power-play point)

Mattias Ekholm: 19-3-9-12 (0.67 points per game)

• Led team with plus-28 rating

Stuart Skinner: 27-14-5 with a 2.80 GAA and a .912 SV%

• Franchise record for wins by a rookie goalie with 29

This is the best group of the Oilers we have seen in quite some time. No more can one say the Oilers are just two players in McDavid and Draisaitl. The Oilers are a team that has a historically dominant power-play, an elite top-six, depth in the forward group that can chip in goals, play with toughness, have the most shorthanded goals this season with 17

Additionally, since the acquisition of Ekholm, have shored up their defence both lightening the load on Darnell Nurse and allowing a true veteran partnership to Evan Bouchard. During their first six games in April, the Oilers went 6-0-0, while allowing one or fewer goals and two shutouts (one from each goaltender).

We bleed blue and orange and will always be loyal to the Oil. Get Loud, Oil Country, because our time is now!