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NHL analyst deems Edmonton Oilers as front-runners to bring Stanley Cup glory back to Canada
The Edmonton Oilers made it all the way to game seven of the Stanley Cup Final last season before ultimately falling to the Florida Panthers. Despite the loss, NHL analyst Bryan Hayes believes the Oilers are the front-runners to bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada next season.
During an interview with TSN on Tuesday, Hayes said,
"It's got to be Edmonton, because I think they're even better on paper today than they were in game seven in the Cup Final."
Hayes believes that the Oilers have improved their roster and are ready to make another run.
Offseason additions like Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner have bolstered their forward group. Hayes also highlighted the potential return of Adam Henrique and a healthy Connor Brown, who was excellent in the Cup Final after missing time due to injury.
Hayes also praised goalie Stuart Skinner and Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch.
“I think Stuart Skinner obviously got a ton of experience last year, proved he can be a number one in this league, and Kris Knoblauch had to jump on a moving train, and he did an incredible job, but now he has a full offseason. He has a full training camp, and they're going into next year locked and loaded. I love where the Edmonton Oilers are at.”
Bryan Hayes compares Edmonton Oilers to other Canadian teams
While acknowledging the strength of other Canadian franchises, Hayes singled out the Oilers as the team most likely to end Canada's long-standing Stanley Cup drought.
"I think there's a few very good Canadian teams. Toronto's really good. Vancouver's really good. I think Winnipeg's still good, but it's clear at this point, Edmonton's the best team in the country. They have the best chance at breaking that drought, and I think they're chasing Florida again this year.
"I'm all over the Oilers having a big, big season, and you know how hungry they are, especially how it ended last season."
With their core intact and improvements made to their forward depth, Hayes made a compelling case for the Edmonton Oilers being the front-runners.
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