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Pacific Division Preview: How Ducks, Kings stack up against the rest

By Redan Lopez

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 10: Drew Doughty #8 of the Los Angeles Kings and Troy Terry #61 of the Anaheim Ducks fight for control of the puck during the third period at Honda Center on March 10, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 10: Drew Doughty #8 of the Los Angeles Kings and Troy Terry #61 of the Anaheim Ducks fight for control of the puck during the third period at Honda Center on March 10, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 17: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers celebrates after he assisted teammate Ryan Nugent-Hopkins #93 on a first-period power-play goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during their game at T-Mobile Arena on March 17, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 17: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers celebrates after he assisted teammate Ryan Nugent-Hopkins #93 on a first-period power-play goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during their game at T-Mobile Arena on March 17, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

6. Edmonton Oilers (7th last season)

Will Connor McDavid be ready? That is the question on the horizon for every Oilers fan. The captain of this franchise, the Oilers will be in real trouble if he is not ready to start the season.

McDavid is returning from a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) tear suffered on April 6 and has been skating, but has not committed to a return date. He is one member of the trio with Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins that were literally the lifeblood of the team.

Get this, McDavid, Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins scored 129 of the 229 goals for the Oilers last season. That’s 56% of all the Oilers’ goals scored by three great players. Imagine if one of them is not healthy, worse, not available to start the season. That’s how much is riding on McDavid being healthy as he is the most important of them all. He drives the offense.

Besides McDavid, I do not believe in their goaltending tandem of newcomer Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen. Smith is at the twilight of his career at 37 and posted a sub. 900 save percentage with Calgary last season where as Koskinen barely posted a .906 save percentage.

Needless to say, if the Oilers are not better defensively in front of their goaltenders and their goaltenders do not step their game up, it’s going to be a long season for everyone.

Add to the fact that the Oilers are starving for scoring wingers and have a questionable, young defense group that has not improved over the last few years, and you are just looking for trouble.

Though the Oilers finally landed perennial 20 goal scorer right-winger James Neal in a trade (notwithstanding last season), it won’t be enough for to get the Oilers back into the playoff picture.

The only reason they are at number six is that McDavid does so many good things for them. Unfortunately, he (and Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins) can’t play all 60 minutes.

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