Edmonton Oilers: Canadian Fans, We Have to Ask Ourselves—Is This Finally the Team That Can Bring the Cup Home?

It’s a question that’s lingered in the air like the bitter cold of an Alberta winter. Canadian hockey fans, particularly those who bleed copper and blue, have been asking some version of it for decades now. Is this the year? Could the Edmonton Oilers actually bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada? For nearly thirty years, the answer has always come with a sigh and a shaking of the head. But something feels different this time. Something feels real.

The Edmonton Oilers, once the crown jewel of Canadian hockey dynasties thanks to Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and the unforgettable 1980s, have spent much of the 21st century wandering the wilderness of mediocrity. With the exception of the 2006 Cinderella run that ended in heartbreak in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, fans have been stuck in a cycle of rebuilding, restarting, and reliving past glory through grainy YouTube clips. Even drafting Connor McDavid in 2015—arguably the best player on Earth—didn’t change things overnight. But now, with McDavid in his prime and a supporting cast finally worthy of the weight, the Oilers look like contenders. Again.

That question we keep circling back to—can this be the team that ends Canada’s Stanley Cup drought?—it isn’t just about Edmonton anymore. It’s about a national longing. It’s about 1993, when the Montreal Canadiens last hoisted the Cup, and every Canadian team since that’s fallen short. It’s about years of watching American markets celebrate, while Canada’s teams played catch-up. It’s a source of both pride and pain, and for fans across the country, the Oilers might just be the best hope we’ve had in a long time.

What makes this team different? Start with the obvious: McDavid. The captain’s brilliance is so consistent, so reliable, it almost feels routine. But that’s the trap—because what he does is anything but ordinary. His ability to create plays, skate through entire teams, and elevate everyone around him remains unmatched. In another era, he might have already claimed multiple Cups. But this isn’t the Gretzky Era, and no one wins alone. That’s what makes this version of the Oilers so compelling: McDavid finally doesn’t have to carry it all by himself.

Leon Draisaitl is the most high-profile example of that support, a superstar in his own right whose combination of size, skill, and scoring instincts would make him a franchise cornerstone anywhere else. The McDavid-Draisaitl duo has been one of the most productive and feared tandems in hockey for years, but playoff success eluded them because the rest of the roster wasn’t up to the same standard. That’s no longer the case. The front office has made savvy additions, balancing the top-end talent with gritty depth players and steady veterans.

Zach Hyman has been a revelation, proving that he’s much more than a complimentary player. His work ethic, net-front presence, and scoring touch have given the Oilers the kind of versatile forward they’ve lacked for years. Evander Kane, controversial off the ice but undeniable on it, adds another layer of physicality and danger. On the back end, the emergence of Evan Bouchard as a top-pairing defenseman has been a game-changer. His poise, passing, and shot from the point have given Edmonton a reliable weapon on the blue line. And then there’s the trade deadline acquisition of Mattias Ekholm, a steadying presence who brought instant credibility and leadership to the defense corps.

But all of that talent doesn’t mean much without goaltending—and that’s where the Oilers may finally have their biggest difference-maker in Stuart Skinner. A local kid turned hometown hero, Skinner has brought stability to a position that’s haunted Edmonton for years. He’s not flashy, but he’s composed. He makes the saves he’s supposed to, and occasionally the ones he shouldn’t. That’s all this team really needs with the firepower in front of him. In past seasons, the Oilers were undone by poor goaltending in key moments. That doesn’t feel like the case this time.

What also sets this team apart is its maturity. The 2024-25 Oilers are not the same squad that flamed out in earlier postseasons. They’ve been through the battles now. They’ve felt the sting of second-round exits, endured the headlines about underachieving stars, and grown from it. McDavid and Draisaitl speak with the confidence of players who know what’s required. They aren’t hoping to win—they expect to. That psychological shift, from hopeful underdogs to rightful contenders, changes everything.

Yet despite all the talent and promise, there’s still a long road ahead. The NHL postseason is ruthless. Every shift, every bounce, every blocked shot matters. The Oilers won’t be handed anything, not with teams like the Avalanche, Stars, and Canucks looming in the West, and the Bruins, Panthers, and Rangers waiting in the East. There will be setbacks. There will be adversity. And if history has taught us anything, it’s that Canadians should temper optimism with caution.

But still, we have to ask. We have to hope. For all of Canada, not just Edmonton, a Stanley Cup would mean more than just a trophy. It would be a validation. A release. It would silence decades of American-centric narratives about where hockey truly belongs. For a country that lives and breathes the sport, that exports its best players only to watch them win elsewhere, it would be deeply personal.

The impact would reverberate well beyond Rogers Place. Across every bar in Saskatchewan, every rink in Nova Scotia, every junior team in Quebec, every backyard game in British Columbia—Canada would celebrate. It wouldn’t matter if you’re a Maple Leafs loyalist, a die-hard Habs supporter, or a Jets fan still chasing 1990s dreams. For a moment, we would all be Oilers fans.

That’s the unique burden—and opportunity—of being Canada’s best hope. The Oilers aren’t just playing for their city. They’re playing for a nation desperate to believe that greatness can still be grown at home, not just drafted and developed, but realized, rewarded, and remembered. They’re carrying the collective dreams of a country tired of waiting.

So yes, Canadian fans, we have to ask. Not because we want to be let down again, but because we believe. We believe in Connor McDavid’s destiny. We believe in the power of a team that’s battled and rebuilt itself. We believe in the idea that hockey’s holy grail doesn’t have to stay south of the border. Not this year.

Because if not now—then when?