Even on a summer getaway, there are questions about the Edmonton Oilers that make you go "Hmmm"

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There is nothing quite like disconnecting completely.

A couple weeks of being physically out of the country, with no North American cell coverage and no Twitter, etc., sure helps clear the mind.

But even on the other side of the world in a time and space completely unrelated to hockey, thoughts of the Edmonton Oilers still drift in and out of the brain.

Here are some things that popped into my mind while not just away, but unfiltered and unfettered by any outside influence at all except for some random thoughts…

1. I wonder if Connor McDavid will re-sign.

To be clear, I had zero expectation that a contract would happen before now. And while other guys in other towns can write all they want about what impact 97 would have in their city, that just makes good copy and compiles clicks. But still…is there a bigger question?

2. I wonder how Zach Hyman is healing up.

It was a serious injury to his hand, and he is a goal scorer. I would not be surprised if he did not play a single pre-season game. Not because I have an inside tip, but because why would you chance it on a nothing game? With the tough early schedule, time without him could be costly.

3. I wonder if the goaltending will hold up.

I did not expect a change in the players as free agency offered so little. And the change in the Goaltending Coach was an “under-the-radar” shuffle that I am not sure will move the needle. I still believe the two guys we have make us competitive. But the big goal has so far been out of reach.

4. I wonder if this club will be tough enough.

I can intellectualize why Evander Kane and Corey Perry are no longer Edmonton Oilers. But they had track records for providing that kind of presence. While it is no longer 1975, it is still a tough league. There are guys with sandpaper. But no real heavyweight, no real agitator.

5. I wonder what, if anything, the new contract will do for Evan Bouchard?

At times last season I wondered if the pending negotiations were bothering him. But he turned it on in the post-season once again. A lot of what Evan brings requires confidence. Maybe the new deal delivers that. My outlook on this front is positive, but we will see.

6. I wonder how many of the kids penciled in to make the team will have a real impact.

Rookies are just behind goaltenders in the voodoo department. Experience has taught me that they all do not make it. Probably half of them will not. It is the law of nature in the NHL. The salary cap dictates that you need those guys to pan out. To over-perform their contracts.

7. I wonder if this team will finally climb over the top, or is it more likely they will regress?

After the loss in the final two years ago, I was convinced that the bitter taste in their mouths would be a real motivator. But losing in the final two years in a row? There is a delicate balance between motivation and morose. Overcoming the disappointment yet again will not be a minor matter. And for a second consecutive season, there will be substantial roster churn. It will be a real test.

There are a million other questions of course, you will have your own. And this kind of stuff hardly applies only to the Edmonton Oilers. Every other team, with the possible exception of The Stanley Cup Champions, has their own “list” of “I Wonders”.

But is it usually the club with the shortest list that has the best chance to win.

Now on Bluesky @kurtleavins.bsky.social. Also, find me on Threads @kleavins, Twitter @KurtLeavins, Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, and Mastodon at KurtLeavins@mstdn.social.

This article is not AI generated.

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Bruce McCurdy, 1955-2025.

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