The day has finally arrived. The Edmonton Oilers will be the last NHL team to make their 2011-2012 debut. It almost feels like the NHL is doing its best to torment Oiler fans by making them wait longer than any other team to finally start playing hockey again, even though it’s been painful enough to endure another 30th place finish and the long summer that followed. (I guess Winnipeg Jets fans could argue that their wait has been even more painful.)
However, as the saying goes, “Good things come to those who wait.” In this case, I think the wait will be worth it. The Oilers will play tonight against the Crosbyless, yet still dangerous Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pens are an undefeated team after beating the Canucks in a shootout on Thursday and polishing off our good old rivals to the south last night.
The Oilers will immediately give first overall pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins an opportunity to shine by putting him on the first line in between Taylor Hall and Ales Hemsky. With no shortage of skill on that line, RNH should get every chance to prove that he’s capable of staying with the Oilers all season.
Maybe the best thing about the Oilers this season is that they are not limited to a couple skilled players or to only a top line that is capable of generating offense. There is plenty of additional talent and offensive potential in the form of guys like Jordan Eberle, Linus Omark, Magnus Paajarvi and of course another guy you may have heard of: Ryan Smyth.
While RNH gets most of the spotlight as far as rookies are concerned, the Oilers also will have another centre, Anton Lander, making his NHL debut. Lander, the former captain of the Swedish World Junior team, has been known throughout his young career for his hockey smarts, defensive capabilities, faceoff skills and leadership. Lander has also showed so far (albeit only in preseason so far) that he definitely has offensive upside as well.
It's no big secret that the defense of the Oilers is where there are the most question marks. Will Smid be ready to play tonight? When will Ryan Whitney play? Will Cam Barker rebound from a very poor season last year? Is Jeff Petry ready to take the next step and become an NHL defenseman? Will Peckham be able to build on a decent rookie campaign and become a solid defender with fewer mistakes and capable of logging more minutes? Obviously there are more questions than answers, but we will start to get some answers tonight.
Dubnyk has been the better Oiler goaltender through the preseason and during the latter part of last season. While he deserves to start the season opener, it’s uncertain whether or not he will. Regardless, I think this could be the year that Dubnyk solidifies himself as an NHL starter.
The Oilers will be in tough against a good opponent tonight, but one thing is for certain, it will be fun to watch. Go Oilers!
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