Bob Stauffer isn't hedging on Edmonton this season, and his prediction is bold enough to get noticed around the league.
"I believe the Edmonton Oilers are going to win the division this year," Stauffer said on Oilers Now.
He pointed to a rested roster, deeper goaltending, and a defense corps he sees as genuinely different heading into camp.
Stauffer also floated a promise. He called it a "stone cold mortal lock" that Edmonton adds another top six forward at some point this season.
That defensive optimism has real merit. Mattias Ekholm posted 6 goals and 35 assists for 41 points in 82 games, still a steady veteran presence at 36.
Jake Walman added 20 points in 53 games, and if he and Ekholm both stay healthy, this group looks meaningfully deeper than last year's version.
Connor Murphy chipped in 17 points across 80 games, and Ryan Shea joins as a puck moving option who profiles more as a mobile transition defender than a shutdown piece.
Isaac Howard's chance could decide Edmonton's top six
The winger question is where things get murkier though. This exact conversation happened last winter too, and Edmonton ultimately pivoted.
Instead of chasing a top six scorer, GM Stan Bowman brought in third line center Jason Dickinson and top four defenseman Connor Murphy.
Don't be surprised if that same pattern repeats, with Edmonton holding its limited trade capital until closer to the deadline before deciding how to spend it.
The bigger internal storyline is Isaac Howard. Edmonton gave up a real asset in prospect Sam O'Reilly to acquire him from Tampa, and O'Reilly has since taken off as one of the more exciting prospects in the sport.
Howard managed just 5 points in 29 games at the NHL level last season, though his AHL production was reportedly much stronger.
The smart move is giving him real minutes in a top nine role this fall rather than shipping him back to the minors for more seasoning he may not actually need.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins no longer looks like a reliable top six winger option, which opens a real vacancy Edmonton needs to fill from within.
Kasperi Kapanen and Howard both deserve an extended look at that spot before Edmonton looks outside the organization for a fix.
Matthew Savoie's forechecking intensity was a big reason he took a step forward last season, and whether Howard can bring that same relentlessness on the forecheck remains the real unknown.
If Howard earns real minutes in Edmonton's top six, this team either keeps its remaining trade assets intact or gets to redirect them somewhere else entirely.
Whether Babcock and Bowman are actually willing to hand Howard that opportunity from day one is the question that decides how this whole season shapes up.
Should the Oilers give Isaac Howard a full-time top six role this season?
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