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Sunday Scramble: Oilers’ cup future hard to envision, the glaring flaws, and the schedule positives

4 7
06.01.2026
Heading into the season, I didn’t think the Edmonton Oilers were going to win the Stanley Cup. I was scared to give that opinion when I first joined Oilersnation in October.

Florida Panthers be damned, three consecutive final appearances is uncommon, never mind winning your first Stanley Cup in three tries, which has rarely ever happened in the NHL. Hockey is a random game. Great teams lose all the time.

That, combined with the question marks coming into the lineup, I had my doubts, and I still remain happy to have my thoughts proved wrong.

But overall, it reeked of being a “hot take” and doesn’t ingratiate yourself to a company based on Oilers fandom. So why share it?

“Hi! I’m Michael Menzies. Nice to meet you. Oh yeah, that thing we all want to happen. Nope, ain’t going to happen…”

Yet even with this opinion, and the lacklustre performances of the past week, I feel much less negative than a segment of the fanbase. Open up the Elon machine after the Flyers game on Saturday, and get your fill. Is the hashtag #FireKnob trending yet?

Nothing that’s happened so far this season has steered my opinion — most of their summer wagers haven’t panned out, and had massive question marks attached to them.

What about Trent Frederic’s post-season performance would get me excited about an eight-year contract? What about Andrew Mangiapane’s point production declining for three consecutive seasons made me think this year would be different? What about Stuart Skinner made me think his technical abilities improve over a couple of months? And so, and so forth…

That’s not a surprise.

The Flyers game on Saturday is a good example. Tell a hockey fan the Flyers would have one more win than the Oilers in the new year, and you’d be laughed out of your basement.

While the Flyers have some skill, they don’t have the top-end talent of the Oilers to be sure. But they are a clear example of having your wagers pan out and a team committed to their structure, which is the opposite of the Oilers.

Believe what........

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