EDMONTON — So, who exactly are the Edmonton Oilers?

Are they simply an above-average team that went to two Stanley Cup Finals, tripped up last season, and are now poised to resume their spot as a true Cup contender?

Or, must they reclaim a place among the five or six teams we would say have a legitimate Cup shot, as camps open across the National Hockey League? Have they descended below Carolina, Florida, Colorado etc., to the point that the Oilers should no longer be spoken of in the same breath — despite playing more playoff games over the past five seasons than any other NHL club?

Edmonton still has the core of a team that rolled through the West in the springs of ’24 and ’25. It is well-rested with two of the best players in the world, the best power play in hockey, a 95-point defenceman and a beefed-up defensive game with depth additions over the summer.

New head coach Mike Babcock arrives with solid ideas on how to improve on the razor-thin shortfalls that stood between Edmonton and two Stanley Cup victories. But will those solid ideas be overcome by Babcock’s historic shenanigans?

Will Babcock celebrate New Year’s as the Oilers coach? Or on the unemployment line?

While there are fan bases across the NHL that would trade their roster for Edmonton’s in a heartbeat, until they see a Stanley Cup parade down Jasper Ave., folks will doubt........

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