The Edmonton Oilers are heading into the 2023-24 season as the runaway Stanley Cup Favourites, and a lot of other teams want to knock them down a peg.
For the beginning of the season, Sportsnet sat down with a number of NHL stars and asked which team will be their biggest rival heading into next season. Out of 9 players asked in the Western Conference, 5 named the Oilers as their biggest rival. The Oilers came up as a rival more than any other team.
Wyatt Johnston, Jack Eichel, Mackenzie Weegar, Quinton Byfield, and Quinn Hughes all named the Oilers as their biggest rival. The Flames is an obvious match for the Battle of Alberta and the Canucks as well for a Canadian rivalry, but every other player said that they'd like to get Edmonton back for eliminating them in the playoffs. Success comes with a cost - every other team is ready and eager to beat an elite team.
Connor McDavid picked the Los Angeles Kings as the Oilers biggest rival, while Leon Draisaitl picked the Vancouver Canucks. The only Western players who didn't mention the Oilers were Filip Forsberg, Macklin Celebrini, Clayton Keller, and Connor Bedard.
The Edmonton Oilers are only interested in what the trials of the playoffs will bring, but it seems like many other teams around the league will be circling the Oilers on their calendars.
Edmonton should be wanting to compete for the President's Trophy this season to get home ice advantage in the playoffs, and they'll need to bring it every shift to reach that goal. They've got off to a slow start in Game 1, but they'll have a great chance to bounce back against the rebuilding Blackhawks on Saturday Night.
