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After several days of waiting in limbo, the Edmonton Oilers now know who they will be taking on in the Western Conference Final. That team will be the Dallas Stars, who were able to defeat the Winnipeg Jets in Game 6 on Saturday night. This will be a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Final, where the Oilers were able to eliminate the Stars in six games.
These two teams have been heavy hitters in the West in recent years. This will mark the Oilers’ third Western Conference Final in four years, while the Stars have now made it to this point in three straight seasons. It’s expected to be a very close battle between two elite teams. Should the Oilers come out on top, they will need these four things to go in their favour.
Power Play Needs to Improve
In past years, the Oilers have often gotten by, especially in the playoffs, thanks to the brilliance of their power play. This year has been different, as they are getting plenty of even-strength scoring thanks to several depth pieces stepping up. While that is a positive, their power play struggles as of late have been a concern.
The Oilers’ power play really struggled against the Vegas Golden Knights, making it rather surprising that they were able to get by in just five games. That speaks largely to how well they are playing at even strength, but the team is well aware this is something they’ll need to be better at against a lethal Stars group.
“Our five-on-five game has been really good. Our specialty teams will need to get going here,” Connor McDavid said. “Starts with the power play, our power plays got to find a way to be a factor in this series, and we will.”
Skinner Needs to Start Hot
The playoffs have been a rollercoaster ride for Stuart Skinner. He was replaced by Calvin Pickard after two rough starts versus the LA Kings, but got the net back partway through the second round due to an injury to his goalie partner. He’s rebounded in incredible fashion, posting back-to-back shutouts to knock off the Golden Knights.
The issue for Skinner is that his numbers to begin a series, versus those in the latter half, are vastly different. He will need to find a way to keep his recent play going, as it’s of the utmost importance that the Oilers don’t put themselves into a hole before heading back to Rogers Place for Games 3 and 4.
McDavid and Draisaitl Need to Step Up Their Play
McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are rightfully considered the best playoff performers in the game today, though so far this year, they’ve been rather quiet. The Oilers captain had just five points in five games versus the Golden Knights, while his counterpart had six. The fact that those numbers are viewed as disappointing speaks to how much is expected of them, but they’ll need to pick things up in order to compete with a Stars team that is loaded with scoring talent.
A big part of their numbers being down is due to the previously mentioned struggles on the power play. It’s worth noting that the Stars’ penalty kill has been very good in the postseason at 86.1 percent, though the Oilers’ dynamic power play group has exposed great penalty kills in the past. Getting it back on track would obviously help improve McDavid and Draisaitl’s totals.
Nurse Needs to Be at His Best
While Mattias Ekholm hasn’t been ruled out for the entirety of this series, it has been confirmed that he won’t play in the opening two games. That update suggests that even if he does return, he will be far from full health, which means the rest of the blue line as a collective whole will need to be at their best.
The biggest concern of the bunch is Darnell Nurse, who has struggled in past playoff runs and has been quite inconsistent thus far. When at his best, he can be a complete force, as he is a great skater, can shut down opponents, and makes a great first pass that can lead to scoring chances. The Oilers will need the best version of Nurse to knock off the Stars, as it’s unclear what Ekholm will be able to provide should he be able to return.
Thrilling Series Ahead
Though the Oilers came out on top of this battle last year, this Stars team is an even more dangerous bunch this go around. The big reason for that was the acquisition of Mikko Rantanen, who has been as advertised with nine goals and 19 points in 13 games. That said, the Oilers have plenty of weapons of their own, which should allow for this series to be one of, if not the best, we’ve seen yet in this year’s playoffs.
More must-reads:
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Two Teams Linked to a Trade with Bruins for Pavel Zacha
The Boston Bruins are gauging trade interest in forward Pavel Zacha, according to The Fourth Period. Following a down season and a trade deadline where Zacha’s name was thrown around but was ultimately not moved, Bruins GM Don Sweeney is trying to move the 27-year-old Czech center. Zacha is playing in the final season of a contract that has a $4.75 million cap hit. Zacha, acquired from the New Jersey Devils in 2022 for Erik Haula, has been a solid pickup for Boston. He posted 21 goals and 57 points in 78 games in 2023-24, though his production dipped slightly to 47 points over a full 82-game slate last season. He can play up and down the lineup and has a strong two-way game. Who Has Shown Interest in a Zacha Trade? Two teams reportedly monitoring Zacha are the Vancouver Canucks and the Utah Hockey Club. Both teams are seeking top-six forward depth and would value Zacha’s steady offensive contributions. The Canucks have been busy all summer, signing and trading players. They have also been linked to Jack Roslovic talks in free agency, meaning they wouldn’t be adding both. Utah has been looking to make a splash this season and work their way up the standings in an attempt to compete for the playoffs. The Bruins would likely demand a notable return, but neither team is looking to send players back. The trade would likely involve a high pick or a mid-tier prospect. Zacha controls part of the process with an eight-team no-trade list. He’s owed just $3.75 million in actual salary each of the next two seasons, further boosting his trade appeal.
Why as many as 100 NFL players are facing fines and potential suspension
There is not a bigger sporting event in North America than the Super Bowl, and tickets are only getting more expensive every year. There is also a ridiculous secondary market for tickets where seats sell for well above the original face value. It is usually fans or ticket resellers going for a quick profit. But as was reported on Friday, sometimes it can be players in the NFL looking to make a profit. According to multiple reports, including the Associated Press and ESPN, more than 100 players are facing fines and potential suspensions for selling their allotment of tickets to this year's Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs for above face value. Players are reportedly facing fines of one-and-a-half times the face value they originally paid for the tickets, while they are also prevented from purchasing tickets to the Super Bowl for the next seasons. The Associated Press obtained a memo from the NFL detailing the violation and investigation. That memo was as follows: “Our initial investigation has determined that a number of NFL players and coaches, employed by several NFL Clubs, sold Super Bowl tickets for more than the ticket’s face value in violation of the Policy. This long-standing League Policy, which is specifically incorporated into the Collective Bargaining Agreement, prohibits League or Club employees, including players, from selling NFL game tickets acquired from their employer for more than the ticket’s face value or for an amount greater than the employee originally paid for the ticket, whichever is less. We are in the process of completing our investigation into this matter, but the investigation has revealed that club employees and players sold their tickets to a small number of ‘bundlers’ who were working with a ticket reseller to sell the Super Bowl tickets above face value.” If players are not willing to pay the fine, they could be facing suspension from the league. It seems unlikely that any of the players — none of whom have been named, or their teams — would refuse to pay such a fine. It's also one of those moments where you can say, professional athletes — they're still normal people trying to make a quick buck. The most logical answer here is perhaps some of the players caught up in this are younger players who have not yet struck it rich on a big contract or perhaps even practice squad players who are not making top dollar.
All signs point to Yankees moving on from Anthony Volpe
With the trade for Ryan McMahon now complete, it would seem New York Yankees’ general manager Brian Cashman has fulfilled one of his three priorities. He can now cross third base off the list, which leaves the rotation and bullpen as his remaining priorities. However, according to one Yankees writer, Cashman might not be done with the infield. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reported this after the McMahon trade: “The Yankees may not be done adding to their infield. A team source said the Yankees are interested in adding a right-handed hitter who could play the infield.” Kirschner adds that the Yankees have had interest in Willi Castro and Amed Rosario. But the question now is, how would another player fit in the Yankees’ infield? Needless to say, Paul Goldschmidt and Jazz Chisholm Jr. aren’t going anywhere, and McMahon is just getting there. That leaves the low-hanging fruit. Anthony Volpe has been at the center of controversy all this season. His 13 errors, many of which had come at make-or-break moments, amount to the second-highest total in the game. In addition, his bat has not been able to compensate, hitting .214/.286/.407 with 14 home runs. There was always a lot to like about Volpe. He won a Gold Glove in his rookie year, his power has always been promising and his speed is nothing to scoff at. Unfortunately, his glove has become a liability and his speed has also produced very few results. Volpe has swiped just 10 bags in 17 attempts. His power is the one thing that still has some upside, but it hasn’t been enough to justify a spot in the lineup. Both Castro and Rosario have been far more productive at the plate this season than Volpe. Kirschner doesn’t clarify how serious the Yankees are in their pursuit of another infielder, but that most likely isn’t available information. Having just turned 24, Volpe could still become the type of player that was expected from him as a top prospect. However, his recent performance has weighed heavily on his team’s efforts and it may be buying him a ticket out of the Bronx — or at least a spot on the bench.
ESPN Predicts Mets-Twins Trade One Week Before Deadline
The New York Mets are a half-game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the NL East, but their pitching staff is still injury-ravaged despite the recent returns of Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas. Brandon Waddell (hip), Dedniel Nuñez (elbow), Max Kranick (flexor), Paul Blackburn (shoulder), Tylor Megill (elbow), Griffin Canning (Achilles), Drew Smith (elbow), A.J. Minter (lat), Danny Young (elbow), and Christian Scott (elbow) are alll on the Mets' IL. The MLB Trade Deadline is July 31 at 6 p.m. EST, so the front office has one week to add healthy arms from around the league this season. ESPN's David Schoenfield predicted on Thursday that New York would trade for a Minnesota Twins reliever. "One guarantee of the trade deadline: The Mets will add to the bullpen, probably with more than one trade. Though the rotation still ranks fifth in ERA, that was built off a hot start," he wrote. "More importantly, the only Mets starter to complete six innings since June 7 has been David Peterson. As a result, manager Carlos Mendoza has run relievers Reed Garrett, Huascar Brazoban, Jose Butto and Ryne Stanek into the ground. The bullpen had a 2.78 ERA through May, but that figure is over 5.00 since the beginning of June (ranking near the bottom of the majors)." "The Twins have two high-profile relievers in [Jhoan] Duran and [Griffin] Jax, both of whom are under team control through 2027, so they'll be much more expensive than your usual short-term relievers if the Twins decide to trade one or both," he continued. "Duran would be harder to deal -- but bring more in return -- so we'll say Jax will go. Don't be fooled by his 4.09 ERA: He has 68 strikeouts and 12 walks in 44 innings with a 97-mph heater. He's an elite strikeout reliever, the type you want on the mound in October." The Mets are hot despite their injuries, as they're on a four-game winning streak and just swept the Los Angeles Angels. Next up is a road trip against the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres. New York right-handed pitcher Clay Holmes (8-5, 3.48 ERA) will face Giants right-hander Logan Webb (9-7, 3.08 ERA) on Friday.
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