Oilers Revenge Tour Official, Clinch Playoff Berth

The Edmonton Oilers finished the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs heartbroken. After battling back from a 3-0 deficit, they forced game 7 against the Florida Panthers, only to come up short in the last game of the season.

Fast forward one year, and the Oilers' revenge tour is official. Following a 4-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks, the Oilers clinched their berth in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. This is the sixth straight season the Oilers have made the postseason, continuing the championship-contending window for another year.

The biggest question from last season haunts the Oilers once again: Can their goaltending depth hold up through four rounds? Last season, it let them down on a few occasions in the postseason, and that can't happen in 2025 if they want to reach the finals once again. Veteran backup Calvin Pickard has picked up the slack with starter Stuart Skinner on the shelf, but is that the winning formula in the playoffs?

The big x-factor for the Oilers is superstar forward Leon Draisaitl. He's fighting for the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer, the Rocket Richard as the leading goal scorer, and even a possible nomination for the Selke Trophy as the best defensive forward. He's had one of the best seasons of his NHL career, and it could lead to multiple individual accolades. That isn't enough for Draisaitl and company, however, who are eyeing revenge in the postseason.

The first challenge will be a fourth straight matchup with their Pacific Division rivals, the Los Angeles Kings. Winners of their previous three meetings, the Oilers have the blueprint for beating the Kings in a series. That doesn't guarantee they can do it a fourth consecutive time, but it's where their postseason journey is likely to begin.