The Oilers seem destined for big things this season.
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Just about everyone has them as the Stanley Cup favourites — MoneyPuck, The Athletic, Sportsnet, even the writers here at The Hockey News.
One source that seems to disagree is EA Sports. They released their annual NHL simulation on Tuesday, predicting a painful repeat of last season with the Oilers once again losing in game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals.
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The NHL 25 sim also predicts a repeat of last season’s Pacific Division race, with the Oilers placing second behind the Vancouver Canucks. In the simulation, the Oilers defeat Vegas, Vancouver, and Nashville on their way to a matchup with the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup Final. It ends in heartbreak again for Edmonton as they fall to Conn Smythe winner Igor Shesterkin and the Rangers in a seven-game series.
EA, like everyone else, predicts a huge year for Connor McDavid, pegging him for 44 goals, 103 assists, and 147 points on his way to another Art Ross Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award. He can’t capture the Hart Trophy, however, thanks to Auston Matthews’ 75 goals.
Igor Shesterkin is projected to win the Vezina along with his Conn Smythe, while Cale Makar captures the Norris and Macklin Celebrini the Calder. Leon Draisaitl finishes the simulation fourth in the league in goals with 51, and fifth in the league in points with 122.
Last year’s NHL 24 sim also featured the Oilers losing in the finals, that time to the New Jersey Devils. While they got the Oilers part right, the real-life Devils ended up missing the playoffs after a disastrous and dysfunctional season.
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One hopes that EA gets it wrong again this time, because I don’t know how the city of Edmonton could survive another game seven loss like last season’s.
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