Edmonton Oilers preview: Connor McDavid's arrival reignites fan base

2014-15 results:24-44-14, sixth in the Pacific

Arrivals: GM Peter Chiarelli, coach Todd McLellan, Ds Griffin Reinhart (trade with New York Islanders), Andrej Sekera (free agent), Eric Gryba (trade with Ottawa Senators), G Cam Talbot (trade with New York Rangers), LW Lauri Korpikoski (trade with Arizona Coyotes), Mark Letestu (free agent).

Departures: C Boyd Gordon (traded to Arizona Coyotes), C Derek Roy (free agent)

Goaltending: The Oilers believe Talbot (21-9-0, 2.21, .926) is the answer to the goaltending issues that have plagued the franchise for the past two seasons. The Oilers ranked 30th last season with an .888 team save percentage and were 27th the previous season. Talbot had a .931 even-strength save percentage last season.

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Analysis: Not since the days of Wayne Gretzky's best seasons have Edmonton fans been this fired up about their team. Most of the buzz has been created by the drafting of McDavid. But the sharp Oilers fans also like the hiring of Chiarelli and McLellan. After Mike Babcock, McLellan was the most sought-after coach in the marketplace. There's a sense around Edmonton that Chiarelli already has the team headed in the right direction after aggressive moves in the offseason. Even before McDavid's arrival, the Oilers had an intriguing offense. Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Nail Yakupov and Leon Draisaitl are the makings of a dominant offensive team. This is a team that needs confidence and a better defense, and Chiarelli is in the midst of giving it both.

What advanced stats say: Eberle produced 24 goals with 25 first assists. That means he was directly responsible for 24.7% of all the Oilers' goals last season.

Breakthrough candidate: Yakupov, 21, might benefit most from the arrival of McLellan. He has a clean slate, and if he connects with McLellan, he could blossom into a 25-goal scorer this season. His talent well is overflowing.

Youngster to watch: Reinhart, 21, is 6-4, and he could be the shutdown defenseman the Oilers need. The son of former NHL player Paul Reinhart has eight games of NHL experience and has played a full season in the American Hockey League.

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What the team really needs: Dramatically improved defensive play. The Oilers gave up 276 goals last season. That's 92 more goals, more than one per game, than the Montreal Canadiens surrendered. The Oilers added three defensemen this season, and more change will be coming. The Oilers are high on young Darnell Nurse, but he has only six games of pro experience.

Key question: Should the forward-rich Oilers trade a forward for a defenseman? Not necessarily. The added bonus of winning the McDavid sweepstakes is that Edmonton can surround him with a skilled supporting cast up front. They have three blue-chip young centers in McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins and Draisaitl. However, they could move Draisaitl to the wing. Chiarelli has already improved the defense without giving up a prize prospect. He might choose to do that at some point, but it is not a given.

Forecast: The Oilers will be among the NHL's most improved teams, but their playoff drought will still extend to a 10th season.

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