EDMONTON — Well, this is awkward.
Stop me if you’ve heard this before — the Edmonton Oilers lost their home opener in a blowout.
That’s exactly how the script for last year started.
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But it’s unsurprising that the Winnipeg Jets came into Rogers Place and brought their best. Everyone on the Oilers roster knows that will be the case this season.
“We’re going to face the best of every single team,” Stuart Skinner told the media after last night’s loss. “They worked, and we’ve gotta compete at that same level, and even more.”
In a video posted to Sportsnet’s Twitter yesterday, Wyatt Johnston, Jack Eichel, MacKenzie Weegar, Quinton Byfield, and Quinn Hughes all stated that the Oilers will be their biggest rivals this season.
That’s the Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights, Calgary Flames, Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks collectively say they have their sights set on the Oilers.
And there’s probably more where that came from.
After making it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, many teams will use games against the Oilers as a measuring stick to see where their organization lines up.
Despite the Oilers being heavy favorites this season, it won’t be a cakewalk. Unfortunately, Connor McDavid and company are skating around with targets on their backs.
Now, their job is to flip the narrative quicker than they did last season. Saturday night’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks will give them an opportunity to do just that.
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