NHL insider Frank Seravalli believes it's only a matter of time before Connor McDavid lifts the Stanley Cup with the Edmonton Oilers.
After losing the 2024 Stanley Cup Final to the Florida Panthers, McDavid and the Oilers are favorites to go all the way in 2025.
Edmonton is third in the Pacific division with 51 points, six behind the Vegas Golden Knights.
"I think it's a matter of when and not 'if' Connor McDavid wins the Stanley Cup and Leon Draisaitl. And then once that happens, to me, another one could follow in relatively short order," Frank Seravalli said (via Oilersnation.com).
The Oilers are the favorites in the West at 7-4. The Dallas Stars are close behind, with 10-1 odds. The Colorado Avalanche, who made trades to improve their goaltending, are third at 12-1 odds.
In the East, the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers and the Toronto Maple Leafs are the top contenders.
Edmonton Oilers beat Kraken 4-2 with Leon Draisaitl extending point streak
The Edmonton Oilers improved to 24-12-3 with a 4-2 win over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.
Vasily Podkolzin scored 57 seconds into the game. He finished a pass from Leon Draisaitl to give Edmonton the lead. Jeff Skinner made it 2-0 at 5:18, receiving a pass from Kasperi Kapanen and scoring over Grubauer’s blocker.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins increased the lead to 3-0 in the second period, one-timing a pass from Connor Brown past Grubauer. Seattle got on the board with Chandler Stephenson’s goal at 15:56. He scored on a 2-on-1 rush, making it 3-1.
Jaden Schwartz scored for Seattle in the third period to cut the lead to 3-2, finishing a rebound from Vince Dunn. Leon Draisaitl then sealed the win with an empty-net goal at 18:02.
Calvin Pickard made 15 saves for the Edmonton Oilers, while Philipp Grubauer stopped 28 shots for Seattle.
McDavid, meanwhile, has 15 goals, tied for 38th in the league. His 39 assists rank fourth, while his 54 points are tied for fifth. McDavid’s +12 rating is tied him for 45th in the league.