Chicago Blackhawks vs. Edmonton Oilers: Top 3 key players for each team

These key players could determine the series between the Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers.

As we are gearing up for the upcoming Stanley Cup Playoffs, which are set to begin in August, everyone is beginning to look at the play-in round matchups. Due to the NHL regular season being paused and then completely canceled, the league decided to go with a 24-team playoff format rather than the standard 16-team. Because of that, the Chicago Blackhawks, who would have been out of the postseason, are squaring off against the Edmonton Oilers.

While Edmonton comes in as heavy favorites having finished with 11 more points on the season, upsets are always a possibility if key players for either team come up big, or fall short. Here are the three key players for both teams in this series.

Edmonton Oilers

3. Oscar Klefbom

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If the Oilers want to have playoff success, they will need Oscar Klefbom to be at his best. The 27-year-old is the team’s best defenseman and will be relied on heavily. The stoppage in play likely benefitted him, as he was able to finally get a breather after finishing fifth in the NHL for ice time this season, averaging over 25 minutes per game.

While his five goals and 34 points won’t blow anyone away, he is the team’s best offensive defenseman, both in terms of breaking out of the zone as well as on the powerplay. The problem with Klefbom has been his inability to stay healthy. He has played more than 70 games just once in a season. If he is able to stay healthy and play like he is capable of, the Oilers could cause some damage in this year’s playoffs.

2. Mike Smith/ Mikko Koskinen

One of the biggest question marks coming into this season for the Oilers was goaltending. Mikko Koskinen had just wrapped up his first season with the team, and it became clear that after a very hot start he became fatigued and his play went downhill in a hurry. This had many fans believing the team needed a true number one goalie, so they were not thrilled when Holland announced the signing of the then 37-year-old goalie Mike Smith.

While Koskinen started the 2019-20 season red hot, Smith was quite the opposite. However, head coach Dave Tippett stayed patient with Smith, and it paid off. Come the end of the season, he was seeing the majority of the starts and was giving the Oilers a chance to win every single night.

While Koskinen’s numbers of a 2.75 goals-against average (GAA) and a .917% save percentage (SV%) are certainly better than Smith’s 2.97 GAA and .902 SV%, it seems likely that the latter will start game one of the playoffs.

The main reason behind this is Smith’s playoff experience, as Koskinen has never played in an NHL playoff game. There is also the fact that Tippett trusts Smith, having coached him for several years with the Arizona Coyotes. Regardless, whichever one that does see the net will have to be on top of his game in order for the Oilers to be successful.

3. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

While he remains extremely underrated around the league, Oilers fans know just how valuable Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is to their team. Since coming into the NHL, his defensive abilities, along with his professional attitude despite the team struggling for the majority of his tenure, certainly haven’t gone unnoticed. On top of that, he has rediscovered the offensive touch that made him the first-overall pick at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

The 2018-19 season saw the 27-year-old put up career highs with 28 goals and 69 points. His 2019-20 season was even better, as his 61 points in 65 games make it seem very likely he would’ve set a new career-high had the season not been canceled.

The Oilers fan favorite will need to be better than he was in his first postseason showing in 2017, where he was only able to put up four assists in 13 games. If he is able to produce like he has the last two regular seasons, he will take a lot of weight off the shoulders of McDavid and Draisaitl

Stars Need Support

Of course, players like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will need to perform well, but that is a given. They will need other teammates to step up if they want to win this series. The two listed above are two of the best players in the game today, but even they need help.

Take, for example, the 2018-19 season, which saw both players hit 100 points yet still miss the playoffs by a wide margin. Thankfully, general manager Ken Holland was able to bring in some support staff, which helped turn the team around, and should benefit them in a big way in the playoffs.

Chicago Blackhawks

3. Alex DeBrincat

After a massive 2018-19 season which saw him score 41 goals and 76 points, Alex DeBrincat had a very disappointing follow up with just 18 goals and 45 points. Thankfully for him, the NHL stoppage allowed his team to get a shot in the postseason, giving him a chance to change the narrative on his 2019-20 season. If he is able to perform at a high level in the playoffs, his poor regular season will be forgotten about.

The 22-year-old has not yet played in the NHL playoffs, as the Hawks missed the postseason during his first two seasons with them. However, if his junior stats show us anything, it is that he certainly doesn’t shy away in the playoffs. In his final season with the Eerie Otters, he put up a ridiculous 13 goals and 38 points in just 22 playoff games. While he has yet to prove it on the big stage, he certainly has the skill to do some damage for the Blackhawks.

2. Brandon Saad

Brandon Saad has been a part of the Blackhawks organization for the majority of his career, however in two different stints. He was beloved by Hawks fans during his first three seasons with the team from 2012 to 2015, and won two Stanley Cups in that time. During the offseason after his second Stanley Cup Championship, he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets and subsequently traded back to the Hawks two seasons later.

Unfortunately, he has not been nearly as much of a fan favorite this time around, in large part due to the fact he was traded for superstar Artemi Panarin. While this trade was considered bad right from the start, Saad hasn’t helped justify it much at all as he has put up 35, 47, and 33 points in three seasons since.

This isn’t meant to pile on Saad, who is a very good player in his own right. While he may not have the most offensive skill in the league, he has proven he can produce, as shown by having scored more than 20 goals five times in his career. He is also highly regarded for his solid defensive play, which for many fans can go unnoticed. Not only will a strong playoff performance help his team out, but he can help change the narrative currently surrounding him from Hawks fans if he is able to help the team go on a run this summer.

1. Corey Crawford

For quite some time, it sounded as if Corey Crawford was going to be unable to participate in the upcoming playoffs as he was deemed ‘unfit to play’ by the Blackhawks for a few weeks. Many assumed it was related to his past issues of concussions, but thankfully that is not the case.

Instead, it has been confirmed that 35-year-old tested positive for COVID-19 but is recovered and good to go. This is huge news for the team, as they stood little to no chance if they were forced to turn to backup goaltender Malcolm Subban.

As mentioned above, Crawford has dealt with his fair share of injuries over the past few seasons. When he has been able to play however, he has still been rock solid. This past season was no different, as he put up a 2.77 GAA along with a .917 SV% in 40 games. The only way the Hawks will be able to defeat the Oilers is if the two time Stanley Cup winner is at his best. Despite his age, he is still certainly capable of helping pull off this upset.

Anything Can Happen

Considering how much better of a 2019-20 season the Oilers had, they are certainly the favorites in this series. However, the playoffs are a new season, and anything can happen. That is the saying in any normal season, and this one may prove that point even more. Considering these teams haven’t played for months, along with the fact that the play-in series are just five games, it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see plenty of upsets early on.