A look at the 7 Canadian teams for the 24-25 season

The Edmonton Oilers came very close to pulling off the feat in 2023-24. They will still be led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, two of the NHL’s best players.

The Oilers added Matthew Savoie, Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner this summer. Will they need a little more help to get back to the finals this season?

The Maple Leafs will be an offensive threat for a few more seasons. However, it’s not out of the question that Mitch Marner will test the market at the end of the next campaign, so the window may be closing in Toronto. Especially as John Tavares is expected to leave in a year’s time too.

We continue to wonder about the back end of the team, with a respectable defense, but nothing more, and average goaltending. Can the Leafs’ offensive qualities surpass their defensive shortcomings?

The Vancouver Canucks are driving with Elias Pettersson as their leader. Backed by several other big guns like JT Miller and Brock Boeser, prospects are high in Western Canada.

At the back, the Canucks are also well built with Quinn Hughes, Filip Hronek and Tatcher Demko. This team could go all the way again this season, after winning the division title last year.

With 110 points in 2023-24, the Winnipeg Jets are counting on the return of all their big guns this season.

Mark Scheifele is a formidable forward who leads a group without superstars, but who paddle forward in unison. They may not have what it takes to win the big trophy, however.

It’s likely to be more of the same in Calgary this season. After several hard knocks last year, the names of Jacob Markstrom and Andrew Mangiapane have been added to the ex-Flames roster.

On the other hand, the additions are few and not necessarily impressive. Jonathan Huberdeau and his group may find the season a bit long in Calgary…

The Montreal Canadiens are making slow but steady progress in their rebuilding. Some youngsters are growing, and others are arriving.

That said, Martin St-Louis and his assistants still have a lot of work to do before they can think about the big honours. Patience may soon pay off!

The Ottawa Senators gave the impression that the future was rosy in the Federal Capital, but last season was instead marked by a certain stagnation.

It’s not out of the question that the Senators will explode in 2024-25, but they’re probably missing one or two ingredients to make the dough rise. Interesting file…