The runway is set for the Edmonton Oilers to get off the ground quickly this season.
With six home games to open the year and nine of their first 12 at Rogers Place, the Oilers have a chance to get out of the gates quickly in the quest to get back into the NHL Playoffs this season.
It’s all starting Wednesday by hosting the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Place in the 2022-23 NHL season opener.
“We were really good last season at home, and that’s something that hasn’t always been like that in the past,” said Oilers centre Leon Draisaitl. “We took a big step last season and having nine out of 12 at home is big for us, and we’re looking to have a good start.”
This is the fourth consecutive season the Oilers have opened against the Canucks. The Oilers have won two of the previous three. Overall the Oilers are 20-9-3 in season openers.
“Outside of playoffs, it’s the most exciting game that you play in a season,” Draisaitl said. “Everyone is looking forward to it — a new team, everyone is excited to see how you stack up against other teams. It’s always a special night and you can tell there is a lot of excitement in the group and I think the people are as excited. We’re looking forward to it as well.”
Expectations are high for the Oilers this season after making it to the Western Conference Final last season for the first time since 2006. With the core intact, along with the addition of goaltender Jack Campbell, the Oilers go into the year considered Stanley Cup contenders.
“We’re a good team,” Draisaitl said. “If we play to our standard and the way we know we can play, I don’t think we’ll have any problems having a good year.”
DEBUT FOR HOLLOWAY
Dylan Holloway got an opportunity to dress in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final in June, but only played three-and-a-half minutes.
The Oilers rookie is expected to get a lot more ice time in his regular-season debut against the Canucks.
Holloway had a strong training camp and earned a spot on the opening-night roster. He will play on the Oilers second line with Draisaitl and Zach Hyman.
“It’s pretty special, it’s definitely a dream come true,” Holloway said. “I felt I had a good camp, I was feeling confident in camp and I was able to make some plays. I felt my pace was good, my conditioning was good, so I think that led to a good camp.”
Holloway, 21, was selected 14th overall by the Oilers in the 2020 NHL Draft. His professional career got off to a frustrating start after sustaining a wrist injury at the end of his NCAA career with the University of Wisconsin, which required surgery twice to repair.
A Calgary product, Holloway returned to play 33 games with the Bakersfield Condors, scoring eight goals and collecting 22 points.
“I think the biggest thing for myself is to not be nervous,” Holloway said. “Myself, I’ve already played nine games (pre-season), so I’m going to try and treat this like any other game. But it is a big one, it’s definitely exciting.”
HOMECOMING FOR LAZAR
Curtis Lazar is back in Edmonton as a member of the Canucks with a new three-year contract in his pocket.
Lazar, 27, won two WHL championships and a Memorial Cup title with the Edmonton Oil Kings before moving on to the NHL.
A first-round pick of the Ottawa Senators — 17th overall — in 2013, Lazar spent last season with the Boston Bruins, scoring eight goals with 16 points. He’ll be making $ 1 million a year with the Canucks.
“It’s an opportunity to continue to build my career,” Lazar said. “This summer was an interesting one, coming off my best season in Boston, I knew there were going to be opportunities elsewhere and I was able to land in a great spot here in Vancouver.
“I’m close to home, a dire Canucks fan growing up, which was pretty cool. All in all, it’s a new chapter in my career and I’m looking forward to helping this team win.”
A product of Salmon Arm, B.C., Lazar knows a thing or two about winning. He was selected second overall by the Oil Kings in the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft and was the cornerstone of their championship team.
The Oil Kings went back to the Memorial Cup this past season for the first time since Lazar won it in 2014. The Oil Kings were eliminated in the preliminary round. They were hurt by not having Dylan Guenther at the tournament, who was injured in the WHL Final.
“It was a great run, it was a great team they had and it brought back a lot of memories, watching the games on TV and texting with Rogs (equipment manager Rogan Dean) through it all,” Lazar said. “Time flies and I remember when I first got to the Oil Kings, the older guys said to enjoy the moments because it goes by fast, which is true. I’m coming into my ninth season in the NHL now, which is pretty crazy. I remember my time in Edmonton like it was yesterday.”
Email: dvandiest@postmedia.com
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