The Edmonton Oilers took the Florida Panthers to the limit in the Stanley Cup Final. Forcing a game seven after losing the first three games of the series was one of the most impressive feats in NHL history, let alone the last 20 years. Ultimately, they couldn’t make it four wins in a row and the Panthers hoisted the Cup for the first time in team history.

The Oilers have suffered multiple disappointing postseason defeats over the past few years. Despite coming up short, many see Edmonton as a Stanley Cup contender next season. TSN OverDrive’s host Bryan Hayes believes that the Oilers are the team most likely to end the Stanley Cup drought in Canada.

“I think they are even better on paper today than they were in game seven of the Stanley Cup Final,” he said. “Im a big fan of where Edmonton is at.”

A Canadian team hasn’t won the Stanley Cup in over 30 years. The Montreal Canadiens claimed the championship in 1993, and the whole country is impatiently waiting for the Cup to return to the country of hockey.

According to Hayes, the Oilers are improved and extra motivated heading into the 2024 season. Already one of the best teams in the NHL, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and company are setting themselves up to challenge the Panthers for the Stanley Cup in 2025.

“I think there’s a few very good Canadian teams. Toronto’s really good. Vancouver’s really good. I think Winnipeg’s still good. But it’s clear at this point, Edmonton’s the best team in the country. They have the best chance of breaking that drought and I think they’re chasing Florida again this year.”

The Oilers made some impressive personnel decisions this summer. They re-signed valuable veterans like Adam Henrique and Connor Brown while also cheaply adding two middle six forwards in Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson to fill out their second and third lines. With some notable improvements and revenge motivating the team, the Oilers are Canada’s best chance of ending their Stanley Cup drought.