Report shows that Oilers were dealt a huge disadvantage in Stanley Cup Finals

When looking at this new report from @HockeyStathead, we can see that the 2024 postseason might have been tougher on the Edmonton Oilers than any other team across the NHL.

While the Oilers did well under pressure, fighting for a playoff spot despite firing head coach Jay Woodcroft in November, and dealing with injuries to star players like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl during the postseason, they still face one huge disadvantage.

The Oilers fought for a spot in the postseason, which got them to be a lower seed than expected. As a result, it turns out that Edmonton faced the fourth toughest path to the Stanley Cup Finals in NHL history, per @HockeyStathead.

As seen in the graphic, the Oilers come in just behind the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2022 and their Stanley Cup Finals rival the Florida Panthers who are on the list twice in 2023 and 1996.

It could explained why the Oilers kicked off the Stanley Cup Final looking tired and out of it, though they pushed through to force a Game 7 in Florida, losing the coveted prize by just one goal.

The Oilers are more focused than ever on bringing the Stanley Cup home in 2025. Who knows maybe they can accomplish what the Panthers did and follow up a tough loss with a Stanley Cup next June.