Oilers season preview: McDavid reason for optimism

The 2018-19 NHL season begins Oct. 3. With training camps open, NHL.com is taking a look at the five keys, the inside scoop on roster questions, and the projected lines for all 31 teams. Today, the Edmonton Oilers.

Coach: Todd McLellan (fourth season)
Last season: 36-40-6; sixth place Pacific Division

5 KEYS

1. Identifying lessons

The Oilers have had plenty of time to ponder what went wrong last season, missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs by 17 points after they had 103 points and advanced to the Western Conference Second Round in 2016-17. McLellan is pushing for better focus to start this season and has taken his message to his players individually. "Who are we?" coach Todd McLellan said, promoting the idea that Edmonton needs to be sure of its identity. "Who do we want to be? And how do we get there?"

2. Magnificent McDavid

Connor McDavid will be aiming for a third straight NHL scoring title after he had 108 points (41 goals, 67 assists) last season and 100 (30 goals, 70 assists) in 2016-17. He was voted by NHL players as the winner of the Ted Lindsay Award as most outstanding player for the second straight season. The Oilers captain worked hard on his shot in the offseason, hoping to score even more. The 21-year-old's leadership has also been emerging; he's been consistent in stating his belief that the Oilers can rebound after regressing last season.
"You saw [the] Winnipeg [Jets] do it," McDavid said. "They weren't very good two years ago, and last year you saw what they were able to do (reach the Western Conference Final). We know where things went wrong, and you've got to learn from that."

3. Redemption in goal

No. 1 goalie Cam Talbot wasn't solely to blame for the Oilers' goals-against increasing from 207 in 2016-17 to 262 last season. But Talbot, like his teammates, struggled at the start of the season, and he finished with a .908 save percentage, well below his .919 NHL career percentage entering 2017-18. Talbot's work ethic is beyond question, and that bodes well for a return to form.

4. Improve special teams

Edmonton's power play ranked last among the 31 NHL teams in 2017-18 (14.8 percent), and its penalty kill was 25th (76.7 percent). The Oilers had the worst home penalty kill since the NHL started keeping those records in 1977-78 (65.8 percent). A significant rise in the rankings will be essential if Edmonton is to get back to the playoffs. A healthier Oscar Klefbom should help. The defenseman had shoulder surgery March 22 after being plagued by the injury most of the season.

5. Quickness required

McDavid may well be the fastest player in the game, but the Oilers need to play with more speed overall. That's quickness in reads, decisions and puck movement. Left wing Milan Lucic struggled in 2017-18, though he was hardly alone in having a down season. Lucic scored 10 goals, one in his final 46 games, not because his speed declined, but because his confidence sagged. The veteran wing will look to lead the way to more crisp play.

ROSTER RUNDOWN

Making the cut

The Oilers have juggled their top six forwards. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins moves to left wing with McDavid, and center Leon Draisaitl is on the second line playing with Lucic instead of McDavid. Edmonton needs to identify productive right wings. Ty Rattie will get an opportunity with McDavid. On the second line, will it be veteran Tobias Rieder, signed as a free agent July 1, or rookie Kailer Yamamoto? The Oilers also need to find their sixth defenseman. With veteran Andrej Sekera out indefinitely with an Achilles tendon injury, the competition will likely be between Kevin Gravel, Jakub Jerabek and rookie Ethan Bear, who played 18 games with the Oilers late last season.

Most intriguing addition

It was a bold move signing Finland-born goalie Mikko Koskinen as Talbot's backup May 1. Koskinen, 30, has imposing size (6-foot-7, 209 pounds) and is on a one-way contract after playing the past five seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League. He was selected by the New York Islanders with the No. 31 pick in the 2009 NHL Draft and spent three seasons in the organization, from 2009-2012. He played four games for the Islanders in 2010-11.

Biggest potential surprise

Rattie has an enviable opportunity in front of him as one of McDavid's wings. He played with McDavid when the Oilers were playing out the string late last season, and some chemistry was present when he had nine points (five goals, four assists) in 14 games. Rattie, 25, is on his third NHL team, having signed with the Oilers as a free agent July 1, 2017. The St. Louis Blues chose him in the second round (No. 32) in the 2011 NHL Draft. He played 30 games for the Blues and five for the Carolina Hurricanes, who claimed him off waivers Jan. 4, 2017. Rattie was a prolific scorer in juniors. He had 231 points (105 goals and 126 assists) in 131 games for Portland in his final two seasons (2011-2013) in the Western Hockey League.

Ready to break through

The timing will be ideal if defenseman Darnell Nurse is ready for a bigger role. Starting his fourth NHL season, the No. 7 pick of the 2013 NHL Draft will be asked to play top-four minutes with Sekera out. Nurse's game has grown over his first three NHL seasons as has his ice time, to a high of 22:15 per game last season. He has imposing size (6-4, 221), can be tough to play against and offered a hint of some offensive upside last season, when he had 26 points (six goals, 20 assists) in 82 games.

PROJECTED LINEUP

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- Connor McDavid -- Ty Rattie
Milan Lucic -- Leon Draisaitl -- Tobias Rieder
Jujhar Khaira -- Ryan Strome -- Jesse Puljujarvi
Drake Caggiula -- Kyle Brodziak -- Zack Kassian
Oscar Klefbom -- Adam Larsson
Darnell Nurse -- Matt Benning
Kevin Gravel -- Kris Russell
Cam Talbot
Mikko Koskinen