Edmonton Oilers 2014-15 Season Preview

Mar 18, 2014; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers right wing Nail Yakupov (64) skates with the puck during the warmup period against the Nashville Predators at Rexall Place. Edmonton Oilers won 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

3 BIG QUESTIONS

 1.  Is the Ben Scrivens – Viktor Fasth combo an improvement over previous years? – Scrivens was solid in a backup role in LA before coming to Edmonton, where he had moderate success.  Fasth was quickly slipping down a deep depth chart in Anaheim before joining the Oilers.  Neither goalie is a proven starter or has the pedigree to do so, so it might be wishful thinking to expect either one to carry a young team for a full season.

2. Will Nail Yakupov ever blossom in Edmonton? – With the bounty of young talent the Oilers have up front, it might be easy to get lost in the shuffle, but a former first overall pick should have more of an impact than he has had so far, and given his style of play and what Coach Dallas Eakins wants to see his team play, they might not mesh.

3.  Is Dallas Eakins the right coach for this group?  – Last season he was supposed to be the saviour, but more often than not Eakins looked like a deer in the headlights.  Perhaps bringing in more veteran players who aren’t going to take anything for granted will rub off on the returning players.