For the last 21 years (12 with The Hockey News) Dobber has reviewed each team from a fantasy-hockey standpoint and graded them.

The 22nd annual review will appear here on DobberHockey throughout the summer. This is not a review of the likely performance on the ice or in the standings, but in the realm of fantasy hockey both for the season ahead as well as the foreseeable future. Offensively, will the team perform? Are there plenty of depth options worthy of owning in keeper leagues? What about over the next two or three years? These questions are what I take into consideration when looking at the depth chart and the player potential on that depth chart.

Enjoy!

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Gone:   Sam Carrick, Vincent Desharnais, Warren Foegele, Jack Campbell, Ryan McLeod, Xavier Bourgault, Jake Chiasson, Dylan Holloway, Philip Broberg

Incoming:  Viktor Arvidsson, Jeff Skinner, Connor Carrick, Mathew Savoie, Collin Delia, Vasily Podkolzin, Ty Emberson

Impact of Changes:

After a very tough loss in the Stanley Cup finals to the Florida Panthers, Jeff Jackson of the Edmonton Oilers swung for the fences, bringing in reinforcements to show the team that he is willing to do whatever it takes to get them back to the Finals next year. Arvidsson and Skinner are the most notable signings added to the depth chart, and most importantly, they were signed on very cap-friendly deals. Most of the significant changes focused on strengthening the forward lines with very little attention given to the defense. The Oilers inked Arvidsson to a two-year contract worth $4 million per season, followed by signing Skinner to a one-year, $3 million deal.

It has been a challenging journey for the Oilers to find the right players to complement Leon Draisaitl, but both Skinner and Arvidsson should be able to take on that task. Returning players like Adam Henrique, Mattias Janmark, Connor Brown, and Corey Perry help maintain a strong mid to bottom six in the lineup.

Ready for Full Time:  

Edmonton is a relatively thin from a prospect perspective. However, given Edmonton's recent playoff success and being on the cusp of winning the Stanley Cup this past year, you won't see many prospects crack the lineup, as they prefer experienced players on the ice rather than players who are not ready for the physical and mental grind of a full season and the playoffs.

To provide some added context, the Oilers traded their first-round pick for next year in order to get back into the first round this year, where they selected Sam O'Reilly. They have been selling picks and prosects in hopes of getting Connor McDavid and Draisaitl a Stanley Cup.

That being said, a potential prospect who might get a chance at some ice time this year is newly acquired and former Buffalo Sabre prospect Matthew Savoie. Savoie is a dynamic offensive talent, and he may get his opportunity to showcase his skills at this upcoming NHL training camp.

Editor’s note: Broberg was originally listed here as well at the time of publish, but the Oilers chose not to match St. Louis’s offer sheet, making Broberg a member of the Blues along with Holloway.

Fantasy Outlook: 

While playing with the Kings for the past three seasons, Arvidsson played a total of 158 games and recorded 122 points, which is an average of 0.77 points per game. Skinner has been a consistent first-line player for most of this career in Buffalo playing on the top unit with Tage Thompson. Over his last three seasons, he posted 201 points over 233 games. Both players are capable of playing alongside elite talent and producing solid numbers.

We all know that Draisaitl is capable of driving a line on his own, which he has done many times in the past. However, it's no secret that when he and McDavid are paired together, they are nearly unstoppable hence why they often end up on the same line. This time, Draisaitl has two very capable players who can support him, which is something he has never had, at least when he's been on the second line. This now allows Zach Hyman and RNH to potentially remain on the top line with McDavid.

With the retained services of Mattias Janmark, Connor Brown, Adam Henrique, and Corey Perry on very cap-friendly deals you can easily make the argument that the Oilers have the best top six—or even top nine—since McDavid was first drafted.  This is a very crucial year for the Oilers organization. The Draisaitl contract is set to expire at the end of this season, so don't be surprised if his contract value increases. McDavid is due the following year and he may opt for more or the same. This is all to say that both of them are returning as Edmonton Oilers.  

Furthermore, Evan Bouchard's contract is also up at the end of this upcoming season, and he will be an RFA.  Expect him to also get a raise from his current $3.9 million cap hit. Both he and Mattias Ekholm have been a dynamic duo on the backend, showing how much they jibe and trust each other on the ice.  The Oilers will need to do some serious cap juggling as they have been doing for the past few years, given all of the bad contracts they have taken on or handed out over the years.

It is very safe to assume that the top powerplay unit with McDavid, Draisaitl, Hyman, RHN and Bouchard is a lock. Given how well they all perform on the top unit last season, it is unlikely that Skinner or Arvidson will get the chance at the top unit. However, the second powerplay unit just got a lot stronger with those two. 

The only caveat to all of this is Evander Kane.  He was unable to play the final five games of the Stanley Cup Final with a hip and abdomen issue.  Until we know more on his overall health, the fantasy value for Kane, Arvidsson, Skinner will depend on who remains in the top six. Both Skinner and Arvidsson can potentially flirt with a 60–65-point range provided they are able to stick with Draisaitl. Should any of them drop down to the third line, their fantasy values could take a serious hit. On paper, this team looks solid, and even if there is some line juggling that happens throughout the season, it's almost a win-win situation for anyone within that top six.

Overall grade: A. Last year, A.

Check out the rest of the Dobber team previews here.