Although reaching the Stanley Cup final is every players dream, there is a downfall to the situation. The Oilers have the shortest offseason out of any team in the National Hockey League (except for the Panthers) and have had little time to let the dust settle. With that being said, the team's energy levels must be conserved heading into the 2024-25 regular season.
According to Edmonton Journal's Kurt Leavins, the Oilers will not be holding their annual preseason captain's skate.
In a recent interview with Mark Spector, Connor McDavid admitted to overdoing it last year during the NHL offseason. This resulted in a sluggish start for the captain, and the team is clearly learning from their past mistakes.
The annual captain's skate is known to be quite intensive, and the Oilers are trying to minimize general wear and tear heading into the regular season.
According to Liam McCormick from Oilers Daily, Corey Perry also said in a recent interview that the Oilers know they can't win the Stanley Cup in October. The Oilers are clearly taking a more relaxed approach to this preseason, knowing the long journey of the regular season is ahead of them before they can compete in the playoffs again.
source: Oilers DailyEdmonton Oilers cancel captains skates this season
POLL | ||
8 SEPTEMBRE | 135 ANSWERS The Edmonton Oilers cancel their preseason captain skate Is this a bad idea by the Oilers? | ||
Yes | 22 | 16.3 % |
No | 113 | 83.7 % |
List of polls |