Connor McDavid and Zack Kassian, Edmonton Oilers (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

The NHL’s regular season is right around the corner, and the Edmonton Oilers are gearing up for a year where they are looking to prove their postseason failures are in the past.

Also right around the corner is the release of the video game NHL 22, EA Sports’ newest entry in the series. With early access now available to those who have EA Play, I decided to simulate the Edmonton Oilers season in the game’s franchise mode.

But before we get to the simulation, we have a few rules to go over. First, injuries will be turned off, as they are impossible to predict. Second, the line combinations will not be touched. Whatever the game has as the default lineup will be the lines for the duration of the season. Lastly, there will be no trades because, like injuries, they are too difficult to predict. Trades between CPU teams can still take place, but trades between the CPU and the Oilers cannot.

With all that being said, let’s see how the Oilers fared in this simulated season.

Regular Season Record: 51-20-11 (First in Pacific division)

As the season started the Oilers actually struggled early on. They started to heat up into the month of December before really taking off in January. In the month of January, the team went 13-0-2 to catapult themselves into first in the Pacific division.

And they never held back, they dominated the regular season finishing only behind the Colorado Avalanche in the league standings. Edmonton was an elite team in every area of play, leading the league in goals per game with 3.52 and tying the Washington Capitals for the best power-play percentage with 20.7.

However, the team was also elite defensively, finishing fifth only giving up 2.68 goals per game. And the Oilers had the fifth-best penalty kill as well, sitting at 87.4%. Everything was going right, and the team was playing their best hockey going into the postseason. Going 7-1-2 in their final 10 games of the regular season.

The usual suspects led the team in scoring, but curiously still underwhelmed. Connor McDavid led the team with 44 goals and 99 points. He finished third in goals behind Nathan MacKinnon and Auston Matthews who each scored 46 goals. MacKinnon also led the league in points with 105. Leon Draisaitl had a down year as he only mustered 85 points during the season, 27 of which came on the power play.

However while Edmonton’s elite duo underwhelmed by their standards, others stepped up. Most notably Ryan Nugent-Hopkins finished at a point-per-game in the regular season with 82 points. New addition Zach Hyman had a great year as he scored 31 times and finished the year with 67 points. And Tyson Barrie had a phenomenal season, as he put up an even 50 points at 5 on 5, and 63 points overall.

The game split between the goaltenders was, let’s say slightly ridiculous. Mike Smith played in a whopping 70 games, while Koskinen started 12 games, but played in relief of Smith in an additional two contests. Smith had a mediocre .907 save percentage and 2.74 goals-against average in the regular season. While Koskinen dominated in his brief stretch of games, with a .936 save percentage and 1.84 goals against per game average.

After a great regular season, it was time for the Edmonton Oilers to start their journey towards the Stanley Cup. They would open this journey with a first-round matchup against the Vancouver Canucks.