Oilers Key Player Grades: Playoff Bound

(Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images)

What would you give up for a playoff berth?

We don't know what the Edmonton Oilers would say, but we know what they did on Friday night: they pulled out a 4-2 win over San Jose to clinch a playoff spot, despite losing two more players--Mattias Ekholm and Zach Hyman--in the process.

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Key Player Grades

Connor McDavid: A+

The Oilers have scored eight goals in the two games since Connor McDavid's return to the lineup. He's assisted on seven of those, including all four on Friday night.. He's also not quite fully healthy. He's just that good.

This outburst has brought his point total up to 97 on the season, all but guaranteeing his eighth career 100-point campaign. Just to reiterate, he's three points away from 100 in a season in which he's missed 14 games, and a comparatively down year at that. It never gets old.

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Evan Bouchard: A

Call it the post-story bump. Two games removed from his worst game of the season, and one day after we published an article detailing his recent struggles, Bouchard put up another two-point game and performed like the elite offensive defenseman we know him to be. Sure, he did it with help from McDavid, but McDavid can't shoot the puck like this:

Corey Perry: B+

What else is there to say about the Worm? Through all the Oilers' struggles and injuries, Perry has been one of the lone constants. He showed his worth again on Friday night, scoring the most Corey Perry of goals to put the Oilers up for good and punch their ticket to the playoffs. The 39-year-old has now made the playoffs in 17 of his 20 NHL seasons.

As their injury toll keeps rising, the Oilers could use a break. All but locked into third in the Pacific Division with three games remaining, they can now properly rest their beleaguered roster. At least, in principle. You try telling Leon Draisaitl not to play.

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