Oilers Have 2 Clear Bounce-Back Candidates for 2023-24 Season

The Edmonton Oilers will be hoping for these two to bounce back in 2023-24.

Oilers look to sign Ryan McLeod, Evan Bouchard and 4th line center.

The Edmonton Oilers are heading into the 2023-24 season with major expectations. To help their chances of having a big year, they will need these two players to bounce back for them. Let's discuss them now.

Jack Campbell

The Oilers' biggest bounce-back candidate is Jack Campbell. Signed last offseason with the expectation of being their long-term starting netminder, the 31-year-old struggled noticeably during the regular season. Although his 21-9-4 record was certainly solid, his 3.41 goals-against average (GAA) and .888 save percentage (SV%) displayed that he was far from reliable.

Yet, there is a clear reason to believe that Campbell can turn things back around. The Michigan native was excellent when called upon during the playoffs, posting a 1.01 GAA and .961 SV% in four appearances. With that, he was very good for the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2021-22 campaign, as he sported a 31-9-6 record and a .914 SV%. The Oilers will be hoping that Campbell can regain his previous form from here.

Connor Brown

Connor Brown's 2022-23 season was a complete nightmare. The 29-year-old, unfortunately, suffered a torn ACL just four games into the year. Due to the severity of his injury, he never returned to the ice for the Washington Capitals. Yet, now that he is healthy, he will be looking to have a big year to make up for his lost one.

Brown is in a great place to succeed in Edmonton, too. He is expected to play top-six minutes, likely on a line with his former Erie Otters teammate, Connor McDavid. It will be fun to see how well Brown performs while playing with a stacked Oilers forward group. I'm personally expecting a strong year from him.