With all the excitement surrounding the St. Louis Blues’ two offers to Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway last week, there was one concern among fans on the ice: Are the Edmonton Oilers fast enough without their two young speedsters?

On the surface, that’s a ridiculous question. Edmonton captain Connor McDavid is so fast on the ice that you barely see him anymore. If you’re looking for speed, McDavid is the ultimate puck-on-stick hockey player. His crossovers and ability to quickly change gears are breathtaking.

One man alone won’t solve a team’s speed problems. What about the rest of the squad?

NHL Edge provides information on every regular NHL player and is a good place to start when thinking about the Oilers’ overall speed.

The new Oilers

To replace Broberg and Holloway, Oilers general manager Stan Bowman completed two deals on Sunday for defenseman Ty Emberson (formerly of the San Jose Sharks) and forward Vasily Podkolzin (most recently of the Vancouver Canucks).

Were these two players signed with their speed in mind (too)? Will both ensure the Oilers have enough speed in 2024-25? Here’s a look at Edmonton’s need for speed.

Centers

The Oilers sent away Holloway, who can play center, without a pivot coming back. Does that matter?

Edmonton’s top three centers heading into the 2024-25 season are expected to be McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Adam Henrique. Here’s how they rank compared to other forwards who could play center for the team this season, according to NHL Edge.

All numbers via NHL.com

The math confirms the picture of McDavid. He is lightning fast and constantly puts his opponents under pressure with his incredible speed. Watching him live is a truly unforgettable experience.

Overall, Draisaitl is also well above average. Only when it comes to sprints over 32 km/h per game, the big man is a bit timid compared to McDavid.

The now-departing Holloway and the experienced Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are similar in terms of speed, with the younger man having the edge in most bursts per game. If speed becomes an issue for Edmonton at centre as the year progresses, Nugent-Hopkins could slide into the No. 3 role and provide above-average speed.

Henrique is projected as a third-line center as the organization prepares for training camp and is below average in both measures listed. It’s worth noting that he’s coming off a good season with these velocity results in 2023-24.

The math suggests that losing Holloway at center would be less than ideal, and the recently traded Ryan McLeod (23.9 mph and 4.6 sprints over 20 mph per game) also represents a brake on the speed at the position.

It’s an issue that will deserve attention during training camp, preseason, and the start of the 2024-25 regular season.

Winger

The big concern on the wings is age. A squad with McDavid and Draisaitl could cause problems as the wingers age.

Here’s the story of the tape, including Holloway and new addition Podkolzin (numbers from last season in Vancouver).

All numbers via NHL.com

The wingers on last year’s Oilers team offer us an interesting combination of straight-line speed and sprints and do not line up in any predictable order.

Veterans Viktor Arvidsson and Mattias Janmark lead the group of potential wingers in terms of speed, but Holloway, Connor Brown, Evander Kane and Zach Hyman are more productive on quick runs.

Based on these totals, the Oilers appear to be well-stocked with players who are above average in both metrics. Seven wingers exceed the bar in both categories, with Jeff Skinner just below average in terms of speed.

What does this mean for the wingers? They will miss Holloway’s quick attacks.

Podkolzin is a strange combination of below-average top-end speed and above-average sprints. In his only full NHL season, he showed average NHL speed and was well above average in sprints, according to NHL Edge.

Kane’s presence on this list highlights injury concerns. It is unknown how many games he will play next season and that could impact the line-up on the left wing.

Based on the numbers and the eye test, Podkolzin is not comparable to Holloway as a figure skater. If enough experienced players stay healthy, this shouldn’t be a big factor for Edmonton.

defense

Overall, the Oilers blue line is faster than the NHL average.

All numbers via NHL.com

Emberson and Broberg have played fewer than 100 NHL regular season games, so the league is still getting to know these players. There isn’t much difference in speed, but both men have above-average wheels.

The most interesting thing in the group: Darnell Nurse’s speed is still impressive even at almost 30. After nine full seasons of wear and tear, Nurse is one of the top figure skaters.

Veterans Nurse and Cody Ceci, now of the Sharks, are the fastest defensemen, which may surprise some Oilers fans who have often had issues with Ceci’s game.

Broberg, who has great wheels and was a dominant skater in the AHL, ranks third in speed and second in speed over 20 mph (behind Nurse).

The most interesting thing about Edmonton’s defense is that five of the seven names last season were above the NHL average. Emberson can also scoot, and scouting reports mention his quick retrieval attempts.

With his ability to move the puck, Emberson seems to be a good fit for the Oilers. Ideally, he develops into a solid defensive partner for Nurse on the second pair. That might be too much in his first season with the Oilers.

In total

NHL Edge is a great resource with interesting facts about players’ skills over the past three seasons. As the years go by (currently only three seasons are available), fans can gather more information.

Skinner’s numbers are fascinating and he has always been considered a fantastic skater. What was his top speed? How many times did he exceed 20 mph per game in 2010-11?

We will never know, but these numbers are new and valuable information.

We know the Oilers were speedsters a year ago. According to NHL Edge, they were in the 93rd percentile in pure speed and the 96th percentile in sprints over 20 mph in 2023-24.

McDavid’s speed has been observed over the past three seasons and is of interest to any Oilers fan.

In the 2023/24 season, his top speed was 38.93 km/h. In the 2022/23 season, 38.87 km/h was measured. And in the 2021/22 season, the captain raced at 38.86 km/h.

McDavid will slow down in the future, but at 27, he is picking up speed.

As for Nurse, his progression from 2021-22 (36.03 km/h) to 2022-23 (35.91) to last season (36.50) also suggests he is reaching new heights just months after turning 30.

Of the older guard, Corey Perry ran 35.40 (2021-22), then 34.27 (2022-23), and finally 33.07 (2023-24). Perry turns 40 in May; the fact that he can compete and be successful on offense at this age is extraordinary.

Considering the team’s speed and any losses in that area with the departures of Broberg and Holloway, it’s safe to say the organization has enough fast moves in its ranks to absorb the losses.

(Photo of Adam Henrique and Dylan Holloway: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)