from Scott Burnside of ESPN,

So, there's this kid in Edmonton who might turn out to be pretty good. You've heard of Connor McDavid, no? Ha, ha, there's a little Thursday morning humor for you. A very little, maybe.

But with the Edmonton Oilers winning their third straight Wednesday night by shutting down the Detroit Red Wings, 3-1, and with McDavid scoring another highlight-reel goal on a nifty forehand deke to give him four goals and two assists in his last five games, is it too early to ask if the Oilers are for real?

McDavid is, no question, and Cam Talbot and Anders Nilsson appear to have stabilized the goaltending situation. Nail Yakupov is tied with McDavid for the team lead in points, and the Oilers no longer look like a tire fire in their own zone on a nightly basis.

So, what's possible? Playoffs are too big a step in our mind, but maybe not. There's a nice little test coming up with the Washington Capitals, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild and undefeated Montreal Canadiens in Edmonton's next four. My guess? Oilers go 2-2 and help answer the question in the affirmative.

read on as more ESPN hockey experts discuss the Oilers...