Sure, the Edmonton Oilers were lodged near the bottom of the NHL standings again last season, but something changed in Central Alberta. The Oilers, led by a trio of talented phenoms, were fun to watch again, and a legitimate sense of hope evolved.

Watching a team lose enough to secure players like Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov is not a lot of fun, but the end result -- a team that can compete for the Stanley Cup for multiple seasons -- might just be near for Oilers fans.

Hall, Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle were electric together when healthy. Maybe just as important were the steps forward for defenseman Jeff Petry and goalie Devan Dubnyk as the Oilers try to put together a well-rounded roster.

Yakupov is the next great forward prospect to join the club, although winning the Justin Schultz sweepstakes may prove just as significant as winning the draft lottery to select Yakupov. They were the only major additions this offseason for the Oilers, but name another franchise outside of Minnesota that added two (potential) franchise players?

Obviously, Yakupov and Schultz still need to prove they can be those types of players, but there is more reason for excitement in Edmonton as the Oilers could be back among the NHL's elite teams in the next year or two.

Forwards

Taylor Hall - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Jordan Eberle

Ryan Smyth - Sam Gagner - Nail Yakupov

Ryan Jones - Shawn Horcoff - Ales Hemsky

Teemu Hartikainen - Eric Belanger - Ben Eager

Lennart Petrell

Defensemen

Ladislav Smid - Jeff Petry

Nick Schultz - Justin Schultz

Ryan Whitney - Corey Potter

Andy Sutton

Goaltenders

Devan Dubnyk

Nikolai Khabibulin

NOTES: The big name missing among the forwards is Magnus Paajarvi. If he proves last year was a fluke, there's a good chance he earns a spot on the team and likely on the second or third line. That would cause a ripple effect in what is already a crowded situation.

If Paajarvi doesn't make the team, there is still plenty of potential fluidity behind the top line. Yakupov might be the only guy among the six forwards on the second/third lines who is definitely going to get top-six treatment. Hemsky, Smyth and Jones could all bounce back and forth or be shifted around. Smyth, Horcoff and Hemsky would certainly be an expensive third line.

Whitney could factor into the top four on defense if he can find his form from a few years ago, but otherwise it looks set (and potentially pretty strong pending the younger Schultz's impact). Potter, Sutton and Theo Peckham will battle for the final spot in the lineup, and all eight guys could be on the roster pending how many forwards are kept.

Expect to see Dubnyk play a little more this season if he stays healthy, and expect his numbers to look a little better as the defense corps improves in front of him.

Follow Corey Masisak on Twitter: @cmasisak22

Author: Corey Masisak | NHL.com Staff Writer