Which Canadian NHL team will rise above the rest in 2022-23?

The Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers are all in the mix, but who will be the best Canadian NHL team in 2022-23? Full Zone Time previewing the upcoming NHL season is available on the Yahoo Sports Hockey Podcast feed or on our Yahoo Sports NHL YouTube channel.

Video Transcript

JULIAN MCKENZIE: All right, next question. Which Canadian team will go furthest in the playoffs? I feel like there's really only two answers to this question. I feel like we might be unan-- OK, I have a question. How about we do this? On the count of three, let's all say the team we're all thinking, together.

- Can I skip?

JULIAN MCKENZIE: It's probably the same team.

- Can I skip this, please?

JULIAN MCKENZIE: 1, 2, 3.

SAM CHANG: Calgary.

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: Edmonton.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Calgary.

- Calgary.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Oh, I heard an "Edmonton" there.

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: You damn right you did.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Avry, why is Edmonton the team?

- He said, you're damn right you did.

[LAUGHS]

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: 'Cause again, I've said it before. I'll say it again. This is a team that's found a way to outscore their problems. They did against Calgary. They found a way to say, hey, first to 10 wins, and they proved it in the theory. They are the team where it's the first 10 wins this series.

And again, they went to Western Conference Final with subpar goaltending with Koskinen and Smith. They now have Skinner and Campbell, good goaltending, and a solid top nine. And Edmonton, I think, will be in great shape. The D core is a little bit shaky, but Darnell Nurse is not healthy again, his body even broken in 1,000 places now. And I like the play of guys like Brett Kulak. Ryan Murray's been a great addition.

So I think Edmonton-- OK goaltending, OK D, and a solid top nine. Edmonton will be a deep team among the game franchise this year when it comes to playoffs.

- I don't know, man. I think if it's Edmonton and Calgary in the playoffs again, I don't think Calgary's losing that series.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Nope. I don't think they are, either.

- I'm willing to make a bet on that, Avry.

SAM CHANG: Me, too.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Oh!

- I'm willing to make a bet on that.

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: What's the bet, Omar? What is the bet?

- I don't know.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: What's the bet?

- I don't know. I'm not good at coming up with bets. Someone tell me, honestly.

[LAUGHTER]

That happens all the time. I don't know. You tell me.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: If the Oilers win that series, Omar has to wear some kind of-- I don't know. Someone's gotta get him a Canadiens jersey or something-- something he doesn't like. Or, I don't know, we have to put him in a room, and we have to make him relive game 7 from 2013.

- Oh, Julian--

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: That would be wonderful.

- --that's so funny because I relive that every day. There isn't a day that goes by where I don't think of-- you know why? You know why it's funny? Because I had this funny thing. And I'm sorry, I'm doing it.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead.

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: Go ahead.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: I love these.

- The Leafs haven't won a series since their goal song was Boston's goal song currently.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Kernkraft 400, "Zombie Nation."

- That was the last time they won a series. So it follows me. I think Steve Harvey put out a tweet a couple of weeks ago. It was like, what's something that's worse than a breakup? You know how many Leafs handshake line images I have saved on my phone from the first round? It's too many.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Apparently, the Leafs got referenced in that show, "A Handmaid's Tale." Yeah. There was some show that referenced-- there's a seed where these two characters are talking to each other, and someone sarcastically says, oh, you're a Leafs fan? I think it's their year this year.

They're being sarcastic. I will find that show. Also, look, next May, I'm really sorry for you, man. I really feel bad for you May 2023 because so many people are going to do the 10-year anniversary story of the Toronto Maple Leafs' losing in game 7 against the Boston Bruins.

I feel bad. I'm not taking any joy in that. I feel bad for you, because that's all everyone is gonna talk about, especially if they don't get out of the first round again.

- And this, Julian, is why this is my final plea to everything that I stand on as a fan. If there was ever a year to finally do it, it would be near the 10-year anniversary of the first collapse. If there was ever a year, it'd be this one. And if not, then, man, "Zone Time" season 4 is gonna be frickin' brutal.

SAM CHANG: Omar's gonna age 100 years.

- Literally. Oh my god. That year, that summer, is gonna suck because it's gonna be, oh, [INAUDIBLE] is probably gonna walk. And oh my god, they're gonna sign Matthews. And oh my god, Michael Bunting's gonna ask for $9 million, and yada-ya, but they can't win a series.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: You deserve a raise.

- Oh my god, Matt Murray-- I've said it before. I just want to see the tweet, the Toronto Maple Leafs have advanced to the second round. That's how low my bar is, no hyperbole. The minute the puck drops, and Chris Cuthbert says, the second round is under way, I am set, I am fine. But I just need to get there first.

I don't care who it's against. No, that's not true. I do care who it's against. Yo, what if it's-- no, what if it's Boston?

[LAUGHTER]

No! Yo, 'cause Boston's doing this whole Last Dance thing. No.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Yeah, this is their Last Dance thing. I think they're gonna miss the playoffs, actually.

SAM CHANG: I think so, too.

- I think so, too.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: I think they're missing the playoffs. I don't know if it's really a bold prediction, but did you see who they're gonna have to start the year? Charlie McAvoy's not gonna be there. Taylor Hall is week-to-week. Brad Marchand is not available for them, either.

Those are some pretty significant players. I know that's just three, but those are three big players for that team, and you're asking a lot of David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron. They could do well, but that's a lot of pressure you're also putting on Jeremy Swayman, too. And I think if a team like the Ottawa Senators continues that momentum from preseason and Alex DeBrincat keeps scoring those goals, I think there's a genuine fight for a Wild Card spot in that Eastern Conference.