Despite an enormous gap between top and bottom performances, Edmonton is on the verge of advancing to Round 3.

The NHL Stanley Cup playoff picture is slowing coming into focus. The Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights both clinched their spots in the Western Conference semifinals on Thursday night.

As the Oilers battle in the playoffs, a potential blockbuster offseason move is brewing. Reportedly, Edmonton is eyeing Florida Panthers' defenseman Aaron Ekblad, valued around $60 million, to fortify their defensive lineup.

Three teams are already on the brink of elimination in the second round of this year's NHL playoffs. Here are some trends from the series.

Stuart Skinner's first win of this year's NHL playoffs was a 3-0 shutout Monday for the Edmonton Oilers, who take a 3-1 lead in their second-round series against the Golden Knights to Las Vegas with a chance to close it out Wednesday.

This in from former NHL stars Devan Dubnyk and Ray Ferraro, praise for several Edmonton Oilers playoff aces who were repeatedly blasted by large groups of Edmonton fans throughout the regular season.

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone sat out Game 5 on Wednesday night in the second-round playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers because of an upper-body injury