The Edmonton Oilers know what their problem is.
But do they know how to fix it…in time?
That and more in this edition of…
9 Things
9. A stick tap to Edmonton broadcaster Dustin Nielson who called his very first NHL game this past week, between the Calgary Flames and Ottawa Senators.
8. Kris Knoblauch has the fourth most wins in Oilers franchise history at 124. Ron Low had 139, Craig MacTavish 301 and Glen Sather 464. More on Knoblauch in a moment…
7. Post-deadline, the Vancouver Canucks had just four players remaining on their active roster from when they were edged out in that series-deciding Game 7 by Edmonton two years ago. They lost a heartbreaker on Saturday.
6. Zach Hyman scored his 300th point Friday as an Edmonton Oiler, later adding 301. That is in 352 games in this jersey. He will go down in history as the best free agent in franchise history. His 27 goals in 44 games this year is as many as he netted in 73 games last year.
5. I like the addition of Defenceman Connor Murphy. His size is a plus, as his focus on boxing out opponents in front of the net. He will also help the PK. But let’s not pretend that this guy is a Top 4 D-man. He is a very good “5”. It is the guys “above him”, if you will, that need to play better. Paging Darnell Nurse and Jake Walman.
4. Evan Bouchard deserves serious consideration for the Norris Trophy. I am not saying he should absolutely win, as there are exceptional candidates. But as of right now he leads NHL D-men in scoring with 72 points. That is ahead of Cale Makar, Zach Werenski, Lane Hutson and Quinn Hughes. How is Bouchard any worse than fifth on that ballot?
3. One of the reasons the Edmonton Oilers went out and got Jason Dickinson was for his defensive abilities. And when it came to matchups against Carolina, on Friday, Knoblauch split most of the time against the Hurricanes’ top line between Connor McDavid and Dickinson. The new acquisition played 5:34 of 5v5 minutes against Sebastian Aho. Dickinson’s CF was 1-5 against, but High Dangers were 0-0. So, he bent but he did not break. In 5:28 5v5 against Aho, McDavid was 5-3, 4-1.
2. I felt that Knoblauch went to the whip too quickly in that game. In my mind, the drop-off from McDavid-Nugent-Hopkins-Hyman to Draisaitl-Roslovic-Savoie is not nearly so severe that you should feel compelled to abandon it so fast to team up McDavid and Draisaitl. Yes, the “first” line becomes stronger but the second becomes corresponding weaker. There are times 5v5 when the so-called nuclear option makes sense: The final shift of a period, immediately after a PK, when you are trailing late, etc. Otherwise, I feel as if you are blunting your overall attack. And in fact, so far this season, 97-29-18 score more apart than together. And look: I get that any coach would want to be beaten with his best players on the ice. But you can’t keep running your guys into the ground without consequences down the line. Which brings me to…
1.The race to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I firmly believe that the Edmonton Oilers are a playoff team and a Stanley Cup contender. But as a wise old baseball manager of mine often said, “you have to get there first to win”. Truer words have rarely been spoken. And if you look at the standings after Saturday’s NHL action, the Oilers are not in a great spot. The out-of-town scoreboard did them some substantial favours, what with L.A., Seattle and San Jose all losing. That leaves Edmonton third in the Pacific with 68 points, four back of Vegas…who they play Sunday. That is a critical game for this club. Anaheim is first with 73 points. But right behind the Oilers are The Kraken with 67 (and a game in hand) and the Sharks with 66 (and two in hand). The Ducks host St. Louis Sunday. Yeah…this is too tight for comfort.
So, what is holding the Oilers back?
In some ways, it may be easier to list “what isn’t”:
Edmonton’s goaltending has been average, all season. And it has not improved since “the trade”. But how much of that is squarely on the goaltender? In Tristan Jarry’s thirteen appearances for the Oilers he has only posted an above-.900 SV% three (3) times. Yet, in his thirteen previous appearances for the Pittsburgh Penguins before that he was over .900 seven (7) times. Hmm.
My eye tells me that Tristan Jarry has been “off” since his most recent injury. But the Oilers’ team defence has been “off” all season long. That smells like the bigger problem to me. Proof of that comes in the scoring chance data tracked at the Cult of Hockey by my colleague David Staples. In terms of Grade “A” shots, and “5-Alarms” against. After 63 games…
2024-25:
Grade A’s Against – 773
5-Alarm’s Against – 362
2025-26
Grade A’s Against – 879
5-Alarm’s Against – 425
Before the goalie even gets into the conversation, the Edmonton Oilers are giving up way more than they did a year ago, both in terms of Grade A’s and the most dangerous chances against. In fact, it is not even close.
Even the club’s undeniable strength, the ability to score, is a finite resource. If the team must keep leaning on those top guys so heavily to bail you out night after night, eventually they are human…and they will run out of gas.
To me, the fix is simple. While you do need more saves at critical times, your club must make it easier on the goalie. They have to tighten up. Lessening that pressure means the goal scoring will then essentially look after itself.
Just how to achieve that fix? Not so simple.
Not so simple at all.
This article is not AI generated.
Leavins Cult of Hockey
Recently, at The Cult…
STAPLES: Oilers defensive woes continue in 6-3 loss to Carolina
STAPLES: Mangiapane to Chicago, Dickenson to Edmonton
LEAVINS: Oilers storm back for 5-4 win over Ottawa
Bruce McCurdy, 1955-2025.
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