By any measure, this has been an unusual season for the Edmonton Oilers. The playoffs, so far, have been a quick trip down an elevator shaft, and fans are left reeling by the sudden collapse of the team. Down 2-1 in their first-round series against the Anaheim Ducks, it\u2019s fair to contemplate an unsavoury future.<\/p>\n
The club\u2019s final 11 regular-season games showed quality growth. The Oilers outscored opponents 37-24 in those games, featured a team save percentage of .910 and a record of 7-2-2.<\/p>\n
Since the playoffs began, the team has been poor in important aspects of the game, most notably allowing goals. A total of 16 have been scored by Anaheim through three games, with the Oilers returning to some bad habits that mostly disappeared in the final games of the regular season.<\/p>\n
Those habits include overuse of stretch passes, massive gaps between forwards and defencemen on breakouts, an extreme lack of care with the puck and general malaise in coverage. At some point, these issues will be ironed out, or the Oilers will be in offseason mode in short order. What kind of fallout could this organization see over the summer? Here\u2019s a look.<\/p>\n
The coach<\/p>\n
After losing in the Stanley Cup Final for the second year in a row, the club re-signed forwards Trent Frederic and Kasperi Kapanen, added free-agent Andrew Mangiapane and later (on opening night of the regular season) Jack Roslovic.<\/p>\n
Head coach Kris Knoblauch, who would receive<\/a> a three-year extension in October (the contract kicks in this fall), built his coaching staff around incumbent Mark Stuart and new hires<\/a> Paul McFarland, Peter Aubry and Conor Allen. Glen Gulutzan moved on to become the head coach of the Dallas Stars, and defence coach Paul Coffey returned to his previous role as special adviser to Oilers owner Daryl Katz.<\/p>\n Coffey would return midseason, with the team\u2019s defence in chaos and a stunning inability to make a precise forward pass. It took some time, but Coffey was able to help the team\u2019s six defenders eschew the stretch pass and embrace shorter passes and employ more individual transportation out of the defensive zone.<\/p>\n The postseason has seen the return of bad habits. Whatever happens to the roster, it would appear the coaching staff will not return intact. Knoblauch\u2019s contract normally would provide strong job security, but the baffling inconsistency of the Oilers inside the defensive zone must be fixed. Fans should expect significant changes, up to and including Knoblauch. Despite the contract security.<\/p>\n In net<\/p>\n The Oilers haven\u2019t enjoyed exceptional goaltending often during the seasons Connor McDavid has played for the team. Here are the team and league save percentages for each season of McDavid\u2019s career:<\/p>\n YearOilersLeague Avg<\/p>\n 2015-16<\/p>\n 0.905<\/p>\n 0.91<\/p>\n 2016-17<\/p>\n 0.914<\/p>\n 0.91<\/p>\n 2017-18<\/p>\n 0.901<\/p>\n 0.908<\/p>\n 2018-19<\/p>\n 0.896<\/p>\n 0.905<\/p>\n 2019-20<\/p>\n 0.905<\/p>\n 0.906<\/p>\n 2020-21<\/p>\n 0.91<\/p>\n 0.903<\/p>\n 2021-22<\/p>\n 0.905<\/p>\n 0.902<\/p>\n 2022-23<\/p>\n 0.9<\/p>\n 0.899<\/p>\n 2023-24<\/p>\n 0.898<\/p>\n 0.898<\/p>\n 2024-25<\/p>\n 0.894<\/p>\n 0.893<\/p>\n 2025-26<\/p>\n 0.879<\/p>\n 0.889<\/p>\n All numbers via Hockey-Reference<\/p>\n These numbers include all game states. The Oilers did have high points (notably Cam Talbot in 2016-17) in net but were about average in the two seasons Edmonton made the Cup Final. This season, the team\u2019s save percentage is well below average.<\/p>\n Since it is universally agreed that the Oilers have yet to employ an elite goalie during the McDavid era, that should be the top priority for management this summer. It\u2019s clearly established that the team is built for offence, and defensive lapses are part of the team structure. Acquiring a top-flight goaltender such as Jesper Wallstedt of the Minnesota Wild would represent an extreme upgrade in a position of need.<\/p>\n Final season for Nurse?\u00a0<\/p>\n