The team everyone chose to win the cup is now tied for the worst record in the league in a turn of events no one could have ever expected.
Image source: Oilers Nation
As of November 11th 2023, there has not been a more interesting story in this first 12-14 games of the season than the Edmonton Oilers. Leafs fans can look at the issues on their team, the lack of defensive depth, needing to be carried by their main stars, the lack of consistent goaltending, bad line pairings and questionable coaching tactics with the new pieces, and sulk all they want. However it would be comforting to let them know that Edmonton has those issues, multiplied by 100. The Oilers have all but hit rock bottom as a franchise. 2-9-1 as of writing this and just coming off a 3-2 loss to the league basement dwelling San Jose Sharks. I think it’s fair to say the internet had it’s fair share of comments to make after such a debacle.
For the longest time McDavid and Draisaitl were considered the Trout and Ohtani of the NHL. My doubt to that notion was that they at least had post season success. The furthest they got was a conference finals sweep, but it was still success. However after this season I’m starting to see where people are coming from. If you have the two best players on the planet and can’t make a final out of them, it is catastrophic failure. I still feel Trout and Ohtani is worse considering they never made the playoffs, but they’ve never had a season where they were as awful as the Oilers are now.
You really have to feel for those two when you play for an organization that can’t sign any semblance of viable goaltending. After inking Jack Campbell to a 5-year 25 million dollar contract, he was expected to be as solid as he was in Toronto. Unfortunately he has had an unprecedented collapse for what he’s earning. People who had doubts paying him as much as they did have been proven right.
Last season was already a poor first impression, having a .888 save percentage and a 3.14 GAA. Now he’s regressed even further, with a .873 save percentage and a staggering 4.50 GAA. The Oilers had made a gamble and so far have lost big time, putting him on waivers with intentions to play in the AHL. In his first AHL game he allowed 4 goals in the Bakersfield Condor’s loss to the Abbotsford Canucks.
As for their main man in net at the moment Stuart Skinner, he isn’t much better with an even worse save percentage at .854 and a 3.87 GAA. As much of an inconsistent experience as Mike Smith was, when combined, the two, along with Calvin Pickard, share the worst save percentage in the league at .860.
The issue of defense and having more than 1 or 2 offensive lines is probably the biggest it’s ever been. Edmonton has a goal differential of -19, second worst in the league, which of course didn’t stop them from losing to the Sharks with their unbelievable -46 goal differential. After scoring the most goals out of any team in the NHL last year, this year has been a different story altogether, only mustering 31 goals, 4th worst in the league in that regard. They also have a shooting percentage of 7.4% which is 30th in the league.
What doesn’t help is that Connor McDavid, the heart and soul of the franchise has not been performing at peak form, only scoring 2 goals in 10 games. It should be noted he missed 2 games due to an upper body injury. Could that injury and his subsequent early return back to play be affecting him. No matter what it is, he is struggling, and if he isn’t working, the entire team is doomed.
That is the biggest issue with the Oilers as a franchise. Without McDavid playing out of his mind like he usually does, the team is a complete mess. We are witnessing it before our very eyes. Jay Woodcroft was without a doubt on the hot seat for an extended period of time, and the temperature only increased as the losses piled on early this campaign until his official dismissal. No matter what kind of strategies or tactics on both offense and defense he tried, nothing seemed to work. Out worked and outplayed almost every game.
Ultimately a lot of this should fall on Ken Holland and the way he has constructed this team. The players he has signed to try and build a core around McDavid have ultimately become dependent on him performing well for them to perform well. There is no right or wrong answer’s to why the Oilers are the league’s laughingstock right now. It is a cumulation of all the worries and fears fans and analysists alike have had about them for the past few years all coming together at once. Let this be a message to the NHL media to think about if a team that relies on one guy playing well is a worthy Cup favorite.