The Edmonton Oilers’ struggles continue, and areas of need are growing
B/R Open Ice: Frank Seravalli, on the Edmonton Oilers and their struggles, especially with the secondary scoring. The Oilers need some help in net and depth up front. They aren’t getting the returns, and the seat is getting warmer for head coach Kris Knoblauch. They need some scoring help.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
“Look, it’s been a disaster on so many different fronts. And we talked very early on in today’s show about the idea of the over reliance that the Oilers forwards have had on Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Believe it or not, if you look back over the last 10 years, the Oilers have gotten fewer points in production out of the bottom half of their lineup this year than any other year in the McDavid and Draisaitl experience. Which is kind of hard to believe.
When you talk about a net goal share so far this season with the Oilers, McDavid and Draisaitl on the ice versus off of it, there, they’ve been outscored 30 to nine so far this season with Conor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl off the ice. That is crazy.
So where do the Oilers go from here? Well, David Tomasek hasn’t worked. Isaac Howard is back in Bakersfield. Matt Savoie is trending in the right direction. He looks like a guy who’s coming on, is going to be a player for this team. The Oilers need not just help defending, not just in net, where their goaltending has been poor, but they also need some more talent on their forward group. That is definitely evident so far.
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And man, this depth has eroded in a very short order for Edmonton. So keep an eye on what Edmonton does next. Because, you know, I think the seat has gotten a little warmer under Kris Knoblauch as this road trip has gone on. They’re not seeing the returns, and Jay Woodcroft was fired under pretty similar circumstances. Even though Kris Knoblauch has taken this team to two straight Stanley Cup Finals, the seats getting warmer.
But beyond that, at some point they’re going to have to do something because missing the playoffs this year, and they’re kind of, believe it or not, teetering closer to that edge, as we’ve had to readjust some expectations for Edmonton. It’s been ugly. How do they find their way out of it? How do they find more skill?
Stan Bowman has his work cut out for him. He’s tried to find solutions. David Tomasek, the Swedish leading scorer last season, he’s barely played. And so trying to find diamonds in the rough that hasn’t been it either.
They’re going to have to make some tough decisions, as the Edmonton Oilers are tied with the Calgary Flames, believe it or not, for regulation wins so far this season. They both have just four, and Calgary has played one fewer game so far this season, and Calgary is at the bottom of the West standings alongside St Louis.
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