After such an emphatic team performance that earned the Edmonton Oilers a place in the playoffs last season, which was greatly bolstered by Connor McDavid’s 100-point campaign, the Alberta club has had a rather weak first third of the 2017/18 season. After 28 games, the Oilers held a meek 11-15-2 record, sitting only above the Arizona Coyotes in the Western Conference.
Goalie Cam Talbot (#33) of the Edmonton Oilers makes a save on Right Wing Wayne Simmonds (#17) of the Philadelphia Flyers. Defenseman Darnell Nurse (#25) of the Edmonton Oilers along with Defenseman Kris Russell (#4)
The team has seen a fair amount of change in the offseason, one of their unsung heroes is out injured, and they traded a key team player in the offseason. Thus they weren’t expected to flourish as quickly as they did last season. So, what will it take for the Oilers to turn their season around, and can they make it into the playoffs after such a humble start?
Missing an unsung hero or two
Last season, while the young guns were getting it done up top and a new starter in Cam Talbot was wowing the judges in net, there was one man who was absolutely crucial to the team in every game. Andrej Sekera may have notched in eight goals and 35 points, but it was his stellar defensive play that allowed the Oilers to build their attacks from and enable to speedy young forwards to assault the opposition with little regard for defensive work.
Unfortunately for Edmonton, their star defenseman hasn’t played a single game this season due to requiring ACL surgery, but luckily he’s expected to be game-ready before the New Year rolls in. However, without him in the lines, Edmonton has looked disjointed and fragile in their own end, but there’s no doubt that his presence on the blueline when he returns, will immediately provide a boost to the team.
Defenseman Kris Russell (#4) Right Wing Kailer Yamamoto (#56) and Left Wing Patrick Maroon (#19)and Defenseman Adam Larsson (#6) of the Edmonton Oilers
It should also be noted that in the offseason, the Oilers traded away another of their unsung heroes of last season, Jordan Eberle. In exchange for Ryan Strome, the Oilers sent their five-time 20-plus goal scorer and former 2008 first round pick to the New York Islanders, where he’s continued to prove his worth with 11 goals and 20 points through 27 games. For the Oilers last season, Eberle was their third-highest scorer by game 28, with eight goals and 21 points.
Both Sekera and Eberle have been dearly missed so far, and while Sekera is set to return before the All-Star break, the Oilers haven’t been able to replace Eberle’s goal-hungry presence. The further infusion of youth hasn’t appeared to produce much as was expected in the forward lines, with the likes of Drake Caggiula, Jesse Puljujarvi, Jujhar Khaira, and the traded-in Ryan Strome combining for just 15 goals and 29 points through 28 games of the season – but it should be noted that only Strome of those four young stars has played every game in the NHL this season.
The number of goals that Edmonton has allowed this season would need to be offset by some serious scoring, but it simply isn’t coming right now. Standing 20th in the league in goals scored with a goal differential of -16 has all but rubbed away their claims of being a Stanley Cup favorite at the start of the season – which was based on their high-octane style of play. Now, the Oilers sit at long odds of +1200 when using a free bet via Oddschecker to win their division – but those odds aren’t telling of what the Oilers could unleash soon. With Sekera back in the lineup and a few minor changes, those odds could quickly shorten as they climb up the standings.
Line changes needed
When teams are in a slump, it’s not uncommon for a head coach to want to mix things up and shuffle their stars around, sometimes with the aim of bringing more goals throughout the lines, but when it comes to Edmonton, they need to keep McDavid and Draisaitl together. Not only do their elite-level skill sets complement each other perfectly to create an offensive onslaught whenever they’re on the ice together, but they can also cover for each other’s weaknesses.
For a start, being so young, Connor McDavid isn’t great in the faceoff circle, in fact, he has a woeful 37.5 win percentage from 253 draws. Leon Draisaitl, on the other hand, is sublime in the duel, with a 55.0 win percentage through 369 faceoffs. McDavid, fully aware of his own capabilities, even said that he wants Draisaitl taking his faceoffs as he’s better at them, then the captain gets to use his advanced hockey IQ to orchestrate ensuing plays.
Defenseman Travis Sanheim (#6) and Defenseman Ivan Provorov (#9) of the Philadelphia Flyers. Center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (#93) and Left Wing Milan Lucic (#27) of the Edmonton Oilers
Making a few switches to get Leon Draisaitl on Connor McDavid’s wing would do the team a world of good in the goals department, however, it would leave a gaping hole on line three at the center position. So, perhaps a trade for a strong, two-way center would help to boost the team – someone along the lines of Cody Eakin or Jay Beagle.
Tweaking the line-up to optimise the offense will greatly help the team to win games, and the return of Andrej Sekera will solidify the defense. Once these areas click, it shouldn’t be too long before the Oilers begin to surge up the standings, even challenging for the top spot in the Pacific Division if they go on a few decent win-streaks.
You must be logged in to post a comment.