It hasn’t been the best start to the 2024-25 season for the Edmonton Oilers. They got off on the wrong foot, starting 0-3-0, before winning two straight to get near the .500 mark. They failed to do so, however, falling to the Dallas Stars on Saturday, and now sit at a disappointing 2-4-0 through their first six games.
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While their two wins have helped keep things from being a complete panic, another loss or two in their next few games will have fans really questioning what’s going on. That said, if you take a quick look at their stats to this point, it’s very clear that they are struggling due to some of their best players being nearly invisible thus far. With that said, here are five Oilers who need to step up their play.
Zach Hyman
After a 2023-24 season in which everything he seemed to touch went in, the exact opposite has happened for Zach Hyman through these first six games. The 32-year-old has been ice-cold thus far, as he’s just one of four Oilers who have dressed for all six outings and failed to record a single point.
A big part of the reason for the Oilers’ struggles is that their power play has been abysmal. While not the sole issue, a big part of the man-advantage struggles can be attributed to Hyman, who is relied on to put pucks in from the crease. Based on what he’s shown during his time in Edmonton, there should be plenty of optimism he’ll get things going, but it’s undoubtedly been frustrating so far.
Viktor Arvidsson
Viktor Arvidsson is another Oiler who has suited up in all six games and has yet to record a point . Given that he is a new addition, some may be willing to give him a pass. However, Jeff Skinner is also a new addition to the group, and has been one of their most-consistent forwards. Should these struggles continue much longer, this signing may soon start to be viewed as a dud.
The good news is that Arvidsson, when healthy, has produced at solid rates for nearly 10 seasons now. You have to imagine things turn around soon for the rugged veteran, but being held pointless for much longer could begin to have some serious impacts on his confidence.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
It’s very rare that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is anything but consistently solid for the Oilers, but that hasn’t been the case to open the 2024-25 campaign. After an 18-goal, 67-point 2023-24, the “Nuge” has just two assists through six games. He hasn’t been horrible as his play away from the puck has been as strong as always, but his offensive struggles are being noticed given how the team as a whole is performing.
Much like Hyman, Nugent-Hopkins has a lengthy track record of getting things done offensively for the Oilers. While fans will likely never see another 100-point season from him, he should get back on track soon and flirt with the 60-point mark this campaign.
Evan Bouchard
Evan Bouchard’s poor play is another big reason for the Oilers’ power-play is struggling Many in Edmonton believed this could be a potential Norris Trophy winning season from him after a playoff that saw him record a ridiculous 32 points. While the season is still young, he’s been anything but so far.
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Bouchard has just one point through six games, which is quite shocking given how big of a threat he was offensively throughout all of last season. Making matters worse is that his defensive play continues to be suspect, meaning that early on, he hasn’t been much of a positive impact in any matter.
Stuart Skinner
He’s only made four starts, but so far, it isn’t been pretty for Stuart Skinner. For the second-straight year, the Oilers netminder has struggled out of the gate. He was flat-out horrendous in their season opener versus the Winnipeg Jets, and while there has been some moderate improvement since, his play simply hasn’t been good enough.
Through his four starts, Skinner owns a ghastly 4.03 goals against average (GAA) along with a .851 save percentage (SV%). Teams can’t win with those numbers, even ones who put up offence like the Oilers usually do. He will need to get back on track in a hurry if he hopes to avoid losing more starts to backup Calvin Pickard.
Oilers Have Huge Game Tonight
For these five and several other Oilers, there is no better chance to get back on track than tonight. They are set to take on the Carolina Hurricanes in what feels like a huge game, as falling to 2-5-0 could result in some serious panic picking up in Edmonton. Should the aforementioned five play to the level they are capable of, the Oilers should be able to defeat the 2-2-0 Hurricanes. If they struggle once again, however, it could be a long night at Rogers Place.
