Remember all of those moves Edmonton Oilers CEO of Hockey Operations Jeff Jackson made in the summer? There was a feeling of euphoria when the Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner signings were announced. And then with the Adam Henrique, Mattias Janmark, and Connor Brown re-signings, it looked like the Oilers were building up for another run to the Stanley Cup on paper… and that’s been the problem. It’s all on paper.
Related: Oilers May Have Made Big Mistake Letting Go of Broberg and Holloway
This team is lacking chemistry. You can see it, especially on the power play and the penalty kill. What’s it going to take for the 2023-24 NHL Western Conference Champions to start looking like a great team again? Or did they peak during the Stanley Cup Final last spring?
Oilers Lost Character, Speed and Youth in the Offseason
After the Oilers traded away Ryan McLeod and Vincent Desharnais, didn’t re-sign Warren Foegle, and didn’t counter the St. Louis Blues’ offer sheets for Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway, the team lost too many key pieces of their Cup run, and lost too much speed. How’s former general manager Ken Holland looking now?
It’s baffling that this team could go from looking like world-beaters just a few months ago to feeling lucky to beat the Calgary Flames. The Oilers may have overhauled their roster too much, and in doing so seriously screwed up the positive team chemistry they had during their run to the Final.
Key Players Have Not Found Their Groove
In the Oilers’ 4-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Nov. 6, the team looked lost at crucial times–especially in the third period. Whether it was Ryan Nugent-Hopkins taking an undisciplined penalty that led to the tying goal that Stuart Skinner should have had or Leon Draisaitl not taking his man that led to Noah Hanifin’s go ahead goal with less than a minute to play, this team is undisciplined and it looks like they’re almost uninterested.
Jeff Skinner is a talented player who seems like a fish out of water in Edmonton. The fact he hasn’t found chemistry on a line is baffling. Arvidsson has just one goal in 14 games even though he seems to have found a place on Draisaitl’s line. You can have all the stars in the world on your roster, but if they’re unable to play like a team, you get what the Oilers are currently giving their fans – a group of individuals.
Oilers Might Be Lucky to Make the Playoffs in 2024-25
The Oilers were the consensus pick to win the Stanley Cup in 2024-25, and almost on cue, can’t seem to live up to the hype. The team currently sits last in the NHL in penalty-kill efficiency and 27th in power-play percentage. You could say they are tired after going deep into the playoffs last season, but look at the Florida Panthers, who won the Stanley Cup, are sitting near the top of the NHL standings, and are looking stronger and stronger as the season marches on.
There have been a million and one excuses for the Oilers inconsistent play this season, but it may come down to team chemistry. Right now, the high-profile free agent signings are not lighting the world on fire. The goaltending has been average. Players are making costly mistakes and every time you think the Oilers are going to turn things around and go on a run similar to last season, they end up shooting themselves in the foot. Maybe this team has it in them to turn it around, but I’m not seeing any visible signs. The longer the Oilers continue to flounder, the louder the voices will be for GM Stan Bowman and Jackson to do something.
