The Edmonton Oilers have had a historically bad penalty kill to start their 2024-25 campaign. They sit at the bottom of the NHL in terms of penalty kill percentage (PK%) with 61%. Closest to them is the New York Islanders, who sit at 64.9% in 31st, showing the gap for how bad the Oilers have been when they take penalties this season.
For reference, before their game against the Vancouver Canucks where they picked up a 7-3 victory and improved to a 7-7-1 record, they had the third-worst PK% of all-time through a team’s first 14 games. The Oilers will be hoping for the penalty kill to bounce back sooner rather than later, since it was one of the strongest parts of their game during the playoffs last season, and they kept the same personnel around that helped strengthen its depth.
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In the playoffs last season, the Oilers’ penalty kill was an impressive 94.3%, and it was one of the key reasons they made a deep run into the postseason. With Mattias Janmark, Connor Brown, Mattias Ekholm, and Derek Ryan all playing a massive part when the team was Shorthanded, the Oilers made sure they locked down their players that helped kill penalties.
Unfortunately, the slow start shorthanded could force the Oilers to pivot and look to make some changes. While they did well against the Islanders in their last matchup killing both penalties they took, they can’t guarantee they will be able to maintain that and remain perfect.
Potential Changes to Help the Penalty Kill
The first option to help bolster their short-handed play is to change the personnel playing on the penalty kill. While Janmark and Brown were strong last season and have looked okay at times this season, it might be time to try some new players. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ slow defensive start should be enough to justify taking him off of the penalty kill entirely since he has been more of a liability than anything to start the new campaign. Adam Henrique has looked solid, but making some personnel changes could be ideal. Vasily Podkolzin, Derek Ryan, and Zach Hyman could all be candidates to get a look shorthanded, but it doesn’t look like any changes are coming just yet.
Another option could be to find a stronger penalty-kill coach to help guide them differently. We have seen many instances in the NHL where bringing in a different coach leads to success since it’s a different voice and could spark the team. The Oilers did that last season when they relieved Jay Woodcroft and Dave Manson of their duties as members of the coaching staff and brought in Kris Knoblauch and Paul Coffey. After a terrible start to the 2023-24 regular season, they were able to turn it around and have a successful season. If they decided to bring in a new voice for the penalty kill, it could have the same effect.
The third option would be to gauge the trade market to acquire someone who is a proven asset on the penalty kill. Nic Dowd and Jake Evans are two of the best penalty killers in the NHL, and they are realistic targets. It’s fair to assume the Washington Capitals aren’t interested in selling any of their players considering their success to start the season, but the Montreal Canadiens could be open to moving Evans for the right price. There are other options out there too, it would just take some scouting.
At the end of the day, the Oilers need to find a solution to their problem on the penalty kill. While they haven’t started strong, they have plenty of time left to fix what’s broken and bounce back. The Oilers have 66 games remaining in the 2024-25 season to continue fighting their way into a playoff spot and hopefully, successfully make a push for a Stanley Cup. However, they need their shorthanded play to get stronger if they want a realistic shot at it.
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