The NHL regular season is a story in two parts, divided by the All-Star Break. But in the case of the Edmonton Oilers, part one of 2023-24 was an epic saga all on its own.
From their worst start in 30 years to one of the greatest winning streaks in hockey history, the Oilers have taken their fans on a wild ride in a span of just 45 games. After 12 games, they were 2-9-1 and sat 31st in the NHL overall standings. Today, they are winners of 16 straight games and have the most points in the NHL since Nov. 7. And in between there was a coaching change, as head coach Jay Woodcroft and assistant Dave Manson were replaced with Kris Knoblauch and Paul Coffey, respectively.
Edmonton’s success has been a team-wide effort, with the Oilers relying on Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid less than season’s past. A lot of players deserve recognition, but only the very best get the (midseason) award treatment:
MVP: Connor McDavid
Even though he’s on pace for nearly 30 points less than last season and is averaging under 0.5 goals per game for the first time since 2016-17, McDavid is having a positive impact on the Oilers in more ways than ever before.
As captain, he piloted the Oilers through their early season turbulence. While the sky was falling in Oil Country, McDavid projected calm in the face of a full-scale panic. Every time he spoke to the media, he expressed belief in the team. It may not have been what fans wanted to hear, but it’s what the 20 other men in the Oilers dressing room needed to hear.
McDavid is playing the best defensive hockey of his career, evolving into a complete player reminiscent of peak Sidney Crosby. He’s averaging 3.95 hits per 60 minutes, more than double his career rate entering this season.
The Oilers don’t need him to take offensive chances nearly as often as before, and like a true leader, McDavid has embraced this notion, making the smart, safer play. That might mean he gets fewer points in the scoring race, but all that matters is his team gets more points in the standings.
And even given all that, McDavid has still got 20 points and 47 assists in 43 games, putting him in a tie for fourth in the NHL points race with 63.
Top Newcomer: Kris Knoblauch
The Oilers made very few additions to their roster this season, and none have been overly impactful yet. But there is a new member of the organization that has made a monstrous impact: he just happens to stand behind the bench rather than sit on it.
Since hiring Knoblauch as their head coach to replace the fired Woodcroft on Nov. 12, the Oilers have a record of 26-6-0, giving them both the most wins and fewest losses in the NHL over that span. Over the last 12 weeks, Edmonton has the best goal differential (1.52 per game) and the best penalty kill (89.0%) in the league.
While the Oilers are better in just about every facet following the coaching change, the most noticeable difference has been their defensive structure, which has helped Edmonton cut its team goals-against average (GAA) from 3.92 under Woodcroft to 2.32 under Knoblauch. Honourable mention goes to Coffey, who was put in charge of the Oilers’ blueliners and deserves a lot of credit for Edmonton’s improved defensive play.
There’s a new level of composure on the Oilers, who have gone from being unable to protect a lead (3-4-1 under Woodcroft when scoring first) to excelling at playing from behind (11-3-0 under Knoblauch when the first goal is scored by the opposition).
Top Defenceman: Evan Bouchard
Evan Bouchard is arguably the biggest beneficiary of working with Coffey. The 24-year-old rearguard has always had great offensive ability, but it was often offset by his deficiencies on defence, which were never more apparent during Edmonton’s terrible start this season.
But since the coaching change, Bouchard has made great progress defensively, most notably in his positioning and decision-making, becoming someone the Oilers can trust on the back end while also being a constant threat in the opposition’s zone.
And at that end of the ice, Bouchard is having one of the greatest offensive seasons ever by an Oilers defenceman. With 11 goals and 32 assists through 45 games, he’s on pace to record the most points in a single season by an Oilers blueliner since Coffey in 1985-86. Bouchard’s four game-winning goals and five power-play goals are both tied for first among all NHL defencemen.
During Edmonton’s stretch of 16 straight wins, Bouchard has not had a single game with a negative plus/minus rating, a testament to his overall positive impact on the Oilers.
Most Improved Player: Stuart Skinner
Bouchard could have also been named Edmonton’s midseason most improved player, were it not for the remarkable turnaround that Stuart Skinner has made from the start of this season. At American Thanksgiving, he had a record of 4-7-1 with a 3.66 GAA and .865 save percentage (SV%), the latter of which at the time was the worst among all NHL goalies that had started at least one-third of their team’s games.
Since then, Skinner is 19-2-0 with a 1.76 GAA and .935 SV%. He’s won his last 12 starts, setting a new Oilers record for consecutive victories by a netminder, and has a streak of 11 games allowing two or fewer goals, which is also a franchise best.
There are many little aspects of goaltending that Skinner is doing better, and he’s also getting more help in Edmonton’s much-improved defensive structure. Even so, this is easily the best he’s ever played, leaps and bounds better than even last season when he was an All-Star Game participant and a finalist for the Calder Trophy.
In fact, Skinner has been playing so good for such an extended stretch of time now, that all chatter about the Oilers needing to acquire a netminder with the chops to take them to the Stanley Cup has ceased. Skinner is showing he can be that guy.
Unsung Hero: Zach Hyman
The very fact that Zach Hyman has consistently ranked among the top five goal-scorers in the NHL this season while playing on the team with the league’s best record over the last three months, and yet still somehow didn’t get voted to the 2024 All-Star Game shows just how underappreciated the veteran forward is.
Related: Hyman Snub Reveals Flaws in All-Star Vote; Here’s How To Fix It
With 30 goals, Hyman leads the Oilers, and it’s not even close. And this is on a roster that includes one superstar forward who has scored at least 50 goals in each of the last three full-length NHL seasons, and another who won the Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy in 2023.
Hyman is the one Oiler who has been consistent right from Game 1 of the season. He’s yet to go more than three games without scoring this season, and his longest goal drought since Nov. 20 is two games. He’s already set a personal career high in goals and is only the third Oilers player since the 1980s to reach 30 goals before the All-Star Break.
He’s also Edmonton’s leader in plus/minus, with a rating of plus-19, as he continues to impact the game from back-checking to puck pursuit to his net-front presence. Hyman does all the little things that go unnoticed, the essence of an unsung hero.
After being off since Jan. 27 for their break around the NHL’s All-Star festivities, the Oilers return to action tonight (Feb. 6) with a road game against the Vegas Golden Knights. A victory in Sin City would tie Edmonton with the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins for the longest win streak in NHL history, at 17 games.
