The Edmonton Oilers are one month into the 2024-25 NHL season, and it’s been a rocky road so far: after losing 4-2 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday (Nov. 6), the Oilers sit fifth in the Pacific Division with 13 points.
Related: 3 Takeaways From Oilers’ 4-2 Loss to Golden Knights
Edmonton is 6-7-1 through its first 14 games, but even that subpar record flatters the Oilers, who have only scored 33 goals, tied for second fewest in the NHL, and have a goal differential of minus-12, one of the worst in the league.
With the exception of a couple really good performances, the Oilers have looked nothing like the team that went 44-15-5 over its final 64 games in 2023-24 and then made a playoff run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. Here are three reasons why they are underperforming so far this season:
Oilers Have Big Problems on Special Teams
The biggest and most obvious issue – make those two issues – affecting the Oilers so far is their horrendous play on both aspects of special teams.
Edmonton has only scored five times with the man advantage. That meagre total stems from a lack of production compounded by lack of opportunity: the Oilers are averaging 2.5 power-plays per game, second-fewest in the league, and converting at a rate of 14.3%, second lowest in the Western Conference.
But Edmonton’s power play looks like a high-functioning unit when compared to its penalty kill, which ranks dead last in the league at a ghastly 59.5%.
In only 14 games, Edmonton allowed 15 power-play goals, and many have come at the worst possible time. On Wednesday, for example, the Oilers were leading 2-1 and less than 10 minutes away from an important victory. But when they absolutely needed to get a stop on the penalty kill, they couldn’t do it. Golden Knights defenceman Noah Hanifin scored a power-play goal at 10:05 of the third period, tying the score and completely turning the game in his team’s favour.
Special teams are arguably the biggest reason that Edmonton was able to get so close to the Stanley Cup in June: over the course of the 2024 NHL Playoffs, the Oilers’ goal differential was plus-1 at 5-on-5 and plus-21 on special teams. So far this season, their goal differential at 5-on-5 is minus-3, which is comparable to the 2024 postseason, but on special teams, they have a goal differential of minus-10.
Edmonton killed penalties at a record rate of 94.3% during the playoffs, allowing only four power-play goals on 70 opportunities. So what happened?
Oilers’ Newcomers Not Making an Impact
The sudden and dramatic downward shift in Edmonton’s penalty-killing capability might have something to do with who the Oilers lost during the offseason: forwards Warren Foegele (signed by the Los Angeles Kings) and Ryan McLeod (traded to the Buffalo Sabres), along with defencemen Philip Broberg (signed by the St. Louis Blues), Cody Ceci (traded to the San Jose Sharks), and Vincent Desharnais (signed by the Vancouver Canucks), all who were regulars on the penalty kill.
Meanwhile, Edmonton’s biggest offseason additions, Viktor Arvidsson (signed as a free agent), Jeff Skinner (signed as a free agent) and Vasily Podkolzin (traded from the Canucks), almost never played in short-handed situations last season. All are known more for producing offensively. The problem is, they’re not even doing that.
Through 14 games, Skinner has three goals and three assists, Arvidsson has one goal and three assists, and Podkolzin has zero goals and three assists. Add it all up, and the three of them combined aren’t even averaging one point per game.
Literally Everyone Is Underproducing
It’s fair to cut Edmonton’s newcomers some slack while they’re getting used to a new team and teammates. But that excuse doesn’t fly with the returning Oilers players, many who have been with the team for several seasons now.
Of the 10 forwards on Edmonton’s current roster that suited up for the Oilers in 2023-24, every single one is averaging fewer points than they did last season. Even the best player on the planet, Connor McDavid, has just three goals and seven assists in 11 games. Consider everything, and it’s easy to see how the team that scored the league’s fourth most goals in 2023-24 now has one of the lowest totals in the NHL so far this season.
The story isn’t any better between the pipes either, where goaltenders Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard each have a higher goals-against average and a lower save percentage than one season ago.
Despite all this, Edmonton is only six points out of first place in the Pacific Division, which is currently held by the Golden Knights with a record of 9-3-1 for 19 points. And the good news is the Oilers had an even worse start last season, and still managed to completely turn things around.
With more than 80% of the schedule remaining, there is lots of time. But the sooner the Oilers dig out of their funk the better. Their next game comes Saturday (Nov. 9), against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena.
