As the Edmonton Oilers continue their woeful season with their 2-8-1 record, it’s becoming increasingly clear that their goal has shifted from Stanley Cup contention to the modest aim of simply making the playoffs, being second last in the Pacific Division.
There are many things not going right with this current Oilers’ squad, and there are a handful of players sharing the blame, but lately, centerman Ryan McLeod has faced some heat.
Edmonton signed McLeod to a two-year contract extension this past offseason worth $2.1 million annual average value (AVV) and at the time it looked to be a steal, as many felt the young centerman would take a big step in his development; however, with only a single assist in 11 games this season, he’s starting to receive a fair amount of criticism from hockey pundits, and his name has been floated as a trade possibility to shake up the Oilers’ bottom six.
Oilers’ Analyst Suggests Team Should Trade McLeod
McLeod hasn’t scored so far this season and frequently shies away from physical play, often plays on the perimeter and does not drive hard to the net. Because of that, TSN’s Ryan Rishaug mentioned the centerman’s weaknesses and talked about him as a trade chip on the “Got Yer Back” podcast recently:
“This might sound harsh, but if you could find a player that you knew had a major heartbeat and that would go out there and skate hard and finish checks and play in the middle of the ice and that wasn’t as expensive, I’d considering moving Ryan McLeod. He’s done nothing this season, absolutely nothing.
This team desperately needs him to engage in a meaningful way and he’s just skating around the outside of the ice. He’s got nothing for points, isn’t getting to the inside consistently, he doesn’t seem to be stepping outside of his comfort zone in an effort to change anything, and for what he’s producing, makes too much money.”
– Ryan Rishaug
I’d agree with Rishaug that McLeod’s offensive production has been very underwhelming. He’s blessed with blazing speed, so much so that it’s easy to mistake him for Oilers’ captain Connor McDavid from a distance. But so far in his young career, he hasn’t shown a willingness to get to the tough areas, and he certainly doesn’t use his 6-foot-2 and 188-pound frame to his advantage. Yet, I don’t think the Oilers should give up on him just yet.
What Should the Oilers Do With McLeod?
One important factor to remember is that McLeod missed the entire preseason due to a minor injury, and he very well could still be getting his timing back, warranting a slight benefit of the doubt. However, the window for leniency is closing fast. So, how do the Oilers kickstart McLeod’s offensive game?
Related: Oilers’ 3 Options to Find a Save & Salvage Season
Hockey analyst Jason Strudwick offered an alternate solution, one I’d agree with, saying “Why not go with three centers, and put McLeod on the wing? Right, it adds a little bit more speed on the wing, compared to Nuge, so you go [with] Connor, Leon, Nuge, then you spread the pieces around the outside, right, and give it a different look. That does something without having to make a trade.” That said, head coach Jay Woodcroft did exactly that in the loss against the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 6 and placed him on the wing on the top line with McDavid and Zach Hyman.
The line had good chances all game, even an early one in the first period when the Oilers’ captain dropped a pass to McLeod and got off a solid shot in the slot for a high-danger chance. The line played just under ten minutes together and while they didn’t get on the scoresheet, they cycled well and had a 64.29% shots for percentage at 5-on-5.
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Also, the trio hemmed the Canucks in their zone for close to a minute in the third period, which led to a scrum and a shoving match, and we finally saw McLeod involved in the rough stuff when he separated Phil Di Giuseppe from McDavid. It was a subtle move and he was a little late to come to his captain’s aid, but we finally saw some emotion and desire from him to be physically involved.
By playing on the wing, McLeod will have less defensive responsibility and he can focus on being stronger on the forecheck, use his dynamic speed to create turnovers and hopefully the points should start to pile up.
Data Shows That Oilers Have Two of NHL’s Quickest Players
Overall, it wouldn’t be wise to trade McLeod just yet, because he does have good upside while making $2.1 million AAV and because his speed is a rare commodity in today’s NHL. According to the Twitter/X account JFresh, they listed the forwards in the NHL who most frequently exceeded 20 miles per hour in 2021-22 and 2022-23, and Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan Mackinnon was ranked first, followed by McLeod, and McDavid was ranked behind him at third.
That said, I understand Rishaug suggesting trading McLeod, because so far all he’s shown is that he can skate around the ice pretty well, but it’s in the team’s best interest to hold onto him a little longer. The Oilers’ poor record isn’t solely on him, but he’s part of the equation that needs improvement and for him, it’s simple — go to the tough areas, don’t shy away from physical contact and assert yourself on a nightly basis.
What should the Oilers do with McLeod? Play him higher in the lineup? Or should they trade him? Have your say in the comments below!
