Plenty of the Edmonton Oilers struggles this season have been attributed to goaltending, but that certainly wasn’t the case on Tuesday night. Instead, it was the Oilers’ offence who deserved the blame in what was a 1-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild.
With the loss, the Oilers have fallen to 11-11-5 on the season. Optimists will say they are just one point shy of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference, though the reality is that through nearly 30 games, they are 25th in NHL standings.
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This isn’t to say the Oilers’ season is dead by any means, as this group has showed us time and time again that they are capable of going on an extended hot streak which would put them right back in the thick of things. That said, this roster is far different than the past two seasons, and is likely a big reason as to why they’re struggling.
The Oilers saw several pieces head out the door this past offseason including the likes of Evander Kane and Connor Brown, two players that made far bigger contributions to this team than they were often credited. That said, while losing Kane and Brown has hurt, it’s another departure that has played a major role as to why the Oilers are struggling in 2025-26.
Oilers Made Mistake Letting Perry Walk
After reaching back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals in 2024 and 2025, most Oilers fans thought that it was a lock that Corey Perry would re-sign in hopes of capturing his second championship. Instead, the veteran winger chose to join the LA Kings on a one-year, $2 million deal. It was a price that Oilers management felt wasn’t worth it given how tight they are against the salary cap.
After a rather mediocre showing in the 2023-24 season with the Oilers, Perry wound up being a big contributor in 2024-25. He was able to put home 19 goals in the regular season, which trailed only Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Connor McDavid, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. That secondary scoring was massive for an Oilers team that averaged 3.16 goals per game.
Perry was somehow even better in the postseason, potting 10 goals and 14 points in 22 games. His 10 tallies were second to only Draisaitl, while his 14 points were fifth. Suffice to say, he was a big part of the Oilers offence despite turning 40 years old in May.
On top of his goal scoring, Perry also brought a ton of grit and tenacity to this lineup. That is something that the Oilers have sorely missed this season, as there have been far too many nights where the entire lineup feels completely disengaged. You can bet that Perry would have provided a spark on several of those occasions if he were still around.
The Oilers also miss Perry’s leadership. Often times, this Oilers group has had older voices in the locker room to help support the likes of McDavid and Draisaitl in that role. Before Perry’s arrival, they brought in players such as Duncan Keith and Mike Smith to help with that. While they still do have good veteran voices such as Mattias Ekholm and Adam Henrique, you can’t help but wonder how much this Oilers team misses Perry’s presence both on and off the ice.
Youth Movement Not Working
Rather than choosing to bring back Perry, the Oilers hoped younger players such as Matt Savoie and Isaac Howard could help make up for their offseason departures. It has not gone as planned, and while you can’t fault management for trading Kane or moving on from Brown, the decision not to match the Kings’ offer and bring Perry back is looking like a bigger mistake by the day, even if it was a move fans understood at the time.
Related: Oilers Won’t Turn Things Around Like They Have in the Past
What makes matters all the worse is that Perry is having another solid season. Through 20 games with the Kings, he’s scored seven goals and 13 points. That secondary scoring would be huge for this Oilers team, who are 18th in the NHL with an average of exactly three goals per game.
