The Edmonton Oilers finished with 101 points and solidified third place in the Pacific Division, but they had three fewer points than last season. They will battle the Los Angeles Kings for the fourth consecutive season in Round 1, having beaten them the previous three times. However, this time is different because they don’t have the home-ice advantage. If some players played better, maybe Edmonton would start its quest for the Stanley Cup at Rogers Place. But unfortunately, too many players had down seasons, which resulted in a worse record. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had 104 points in 2022-23 and 67 points in 2023-24. However, he only had 49 points this season. Zach Hyman was fresh off a 54-goal campaign, but followed that up with 27 goals. Those two had down seasons relative to expectations, but they weren’t as disappointing as other players. Here are the three most disappointing Oilers in 2024-25.
Mattias Janmark
Due to recency bias and his performance in the Stanley Cup Final last June, Mattias Janmark was given a three-year contract extension in the offseason. He was given job security, but has not performed up to expectations. He finished the season with only two goals and 18 points in 80 games. One of his goals was an empty-netter, and the other deflected off his body, so he didn’t score with his stick on a goaltender all season. His offence was nonexistent despite being given constant opportunities.
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He’s been labelled a “defensive specialist” and an important penalty killer, which is why he’s been a staple in the lineup. However, the penalty kill was ranked 16th in the league at 78.2 percent, so the kill wasn’t thriving with him on it. The 32-year-old was also a minus-6, the fifth-worst rating on the team. Only Kasperi Kapanen, Trent Frederic, Max Jones, and Brett Kulak were worse, and two of those players were trade deadline acquisitions. That’s not good for a so-called “defensive specialist.” To say he has underperformed would be an understatement, and he has been a huge disappointment this season. When everyone’s healthy, head coach Kris Knoblauch should consider scratching him.
Evan Bouchard
This may be controversial given his production and offensive ability, but Evan Bouchard underperformed this season. His expectations are sky-high, and he didn’t live up to them. He finished with 14 goals and 67 points, which ranked fifth among defencemen. However, for a power-play specialist, he only scored three goals on the man advantage. He couldn’t get shots through consistently, and they kept getting blocked. He was labelled the “shin pad assassin” for that reason.
His defensive game is the reason he’s on this list. He’s not bad defending off the rush because his gap control is decent, but his spatial awareness and man coverage are lacklustre. He’s very nonchalant in the defensive zone and seems to lack effort, which infuriates the fans. His elite offensive game usually compensates for his underwhelming defensive play, but his offence was down this season, highlighting his defensive weaknesses even more. The fan base can forgive his defensive gaffes if he makes up for it at the other end, but his numbers still weren’t good enough. He should be a point-per-game player consistently, but he wasn’t this season. Bouchard isn’t playing like a pending restricted free agent (RFA) seeking a massive extension. If he wants that big payday, his play must reflect that. However, all can be forgiven with an excellent postseason performance.
Stuart Skinner
This is the most obvious because goaltending is a crucial position, and the Oilers didn’t have it for large stretches this season. Stuart Skinner has received a ton of online criticism this season, and rightfully so. He had his worst statistical season thus far, recording 26 wins with a 2.81 goals-against average and a .896 save percentage (SV%) in 51 games. Usually, he can get hot and go on a streak, but that never happened. Backup Calvin Pickard largely outplayed him, and goaltending remains a major concern as the playoffs begin. The Oilers’ netminder had a disappointing season, and he must be better if Edmonton hopes to hoist the Stanley Cup in June.
The 26-year-old got injured in a game against the Dallas Stars on March 26, when Stars forward Mikko Rantanen’s knee caught him in the head. As a result, he missed eight games before getting two starts in the final three games to close the regular season. Before the final contest, Skinner jokingly said, “Rantanen knocked some sense into me.” There’s still some truth behind that statement. Since returning from injury, he stopped 35 of 36 shots, including a shutout. Those are the numbers he needs going forward, and he can erase this dreadful season with a great playoff showing. Hopefully, that time off did him good.
Do you agree with this list? Who else had a disappointing season? Keep following The Hockey Writers for all your NHL news and rumours throughout the postseason. The Oilers begin their quest for Lord Stanley on Monday, April 21, against the Los Angeles Kings at 8 PM MT.
