Oilers Need More Offence From Their Depth Forwards

The Edmonton Oilers‘ season has gotten off to about as good of a start as possible. Sure, there were some defensive warts that popped up early in their first two games with the Vancouver Canucks, but things have quickly improved in that regard. The proof is in the pudding, as they’ve given up just five goals over their past four games.

Thanks in large part to their defensive structure improving, the Oilers are the NHL’s only team remaining who has yet to lose in regulation. Through their first six games, they have a 5-0-1 record. In other words, Mike Babcock’s tenure behind the bench has gotten off to a great start.

To no surprise, the play of the Oilers’ big guns has played a massive part in their success. Connor McDavid leads the NHL with 17 points, while Evan Bouchard sits second with 14. Leon Draisaitl isn’t sitting far behind, as he’s tied for eighth in league scoring with 11 points.

As those stats indicate, finding the back of the net hasn’t been an issue for the Oilers this season. Their 4.83 goals per game sits first amongst all 32 NHL teams. Still, there are concerns with the team’s overall output which are being ignored by some thanks to their strong record.

Oilers’ Bottom Six Forwards Not Producing

First, it should be noted that it isn’t just McDavid and Draisaitl producing up front. Vasily Podkolzin already has seven goals on the season, albeit he’s been playing with the two superstars. Kasperi Kapanen and Alex Formenton have also chipped in with three points thus far. After that, things get ugly.

All of Mathieu Joseph, Isaac Howard, Joshua Samanski, Max Jones have yet to find the back of the net. Colton Dach was in the same category, though he’s been limited to just three games due to injury. Jason Dickinson is also without a goal, though, like Dach, he’s dressed in just three games. Recent trade acquisition Filip Hallander is also goalless, though he’s suited up for just two games.

Nonetheless, there are a whole lot of players who have filled bottom-six roles that have little to no offence to show for it. Trent Frederic also falls into that category, as he’s managed just one point through all six games this season.

As mentioned, that lack of scoring hasn’t been an issue due to the fact that the big guns are playing some truly elite hockey. As we’ve seen in the past, however, if they slow down for any stretch of time, this team often tends to struggle to put goals on the board. Based on what we’ve seen so far this season, that could become the case once again.

Reinforcements are Coming

The good news for the Oilers is that they have been dealing with the injury bug early on. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Matt Savoie, and Mattias Janmark have all yet to suit up this season, while Zach Hyman has played just one game.

There’s no question that Nugent-Hopkins, Savoie, and Hyman will all help this team offensively upon returning to the lineup. Hyman, in particular, has a proven ability to finish around the net, while Nugent-Hopkins provides versatility and experience throughout the forward group. Savoie could also give the Oilers another offensive option as he continues to establish himself at the NHL level.

Their returns should help ease the burden on the team’s top players, but Edmonton can’t simply assume that reinforcements will solve everything. Injuries are inevitable over an 82-game season, and the Oilers will need contributions from their depth forwards when the lineup is healthy, too.

For now, Edmonton’s winning record gives plenty of reason to feel confident. Still, their early success shouldn’t completely overshadow the lack of production from several forwards expected to contribute beyond the top six.

If the Oilers want to maintain their strong start and remain competitive throughout the season, they’ll need more than McDavid, Draisaitl, and Bouchard to drive the offence. Getting healthy will help, but finding consistent secondary scoring could ultimately determine just how far this team goes.