Oilers Need to Lean On Their Depth to Have Success Going Forward

It hasn’t been the smoothest of roads, but the Edmonton Oilers have won three of their last four games and will need to keep it up to stay afloat in a tight Western Conference. Part of their success, though it doesn’t always show up on the scoresheet, is their depth. They’ll need to rely on it even more in the coming weeks to win some tough games both in the regular season and in the playoffs.

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The Oilers’ big guns see a lot of ice time on a nightly basis. While the likes of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard, and a few others are big contributors to the scoring and wins, the rest of the roster should see some more minutes to allow those guys to rest and to also showcase more of what the others can do.

Oilers Depth Does More With Less

Edmonton’s bottom-six forwards and third-pair defensemen may be getting marginally less ice time than the stars, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t showing out. Vasily Podkolzin is a great example: Despite averaging just over 15 minutes per game, he has a career-high 29 points and leads the team in hits. He’s been all over the ice lately regardless of who he has played with.

Another example is Matt Savoie. You can make the argument he’s in his first full season in the NHL and he’s seen plenty of time on Draisaitl’s wing so the chances have been there; yet he still only sees around 14 minutes per game. His noticeable speed and relentless play makes him a good 200-foot player and he has constantly improved game over game. He got off to a slow start offensively but is becoming more important up front with 25 points in 65 games this season.

Something can be said about every player in the lower part of the lineup; Trent Frederic has really ratcheted up the physical play Oilers fans have been waiting to see, while Jason Dickinson is quickly becoming the shutdown centre the team needs. It’s time to showcase all these things a little more.

Edmonton Has Long Road Ahead

Assuming the Oilers are geared up for a similar run to the last two seasons, it will need to be a team effort all the way through. More games being played deep into June means you can’t rely on just six or seven guys to get the job done against some of the top teams in the league. We’ve seen the team’s top players shine in the playoffs, but it can’t all be on them. They’ll be more dangerous with more balanced minutes.

Obviously Bouchard, McDavid, and others can handle 25 or 26 minutes a night, but you have to wonder if fatigue will set in as the season potentially gets longer. Playing big minutes every night in high intensity playoff games also puts them at greater risk for injury, especially given this is their third year in a row trying to make a deep playoff run. They’ve had injuries in past years that may or may not have held them back, so now it’s time to allow others to take more responsibility and lighten the load.

Who Should the Oilers Rely on More?

Who should the team rely on more? Well, everyone would be ideal. For now, there’s a select few who should see a few extra shifts and could really help the team with balance for the postseason. The aforementioned Podkolzin and Savoie have both proven they can step up. I would also like to see Frederic and Colton Dach out there more. That pair on the fourth line has really wreaked havoc since being put together and I think they can do more damage and create some momentum in big moments.

On the defensive side, Ty Emberson is the one to come to mind. No matter who the Oilers put him with on the third pairing, he always seems to play solid, hard-hitting hockey. The Oilers’ top blue liners have struggled at points this season and I think his consistent play could help balance out some errors and give other players a break.

The Oilers have a deep lineup that will shift and change down the stretch with injuries and coaching decisions. A little more ice time here and there for some guys could be a big help.