It’s just another slow start, right? That’s what Edmonton Oilers fans are trying to convince themselves as their team sits outside of a playoff spot at the quarter-mark of the 2025-26 season. Getting off to poor starts are nothing new for this group, which has helped ease at least some of the panic for what’s been a rough start.
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The Oilers are currently sitting at 9-8-4 on the season, giving them 22 points through 21 games. Interestingly enough, it’s the exact same mark they were at after 21 games in 2024-25, where they had a 10-9-2 record through 21 for the exact same 22 points. Meanwhile, in 2023-24, they had just 17 points at this stage with an 8-12-1 record.
That may give some Oilers fans a reason to be optimistic. Unfortunately, that’s not why this article is being written. For those who have watched this team closely this season, there are things different than what we’ve seen in the past. Sure, maybe you’d like a bit more production out of Leon Draisaitl, but Connor McDavid has been as advertised, sitting second in league scoring with 30 points.
The bigger issue instead is that there aren’t many other forwards who appear capable of stepping up and helping carry the load. Yes, Zach Hyman only recently returned from injury and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is currently out of the lineup. Even with both, there are still far more holes up front than we’ve seen in the past.
There are many who are quick to place all the blame on Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. Sure, neither have been close to good enough, but it’s not as if that’s anything new. There is also a valid argument that the blue line hasn’t been very good. You won’t get any arguments there. That said, the real issue with this team is their very underwhelming forward group, who took a bit hit in the offseason.
Oilers Let Too Many Vets Walk
What the Oilers are really missing compared to past teams is a forward group that could bring a variety of elements. This isn’t about the Jeff Skinner’s and Viktor Arvidsson’s who disappointed in their only season in Edmonton. It’s instead about the likes of the Corey Perry’s and Connor Brown’s, whose absences have been felt in a big way.
With Perry, it wasn’t just his ability to score timely goals or help create offensively. He not only brought veteran leadership which this team is sorely lacking, but was never afraid to get involved physically to help spark his team. This group doesn’t have that.
As for Connor Brown, he too seemed to always provide some sort of energy. Whether it was helping kill a penalty, coming up with a timely goal, or just being an overall energizer bunny for the group, his departure has affected this team for the worse.
Let’s not forget about Evander Kane, either. Granted, he wasn’t able to play throughout the 2024-25 regular season, but his impact in the early going of the playoffs can’t be overstated. The Oilers don’t have a player like him who has the ability to be a gamechanger in so many different ways.
Instead, the Oilers elected to replace those types of players with young options they hoped would be able to step up to the plate. Hope is the key word, as they were taking a big gamble on the likes of Matt Savoie and Isaac Howard, who had yet to prove they could compete at the NHL level.
Howard is now in the American Hockey League (AHL), while Savoie has five points through 21 games. Andrew Mangiapane, who was expected to be a key replacement, has seven points. Trent Frederic, who this management group chose to keep around on an eight-year deal rather than bring someone like Perry back, has just one point through 21 contests.
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David Tomasek was a bit more of a gamble, having yet to play in an NHL game before this season despite being 29 years old. With just three points through 14 games, it’s looking like he simply may be in over his head at this level, despite his success in several leagues overseas.
Oilers Thinned Themselves Out Too Much
The Oilers will still likely find a way to get into the playoffs. Any roster with McDavid and Draisaitl is hard to keep out of the postseason, as they will soon enough will this team to victories in the regular season. Doing so in the playoffs, however, is a completely different beast. They will need help at that time of the season, and right now it doesn’t look like there are many others capable of providing that support. That falls on the shoulders of management, who went far too heavy on turnover on a roster that was arguably just a goalie away from winning it all.