The Edmonton Oilers’ struggles proceed, and areas of need are growing
B/R Open Ice: Frank Seravalli, on the Edmonton Oilers and their struggles, especially with the secondary scoring. The Oilers need some assist in net and depth up front. They aren’t getting the returns, and the seat is getting warmer for head coach Kris Knoblauch. They need some scoring help.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
“Look, it’s been a disaster on so many alternative fronts. And we talked very early on in today’s show concerning the idea of the over reliance that the Oilers forwards have had on Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Consider it or not, in case you look back during the last 10 years, the Oilers have gotten fewer points in production out of the underside half of their lineup this 12 months than another 12 months within the McDavid and Draisaitl experience. Which is type of hard to imagine.
While you speak about a net goal share to date this season with the Oilers, McDavid and Draisaitl on the ice versus off of it, there, they’ve been outscored 30 to nine to date this season with Conor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl off the ice. That’s crazy.
So where do the Oilers go from here? Well, David Tomasek hasn’t worked. Isaac Howard is back in Bakersfield. Matt Savoie is trending in the precise direction. He looks like a man who’s coming on, goes to be a player for this team. The Oilers need not only help defending, not only in net, where their goaltending has been poor, but in addition they need some more talent on their forward group. That is certainly evident to date.
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And man, this depth has eroded in a really short order for Edmonton. So control what Edmonton does next. Because, you realize, I believe the seat has gotten just a little warmer under Kris Knoblauch as this road trip has gone on. They’re not seeing the returns, and Jay Woodcroft was fired under pretty similar circumstances. Despite the fact that Kris Knoblauch has taken this team to 2 straight Stanley Cup Finals, the seats getting warmer.
But beyond that, sooner or later they’re going to need to do something because missing the playoffs this 12 months, they usually’re type of, imagine it or not, teetering closer to that edge, as we’ve needed to readjust some expectations for Edmonton. It’s been ugly. How do they find their way out of it? How do they find more skill?
Stan Bowman has his work cut out for him. He’s tried to search out solutions. David Tomasek, the Swedish leading scorer last season, he’s barely played. And so trying to search out diamonds within the rough that hasn’t been it either.
They’re going to need to make some tough decisions, because the Edmonton Oilers are tied with the Calgary Flames, imagine it or not, for regulation wins to date this season. They each have just 4, and Calgary has played one fewer game to date this season, and Calgary is at the underside of the West standings alongside St Louis.
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