As NHL Players prepare to play within the Olympics for his or her respective countries, there remains to be quite a lot of talk in Edmonton about Leon Draisaitl’s comments on his team’s performance heading into the break.
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The Oilers superstar was asked about his team’s play following Edmonton’s 4-3 loss to the Calgary Flames, the team’s third in a row heading into the Olympic Break. Draisaitl called a spade a spade and said it wasn’t ok.
“Just giving up too many goals. Can’t defend. Penalty kill shouldn’t be great. But there are a lot of things which can be a part of it. Just not ok immediately,” Draisaitl told the media. “You wish everybody. It starts with coaches. Like everybody. Like, you’re never going to win if you will have 4 or five guys going and it starts at the highest; we will be higher. Our leaders will be higher.”
His comments following the February fifth game began an uproar in Edmonton. Some believed those comments must have been handled behind closed doors. Throwing everyone under the bus like that might do more harm than good.
Nonetheless, those that follow the Oilers closely understand that what Leon Draisaitl said about their play was 100% spot on. Not to say what he said concerning the Oilers not being the identical team they were once they went back-to-back within the Stanley Cup Finals.
“We’re a distinct team. We’re not the identical team. Like, we’re not pretty much as good immediately. We’re not even close. Like, we want to grasp that,” Draisaitl added.
He is correct. Having seen the Oilers play the Florida Panthers within the 2024 and 2025 Stanley Cup Finals, this group isn’t even near those teams. As a matter of fact, the Oilers depth isn’t pretty much as good because the team that lost in Game 7 of 2024 by one goal to the Panthers.
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They’ve gotten worse down the center and where it counts most, defensively. Just have a look at the players; due to the cap issues in Edmonton, the Oilers have lost during the last two offseasons: Cody Ceci, Vincent Desharnais, Viktor Arvidsson, Jeff Skinner, Ryan McLeod, Evander Kane, Corey Perry, John Klingberg, Connor Brown, Philip Broberg, Dylan Holloway, and the list goes on.
These were key players within the run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2024 and 2025. Not to say Paul Coffey, an assistant on Kris Knoblauch’s staff who helped the Oilers play higher defence than they do now.
Defense has been a difficulty for the Edmonton Oilers for years now. It was an enormous reason why Jack Campbell got sent to the minors after which bought out. There may be an argument that Jay Woodcroft was fired for this reason. It has been the identical thing many individuals have been saying: the Edmonton Oilers must play higher defence with a view to protect their goalies.
Goaltending was an element of the issue, nevertheless it wasn’t the only reason why the Edmonton Oilers lost to the Panthers twice within the Stanley Cup Final. Yes, they needed their goalie to stop some pucks, however the breakdowns that led to timely goals for the Panthers did them in. It carried over into this season as well.
They are only giving up too many goals. Whether it was Stuart Skinner (now with the Pittsburgh Penguins), Calvin Pickard, Connor Ingram, or Tristan Jarry, the goaltending has been leaking goals all season. Stuart Skinner wasn’t the issue. The trade for Jarry was only a lateral move. It didn’t make the Oilers higher.
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But Leon Draisaitl is correct: it’s a two-way street; they should help their goalie, which, in turn, helps the fellows in front of the online.
“It goes hand in hand. Like we got to defend higher, we got to make it easier on him, after which I’m sure he will be somewhat bit higher too,” Leon Draisaitl added. “It’s a two-way street, nevertheless it starts with us in front of him, after which the sport becomes somewhat bit easier for him. But I believe there’s saves that our goalies must make in some unspecified time in the future.”
The Edmonton Oilers need to get it together really quickly coming out of the break. There is no such thing as a more time for lollygagging, or else they might find themselves on the skin looking in with the Florida Panthers.
Leon Draisaitl needed to let off some frustration, but he put management on notice that the window for this group is closing. It’s time for them to place together a greater group. Nonetheless, it’s also on everyone else to do their part if the Edmonton Oilers need to have success. That features himself.
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