Over the past six games, the Edmonton Oilers have only managed to earn five of a possible 12 standings points. In all this is not cause for too much concern, though this is undoubtedly one of the more mortal moments of the Kris Knoblauch era. At the very least, with another six games before the trade deadline, any issues with the team’s roster construction still have time to be addressed. There are a number of areas in which the Oilers have come up short over the stretch.
Goaltending needs on the front burner?
Perhaps predictably, as the Oilers have allowed more goals recently, goaltending is becoming a growing issue across Oil Country. Stuart Skinner has had a number of strong stretches as a member of the team, yet has not earned much goodwill in the eyes of the general public. Despite a near two-season long run as the Oilers starter, each time that Skinner is anything but his best doubt begins to swell in his viability as a true starter.
The goaltending market across the league is enigmatic. Public opinion seems to swing between extremes each week, yet the trade market is log jammed with teams standing pat. Elite goalies are being doubted, elite teams are without good options, and even the most stout tandems are coming into question. With shooting percentages and goals trending upwards league wide, there is very little patience or understanding being afforded to goalies.
For the Oilers, Calvin Pickard is cast in a pure backup role, and seems to have delivered his best work in holding onto the spot for as long as he has already. Perhaps for a perennial Vezina candidate Pickard as a backup would be tenable, but at this point Skinner and the Oilers require greater support. Though Jack Campbell and Olivier Rodrigue might be able to outperform Pickard on a game to game basis, the trio behind Skinner offers only imperfect options.
With increasing frequency Stanley Cup winning teams rely on more than one goalie in their playoff runs. The volume of viable candidates the Oilers employ is sufficient, but the quality is suspect. With even the more questionable names on the market rumoured to bear expensive acquisition costs, as rebuilding teams cling to their current goalies, and a number of deadline buyers rumoured to be interested in an upgrade, the likelihood of the Oilers upgrading is smaller than most are comfortable with.
On the other hand, the Oilers in house options might provide some hope. Goalies afforded mental resets have been able to bounce back, as might be the case with Campbell, and unexpected rookies have come up big in the playoffs, as might be the case with Rodrigue. Oiler fans will have doubts, but any goalie the team is likely to acquire will come with doubts of their own. Needless to say whatever happens in the crease the Oilers will need to focus on playing stout defence in front of their goalies.
Relapsing penalty kill woes
Over this six-game stretch the Oilers penalty kill efficiency is a paltry 69.6%, killing off 16/23 penalties. This is undoubtedly related to the goaltending issues, but entirely not at a level conducive to team success. On the season the Oilers have done quite well, with a 79.5% rate.
This is an area that plagued the team over the course of the Jay Woodcroft era. Knoblauch and his staff have been able to improve the team’s performance in this aspect, and returning to an improved efficiency is vital to the Oilers championship aspirations. Often penalty killing is thought of as the greater impact on playoff success, the more reliable and transferable of the special teams.
Given the team’s offensive talent, power play prowess, and control of even strength play, the penalty kill being strong transforms the Oilers from a dangerous team to a Cup favourite. If the team can get back on track to the standards set over the Knoblauch era, or achieving an efficiency over 80%, the Oilers will be a nightmare for any playoff opponent.
Time will tell if and how the Oilers choose to address these concerns, but prognosis of the team’s deadline plans should consider potential upgrades. Adding a depth forward who features on the penalty kill might be an option, for example Sam Carrick of the Anaheim Ducks, but for the same reason a middle-six forward with penalty killing ability might make more sense than a pure scorer. For example, in a vacuum Jake Guentzel might be a better player than Adam Henrique, but Henrique might be the better fit for the Oilers.
Bottom-six silver linings
Despite the areas of concern, there are some positives that Oilers Country can take from the team’s recent stretch. A number of bottom-six forwards have shown signs of life, even authoring surprising personal seasons. Warren Foegele is playing the best hockey of his career. Corey Perry has exceeded all on-ice expectations. Dylan Holloway is continuing to grow, having a greater influence on play. Mattias Janmark and Derek Ryan continue to consistently deliver in depth roles.
Star players will have a greater impact on the game, but to achieve their ultimate goal the Oilers need contributions from their depth. The front office and coaching staff might continue to tinker with the group, but at the very least the Oilers have something to work with.
The bigger picture
Perhaps a slackening was to be expected after the Oilers near historic winning streak. Often streaks continue despite a change in quality of play, for better or for worse. On the other side it might take a while to return to form, anecdotally perceived as a balancing out of luck. Having battled back into the playoff picture, more important than a handful of games is the Oilers finding the play that lead to their strong results. While the past six games had some high points, games or portions of games in which the Oilers played up to standards, they have yet to rediscover the focus that brought them success.
The six games before the trade deadline will be the last chance to upgrade the organisation. The onus will be on the front office to make the necessary additions, but after that it will be up to the group to bring the best out of each other. The Oilers will have a chance to play against opponents of a mixture of quality before the deadline, as well as the chance to avenge recent losses to the Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, and Boston Bruins.
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
