With the Edmonton Oilers losing in the first round, the offseason has begun. It is earlier than the team has become accustomed to, the notes of dissatisfaction a bit harsher. With that in mind let’s take a look at some of the rumours surrounding the future of the team.
All eyes on McDavid
With his new contract beginning next season, all eyes are on Connor McDavid. Naturally both he and Leon Draisaitl will have communications on where they hope to see change within the team, and more than ever their vision will be vital for management to deliver on. While the nature of their vision is unknown, nearly every aspect of the roster and organization as a whole is under question.
As McDavid and Draisaitl are determined to win, this becomes the primary directive. Some go as far as saying that McDavid is as good as gone unless the Oilers can claim glory.
Knoblauch in the hot seat
Coach Kris Knoblauch is certainly among those on the hot seat. The Oilers were quick to fire Jay Woodcroft when things went poorly. After a middling season and early playoff exit, Knoblauch should be on notice. This goes even before considering some of the pointed comments that McDavid and Draisaitl made over the season that seemed to point to coaching. Paul Coffey joining the bench midseason is not exactly a vote of confidence either.
Bruce Cassidy might be considered the favourite at this point, but for now the question is whether or not Knoblauch will be back next season. Though he has authored a lot of success in his short NHL career, Knoblauch might become a victim of the Oilers immense expectations.
Will Bowman remain?
To that point GM Stan Bowman and even president Jeff Jackson might not be safe either. Each degree up the chain of command offers a bit more security, but in the wake of the Oilers season their seats might be hot as well. Though former GM Ken Holland often received criticism, many of the changes since his departure have been disappointing.
Many of the UFA signings by this regime have turned out poorly. Some of the trades have brought mixed results as well. As much as the next moves will be important, a big part of Bowman’s legacy with the Oilers will hinge on the future performance of young forwards like Isaac Howard and Matthew Savoie.
Pickard seems to be moving on
It seems that one of the changes is that goalie Calvin Pickard will move on from the organization. He thanked the city in a recent Instagram post, but many foresaw this eventuality based on the Oilers overall depth chart. With a number of young goalies pushing for bigger roles, and Pickard sent down to the AHL with his expiring contract, the writing was on the wall.
Pickard had the best run of his career as an Oiler, punching above his weight and spelling Stuart Skinner in a number of big moments. His compete level made him well liked by his teammates.
Goaltending still a big issue for the team
Somewhat related is the future of the Oilers crease. The Tristan Jarry acquisition has been controversial, now looking like a bad contract that the Oilers might look to move off of. Connor Ingram is a free agent, and might be a partnership that both team and player look to continue. Connor Ungar had a fantastic season, and might be worth a look in the NHL.
The rumours extend beyond the organization as well, as the potential of adding Jordan Binnington remains a popular option. Filip Gustavsson and Sebastian Cossa are other goalies that could be part of the equation as well.
How to move from Nurse
A big topic remains Darnell Nurse. His expensive contract continues to make him a topic, earning a lot of extra criticism. As fans look for ways to improve the team, many see ridding themselves of Nurse’s contract as a path forward.
The added cap space is self explanatory, though the rising cap does change the equation. Still, many overlook the contributions that Nurse continues to provide, instead only focusing on his contract and his mistakes. Nurse logged huge minutes for the Oilers in the playoffs, handling a true shutdown role alongside Connor Murphy. With heavy defensive zone starts, Nurse was still +4 in the series, and had a better xg% with Murphy than Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard did.
While getting rid of Nurse would open some cap flexibility, it might be difficult for the Oilers to actually improve. This year’s free agent class is thin, and not many players could hope to replace Nurse. Given Ekholm’s age and Jake Walman’s offensive mindset, the importance of a defensive presence on the left side becomes even more crucial. Wholly no means a perfect player, Nurse has a rare combination of size, skating, and skill that make him able to check imposing opponents and handle primary puck handling duties when paired with more one dimensional stoppers like Murphy.
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
most points above are well though out. If The present Coaching staff remain, they MUST realize as many people, they need to involve MOST of the roster in meaningful minutes. Drys and Mc D limited PP time per pp. No penalty kills. If we plan on a cup this Team has to be fully involved, everyone playing a role. Get the guys in during regular season. We will then be ready to Challenge. Rested stars as well. Keep most of our roster.