The Edmonton Oilers, a team with Stanley Cup aspirations, are facing scrutiny early in the 2025-26 season, with concerns arising that a reliance on star players and other miscues could prove to be a costly mistake. After a recent loss to the New York Islanders, head coach Kris Knoblauch delivered a blunt assessment of the team's performance, emphasizing the need for immediate improvement.
Through four games, the Oilers rank last in 5-on-5 goals, highlighting an issue with getting more players involved in the offensive action. In the loss against the Islanders, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl both played over 25 minutes, a usage rate that might not be sustainable throughout an 82-game season. While the Oilers managed a win against the New York Rangers, it wasn't their strongest showing, and errors against the Islanders proved detrimental.
Turnovers, penalties, and lapses in awareness have undermined the Oilers' efforts. According to Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the team has been talking about addressing these issues, but they have not executed well enough. One instance saw defenseman Evan Bouchard cough up the puck, leading to a breakaway goal for Mat Barzal. Knoblauch, while acknowledging Bouchard's high caliber, stated that he has seen him play better and that the team needs to address the types of mistakes happening. Mattias Ekholm, Bouchard's defensive partner, noted that while mistakes happen, it's important to consider the upside Bouchard brings to the team.
The Oilers' penalty kill, which was a strength in the previous spring, has struggled early in the season. Player turnover, with the departures of Ryan McLeod, Warren Foegele, Cody Ceci, and Vincent Desharnais, may be contributing to these struggles. Veteran forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins suggested that new faces and a need to rediscover their rhythm might be factors in the penalty kill's performance.
The Oilers' coach pointed out a lack of awareness that led to opponents getting behind the defense for breakaways, which he deemed unacceptable. While goalie Stuart Skinner has been a standout, the team's mistakes have made it difficult to maintain a competitive edge.
To correct their course, the Oilers need to address their turnovers, reduce penalties, and improve their defensive awareness. They also need to find ways to involve depth players and rookies more effectively. The team's struggles aren't solely attributable to new personnel but rather a need to get back to what makes their penalty kill effective. As Knoblauch stated, the team needs to address what they need to improve on. With a game against the New Jersey Devils, the Oilers have an immediate opportunity to implement changes and demonstrate their ability to bounce back from this early-season adversity.
