Edmonton Oilers’ Three Blowout Losses Point To Clear Concerns

The Edmonton Oilers’ Stanley Cup aspirations have taken a significant hit following three consecutive blowout losses since returning from the 4 Nations break.

After allowing 17 goals in three games against teams that are known to be high-scoring clubs, the Oilers have had no answer defensively, and their line juggling isn’t working. That led to a 6-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, a 7-3 loss to the Washington Capitals and a 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Now, as they get set to take on the Florida Panthers in a rematch from the Stanley Cup final, there will be real questions about their desire to win if they can’t get up for that game.

Why the Oilers have been so bad of late is shocking. This team is much better than they’ve shown.

Here are three concerns in their game.

McDavid’s Slump Raises Alarm Bells

One of the biggest red flags for the Oilers is Connor McDavid’s recent struggles. The superstar center, typically the engine of Edmonton’s offense, has posted a concerning minus-7 rating over his last three games and has failed to record an even-strength point in that span. He’s passing up shot opportunities as well.

The Oilers have long relied on McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to carry the offensive load. But with only Draisaitl producing consistently, the team must find a way to keep the minutes of these two players to a manageable level, particularly McDavid, who plays a more free-wheeling and exhausting style.

Draisaitl Carrying The Load Alone

Leon Draisaitl continues to play well, scoring his league-leading 43rd goal of the season on Tuesday night. His dominance on the power play is evident — since 2018-19, he has scored 40 more power-play goals than any other player. He’s doing all he can to drag his team into the fight.

Despite his elite production, he lacks a reliable winger to complement his game right now. During the last loss, he seemed to focus on getting Matt Savoie involved rather than making the best play. Other attempts to find him a linemate haven’t worked. Viktor Arvidsson isn’t improving. Jeff Skinner was a healthy scratch again. Vasily Podkolzin’s game has tailed off.

The Oilers on paper had so much depth, but it’s become clear that depth isn’t as prominent as originally thought, and the Oilers have too much of one type of player.

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Goaltending Woes Persist

Stuart Skinner showed promise early in Tuesday’s game, making some key saves in the first period, but a weak wraparound goal in the second period deflated the team’s momentum. This is happening far too often.

The tandem of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard have the potential to be good. Those two got the Oilers to the Stanley Cup final and a goal shy of winning it all. However, they’re not playing as well this season, and management is reportedly unlikely to bring in any help in net.

If Edmonton doesn’t get more stability between the pipes, they need to find a way to help these two find their games.

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Depth And Physicality Are Issues

Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the Oilers’ recent slump is their lack of urgency and pushback.

A team typically known never to be out of a game, the Oilers have looked defeated early in their last three outings. There’s little visible fire in their play, and the team doesn’t look angry about losing. They seem less worried than they should be because they’ve built themselves a bit of a cushion in the Pacific Division.

What’s extra concerning is how little the bottom six forwards contribute. Corey Perry has been arguably solid, but he’s older and slower and should have a more defined role than being a top secondary producer.

Adam Henrique has one point in six games in February, while Connor Brown has two in seven games. Mattias Janmark had four goals and eight points in the playoffs last season, but he has only two points since Jan. 1.

The team just doesn’t seem to be clicking as much as it did last season heading into the playoffs. And it will only get more difficult once the post-season begins. If the Oilers can’t fix all these flaws by then, they might not be ready for the latest Cup quest.

NHL Waivers: Oilers Take Back Travis Dermott While Penguins Waive Veteran The Edmonton Oilers reclaimed defenseman Travis Dermott from the Minnesota Wild off NHL waivers on Wednesday, while the Pittsburgh Penguins placed Matt Nieto on the wire.

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