The Stanley Cup-contending Edmonton Oilers have a less-than-ideal record after their first five games, going 1-3-1 in that span. It’s early, and there have been some obvious insights like Mattias Ekholm needing more time to get caught up to game speed and the inconsistent play of their blue line as a whole.
Also, one storyline to pay attention to in the coming days is all the details about Connor McDavid’s injury, as it was released that the captain will miss one to two weeks with an upper-body injury. Nevertheless, here are five big observations from the Oilers’ first five games.
The Battle for Oilers’ Crease Has Been Underwhelming
Five games into the season, the Oilers have yet to see one of their goaltenders, Jack Campbell or Stuart Skinner, emerge as the undisputed starter, with both displaying inconsistencies when called upon.
Campbell boasts a 1-2 record, a 3.66 goals-against average (GAA), and a .902 save percentage (SV%). He kept his team in the fight early in the game against the Nashville Predators on Oct. 18, making several Grade A saves, but then let in a soft goal the next game against the Philadelphia Flyers while on the power play, which seemed to take the wind out of the Oilers’ sails.
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Skinner has a 0-1-1 record and gave up four goals on 16 shots against the Vancouver Canucks on Oct. 14. He’d been playing solid for the most part against the Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 21, but also deflated his team late in the second period, when he left his net and gave up the puck while the Oilers were on the man advantage, resulting in an easy shorthanded goal by Vladislav Namestnikov.
Moving forward, the Oilers need one of their goaltenders, regardless of who it is, to deliver a consistent run of strong games, to help bring Edmonton back to a winning form.
Connor Brown’s Slow Start Is Expected
Connor Brown was the Oilers’ big offseason acquisition and many were excited for him to replicate the dominance he had with McDavid back in junior almost ten years ago.
However, Brown’s had a slow start, with no points in five games, and was dropped from the top six to the third line in the Oilers’ last two games. Yes, he’s having a slow start, but this is somewhat expected, considering he was sidelined for most of the 2022-23 season due to a knee injury.
Also, his lack of offensive production is drawing attention for a couple of reasons. First, because he was the big offseason signing. Second, because the Oilers have a losing record after five games. If they were winning, his lack of offensive production wouldn’t be as noticeable.
On the bright side, he leads all Oilers at 5-on-5 with a 65% Corsi (CF%) and 61.19% Fenwick (FF%). Moreover, I predicted last September that he’ll likely get dropped down to the third line, which isn’t ideal, but understandable. Let him find his legs in the bottom six, get his timing back and he should start to produce offensively within the next ten games.
Dylan Holloway’s Hard Work Hasn’t Been Rewarded
Dylan Holloway hasn’t recorded a point yet so far through five games, but he’s been one of the team’s most consistent forwards and he’s making the most out of his 11:17 a night, which is third-lowest on the team.
Related: Oilers’ Holloway Deserves a Top 6 Promotion
He’s second on the team in hits (13) and he’s among the team leaders in many advanced analytic categories at 5-on-5, including a 60.47 scoring chances for percentage (SCF%) and he leads all Oilers’ forwards in high-danger-chances for percentage (HDCF%) with a 73.91 HDCF%.
Head coach Jay Woodcroft opted for a line shake-up after the loss against the Flyers on Oct. 19 and instead of promoting Holloway to the top six, it was fourth liner Mattias Janmark who got the nod to play on the second line against the Jets two nights later, and his game was highlighted by the two stick infraction penalties he took.
In saying that, an argument could be made that gifting Holloway top six minutes after only a few games isn’t wise, but when your team’s record is 1-3-1, it could be worth exploring as a possibility as the former first-round pick has untapped offensive potential and has consistently been one of the Oilers’ hardest workers.
It’s Too Early to Be Concerned Over Evander Kane
With the Oilers’ 1-3-1 record and the McDavid injury, it may feel like the team is in a state of crisis; however, for all we know, they could go on a five-game winning streak and all would feel right in Oil Country. Still, there are lingering worries and one of them is over power forward, Evander Kane, who missed almost half of last season due to injuries.
Concern is heightened because Oilers’ fans have experienced other power forwards in recent years like Milan Lucic, James Neal and Zack Kassian, who had one or two good seasons, then their play dropped off drastically.
That said, there are some who feel the decline might be happening with the 32-year-old Kane, and Edmonton Journal’s David Staples, spoke of the forward’s potential declining performance, saying:
“Since returning (ahead of schedule) from the first of those injuries, his trajectory has taken a hard turn in the wrong direction, and at both ends of the ice. By eye, the player is noticeably slower and struggles to handle the puck cleanly.”
– David Staples (From “Evander Kane’s Ongoing Struggles Becoming a Major Concern for Edmonton Oilers” Edmonton Journal, 10/20/23).
Kane was dropped to the third line against the Jets on Oct. 21, but credit to him for trying to battle his way out of his funk by being physical (four hits) and fighting Brenden Dillon in a spirited affair to try and get himself going.
Nevertheless, I lean more toward the perspective that it’s still very early in the season, and whenever I hear of Kane’s potential decline in play, whether it’s his speed or shot, I think about the goal he scored in the preseason against the Seattle Kraken on Oct. 6.
On that play, Kane scooped up the puck in the neutral zone, gained speed with his crossovers and barreled down on Philipp Grubauer, who is an NHL calibre goaltender, and beat him clean with an absolute snipe on his off-wing. I understand it was preseason, but by the eye test, that goal showed Kane still has quick feet and still has the ability to beat NHL netminders cleanly.
For those who are of the opinion that Kane’s play has taken a drastic hit, I’d recommend waiting a bit longer before making that firm judgment.
Oilers Need to Start Playing With a Chip on Their Shoulders
The Oilers were ousted by the Vegas Golden Knights in the second-round last playoffs and it was a hard pill to swallow because there was a feeling that if Edmonton could’ve won that series, there’s a high likelihood they would’ve gone to the Stanley Cup Final themselves.
Leon Draisaitl said in an interview in the summer, “There is learning that we need to do in the years coming up and learn from a series like that against Vegas.” You’d think with the disappointment from losing to Vegas, and especially in a season where the feeling for the Oilers is “Cup or bust”, that the team would be firing on all cylinders in their hunt for Stanley Cup glory to start the 2023-24 campaign; however, early in the season, their killer instinct has been severely lacking.
The Oilers had a better effort in the 3-2 overtime loss last game against the Jets, but overall, their 1-3-1 record isn’t ideal after five games and they were outplayed badly in two of the games by teams that didn’t qualify for the playoffs last season.
There’s a chance that they’re not fully invested yet, and that they’re not giving a full 100 percent because it’s not the playoffs; however, they must remember that in order to get to the dance, they still need to play a full 82 games.
Nevertheless, with McDavid expected to miss up to two weeks of action, the Oilers as a whole will need to step up and start taking care of business in the regular season, before even thinking about the playoffs.
What are your takeaways after the Oilers’ first five games? Have your say in the comments below!