The Edmonton Oilers‘ nightmare 2023-24 season hit a new low last night (Nov. 9). The Oilers, who entered the season viewed as Stanley Cup contenders, fell to the San Jose Sharks by a 3-2 final score. With this loss, the Oilers have fallen to a 2-9-1 record and are continuing to worsen their chances of playing postseason hockey this spring. With that, the Sharks, who are viewed as having the NHL’s weakest roster, now have just as many wins and points as the Oilers.
Following the game, Oilers superstar forward Leon Draisaitl spoke with reporters. Through his responses, it is quite easy to tell that the 28-year-old is going through emotions of dejection and frustration. Check out the video below for Draisaitl’s full comments.
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Let’s now dive into Draisaitl’s comments a bit.
Draisaitl Admits Oilers Lack Confidence
While speaking with the media, Draisaitl said that there are “not too many guys in this room that have confidence right now” in regards to the Oilers roster. Given the fact that they only have two wins in 12 games played and have lost four straight, it is not too surprising to hear.
The Oilers’ lack of confidence has also clearly impacted their play on the ice. Goaltending has obviously been the club’s biggest struggle, but they also have been far from good with their defence. With that, even their elite offence has even been down during the young season.
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It is hard to stay positive and confident when your club gets off to such a poor start, and it is clearly negatively impacting Draisaitl and his teammates. Their goal is to try to get it back now, or this could be a very long and disappointing season for the Oilers.
Draisaitl Gets Snippy With Reporter
Draisaitl’s dejection quickly changed to clear frustration as his conversations with the media continued. After one reporter said, “it just feels like no one’s going right now,” the 2014 third-overall pick responded with a sarcastic “great, great observation.” Clearly, Draisaitl was not pleased to be reminded of that.
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When a team struggles, players naturally get angry, and Draisaitl is clearly at that point. However, if he and the Oilers want to turn things around, they are going to need everyone to improve and get their confidence back in the process.
The Clock Is Ticking for the Oilers
While the Oilers are only 12 games into their season, it is fair to argue that the clock is now ticking. They need to start winning in bunches immediately, or their chances of making the playoffs are only going to decrease further. If they do not make the postseason, it will be a colossal failure, as many pegged them to be among one of this season’s favorites for the Stanley Cup.
We will need to wait and see if players Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Zach Hyman can help carry the Oilers out of this funk from here.