Saturday night marks the 42nd game of the season for the Edmonton Oilers. As such, taking a look at the roster and how they’re faring individually this season is an exercise I tend to partake in every season. This season it was an interesting look back. The Oilers started out incredibly bad, but have since picked it up, winning 12 games in a row.
Let’s start by taking a look at the forwards and getting a read on how the key names are factoring into the team’s overall success.
Connor McDavid Is Back to Normal: A
It was an odd start for Connor McDavid. Something looked off to start the year and while there wasn’t a lot of talk about a nagging injury, his game looked different. Still dominant, he wasn’t “McDavid dominant”. Then, around the same the head coaching change was made, he started to pick up steam.
Now with 59 points in 39 games, he’s done most of his damage since mid-November. He’s on a 12-game point streak and he’s, once again, making opponents look silly. More intriguing, he’s added an element of feistiness that didn’t seem to be there before. This is not to say that McDavid wasn’t engaged physically in the past, but this season, he’s initiating so much of the action, he’s dragging himself and others into the fight with him. That’s a good sign for the playoffs.
Leon Draisaitl Has Started to Find His Game: A-
Certainly capable of pushing the river on his own, as McDavid goes, often so does Draisaitl. It’s no coincidence that the two are on fire of late, even though they spend a lot of time apart 5-v-5. He’s got 50 points on the season and has really started to find another gear. Like McDavid, he started out slowly, but it will be interesting to see where he finishes the season.
Related: Oilers Showing Maturation Through Season Turnaround
Currently not in the top 10 in NHL scoring, it’s an odd place for Draisaitl to be compared to previous seasons.
Zach Hyman Having Another Career Year: A+
Zach Hyman might have been the easiest player to grade this season. He’s been the most consistent forward on the team and, in my opinion, he got shafted not being selected as an All-Star. Tracking at a pace for 55 goals, Hyman is poised to surpass his previous record of 36. That’s incredible when you think about how he’s learned to play with the Oilers’ top players and his previous production with the Toronto Maple Leafs before he came to Edmonton.
Hyman has exceeded every expectation anyone could have set for him. And, when you think about the number of goals he has called back, his numbers would be even more stellar. He’s becoming as beloved in this town as Ryan Smyth was.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Continues His Consistent Play: B+
The silent assassin and quiet leader on the team, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is as important to this group as almost anyone. He is arguably the most versatile forward on the team. He can play center, wing, with anyone and in all situations. He’s key on the power play and crucial on the penalty kill. He has been this kind of player for years.
As expected, he’s taken a dip in his production. Few expected he would have another season where he posted 105 points. That said, he’s nearly a point-per-game player. To do what he does while playing in every conceivable situation is what makes coaches love him so much.
Warren Foegele Now a Legit Top-Six Forward: A
In his third season with the Oilers, this is the first one in which we can say he’s supplanted himself a spot in the team’s top six. He’s earned every minute he’s getting there and he’s found chemistry with Draisaitl and other top players, all while staying aggressive as a forechecker. Foegele is having his most outstanding season with the team and early talk of a possible trade in the offseason has been met with relief that the team never pulled the trigger.
Foegele has 23 points in 41 games and is on pace for around 20 goals this season. If you had made a player-by-player wish list to start the campaign, these are the kind of numbers that likely exceeded where most would have pegged Foegele. His grade is a reflection of personal expectations. This is not a comparison to others on the team.
Evander Kane Has Struggled At Times: C+
For the sake of argument, I’ll slot Evander Kane in as a top-six forward on this team, even though he hasn’t spent all of the season there. He’s been in the top nine as players have found their groove. Kane actually seemed annoyed at a lack of opportunity when players like Ryan McLeod were producing so well. McLeod was on the second line for a stretch and Kane spent time with Connor Brown, Derek Ryan, Mattias Janmark and others. As expected his offensive production took a bit of a hit.
Now that Kane is back in the top six, he too is producing. But there’s something about his effort level at times that seems lacking. Could it be a nagging injury issue? Could he be pouting? Is it a bit of both? Evaluating Kane is challenging given the series of injuries over the past couple of seasons. When looking at the grade, readers should keep that in mind.
His underlying numbers are not strong and he’s prone to making mistakes on the ice that lead to chances against. That was the main reason for a C+ grade.