When the news of Connor McDavid’s injury reached the Edmonton Oilers dressing room, it likely stirred up mixed emotions. There was likely a genuine sense of sadness as the three-time Hart Trophy winner’s absence will be felt. At the same time, there could’ve been an underlying sense of excitement from some of the forward group, due to the potential increase in ice time and opportunity.
The Oilers have an underwhelming 1-3-1 record through the first five games and Leon Draisaitl will have his work cut out for him in the next stretch without his sidekick in the lineup. But he can’t do it alone and while the whole team will need to rise to the occasion in McDavid’s absence, the list below highlights the three forwards who need to step up the most.
Connor Brown
As Connor Brown was the Oilers’ significant offseason addition, many Oilers’ fans were excited about the potential revival of the dominance he and McDavid showcased almost a decade ago while playing in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). However, exploring if that chemistry still exists will have to wait, now that the captain is injured.
Related: 5 Observations From Oilers’ Underwhelming First 5 Games
It’s no secret, with no points in five games, that Brown is off to a slow start, but as I mentioned in a previous article, it’s somewhat expected, considering he was sidelined for most of the 2022-23 season due to a knee injury.
Moving past the lack of point production in the first five games, let’s take a look at how he’s fared. The underlying numbers are strong, as he leads the team with a 65% Corsi (CF%) and a 61.19% Fenwick (FF%) at 5-on-5. By the eye test, he’s a smart veteran with decent hustle, and more often than not he makes the correct plays, like timely dump-ins or good puck protection.
For Brown, the key factors to start producing offensively could be in regaining his timing and anticipation, while also building better chemistry with his teammates.
In analyzing his tallies from the 2020-21 season where he scored a career-high 21 goals, a significant number of those goals were the product of him reading and reacting to his linemates, versus an individual effort, suggesting that once he gains more chemistry with his teammates, the points are likely to come.
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That said, McDavid’s injury creates an ideal opportunity for Brown to show that he’s not just the captain’s old junior teammate from a decade ago but that he can be a good offensive contributor in his own right. However, as he was likely brought in to be Kailer Yamamoto’s replacement in the top six, the Oilers need him to start producing points, sooner rather than later.
Ryan McLeod
Oilers’ centerman Ryan McLeod did not play in the preseason while dealing with a minor injury, and his stat line might reflect that, as he doesn’t have any points in five games. Still, he’s averaging 14:46 time on ice and he’s done a decent job in the third-line center role, despite being pointless.
As well, the advanced analytics show that he’s creating chances offensively with 27-18 scoring chances for and 14-7 high-danger chances for at 5-on-5. Also, with the Oilers’ captain out of the lineup, McLeod is arguably now one of the team’s best skaters and because of that, his ice time is sure to increase.
This should be a good opportunity for the young McLeod, who re-signed a two-year contract in the offseason. He showed progression in the 2022-23 campaign with a decent sophomore season that saw him tally 23 points in 57 games, and some hockey pundits feel he’s the best third-line centerman the Oilers have had in some time.
McLeod is blessed with speed, and as he enters his third NHL season, this next stretch of games without McDavid will be a good test to see if the centerman can raise his game to a new level, something the team urgently needs.
Evander Kane
The power forward Evander Kane was interviewed on Hockey Night in Canada during the first intermission against the Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 21 and when asked about the fight he had with Brenden Dillon, he responded with, “I didn’t play much in the first period, so I thought, might as well get into a fight and take seven or eight minutes in the box.”
Kane, a former 30-goal scorer, perhaps was unhappy with his demotion to the third line and his reduced playing time, but he’s been struggling with only a single assist and a minus-6 plus/minus rating through the team’s first five games, so the demotion was likely justified.
Many Oilers fans have expressed that the 32-year-old’s overall play has declined, but it’s still too early in the season to draw that conclusion and now, more than ever, Kane will have an opportunity to prove his doubters wrong. With McDavid out of the lineup, he’ll naturally see an increase in ice time, but more importantly, a boost in power play minutes.
On that note, Oilers’ TV reporter, Tony Brar, tweeted that Kane was practicing on the number one power play unit, as he usually plays on the second unit, and with a golden opportunity in front of him, the responsibility rests on his shoulders to generate points.
The Oilers released that McDavid is anticipated to miss up to two weeks, and his Oilers’ teammates will have to rise to the occasion with games against the Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers, Calgary Flames, Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators, and Vancouver Canucks over that span.
Which Oiler do you feel needs to step up the most? Have your say in the comments below!