The Edmonton Oilers have been disappointing, to say the least, this season, and there are many reasons why they haven’t been successful. It’s easy to point the finger at bad goaltending, bad luck, or bad defensive play, but it seems that nothing is clicking for the team.
Ryan McLeod, who doesn’t have a goal this season, hasn’t had a great start offensively and continues to struggle defensively. There are plenty of better options around the NHL, and the Oilers should consider trying to upgrade sooner rather than later.
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McLeod hasn’t been the team’s worst player by any means, but he hasn’t been great. The Oilers have struggled to find their defensive game under two different head coaches this season, and they are still tough to watch at both ends of the ice. If they want to salvage their season, they need to make some moves before it’s too late, and McLeod should be put on the market.
McLeod is young but slightly overpaid. His two-year contract extension, worth $2.1 million per season, is affordable enough to move, and there will be teams interested in bringing him in as a project. The Oilers have always struggled to find offensive bottom-six forwards, and McLeod seems to be yet another one who won’t be able to produce on the third line.
Why Should the Oilers Move Ryan McLeod?
McLeod is a 24-year-old center from Mississauga, Ontario, who was drafted by the Oilers in the second round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft at 40th overall after an explosive offensive showing in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Mississauga Steelheads. During his draft year, he scored 26 goals and 70 points through 68 games as the team’s alternate captain. He returned to the OHL the following season with the hope of continuing his development, and he was able to do just that.
He started the season with the Steelheads scoring 12 goals and 38 points through 32 games before he was traded to the Saginaw Spirit where he scored seven goals and 24 points through 31 games. Over the course of his OHL career split between two teams, he scored 61 goals and 194 points through 261 games for a 0.74 points-per-game average.
McLeod broke into the NHL full-time during the 2021-22 season when he played 71 games with the Oilers, scoring nine goals and 21 points. He followed that up with a 23-point campaign in 2022-23 through 57 games and seemed poised to crack the top six this season.
Unfortunately, he seems to have taken a massive step back offensively, only putting up four points through the team’s first 18 games. While it could be chalked up to a bad start, he hasn’t been great away from the puck, either. He seems to have lost his confidence, and now it might be time for a change of scenery.
The Oilers should find a team with depth issues up the middle and see what they are willing to offer. The Boston Bruins have been strong, but fans continue to question their depth at center. The Detroit Red Wings and Nashville Predators could also use his services, as they lack the center depth to make the playoffs and could be the perfect market for McLeod.
In return, the Oilers should try to get a depth defenceman and a draft pick. Their depth on the blue line is weak, so adding a veteran defender could be exactly what they need. However, to be trade partners with any of the teams listed above, money would have to be moved around, but Brandon Carlo from the Bruins is an attractive asset. From the Predators, Jeremy Lauzon is an affordable depth defender who would improve the team’s defensive game. From the Red Wings, Jeff Petry and Justin Holl are both decent options, but both have contracts that would require more moving parts.
Do the Oilers Still Have a Chance to Make the Playoffs?
There is always hope, but with every game, the Oilers seem less and less like a playoff team. However, they still have a chance to salvage their season, but they need their stars to be better, their defensemen to start stabilizing their play at both ends, and they need a massive upgrade in net as Jack Campbell and Stuart Skinner haven’t been great. Hopefully, they can find a solution that includes McLeod. If they can’t, they will miss the playoffs.