4 things Edmonton Oilers need to fix before playoffs begin
The Edmonton Oilers are looking to avenge their Stanley Cup Final loss from last season, but they still have some issues to clean up before the playoffs.
A playoff berth is practically guaranteed as the Oilers are nine points up on the closest team chasing them, the Calgary Flames. These last eight games of the season will focus more on playoff positioning than anything else, as the team is chasing both the LA Kings and Vegas Golden Knights for first/second in the division.
Though Edmonton is likely postseason-bound, that doesn’t mean they are a lock to get back to the final. The Oilers have a few critical issues in their game that must be addressed if another lengthy playoff run is in the cards.
Here are the four most glaring that could cut Edmonton’s postseason dreams short.
1. Get healthy
One of the most glaring issues that hit the Oilers over the last few weeks was their health.
Multiple top players have gone down with injuries lately, including the likes of Connor McDavid, Leon Driasaitl, Mattias Ekholm, and even starting goaltender Stuart Skinner. These are four extremely important players that will need to be playing at full health in the playoffs if the Oilers want another long run.
Luckily, Draisaitl has already returned to the lineup and looks magnificent. The latest news on McDavid is that he hasn’t suffered anything serious. It’s been a bit more quiet on Ekholm and Skinner.
On top of that, the team is also awaiting the return of Evander Kane, who has missed the entire season, as well as the debut of trade deadline acquisition Trent Frederic.
2. Depth scoring
You cannot win the Stanley Cup by only having a few star players carry the majority of the workload. If that were the case, the Oilers would already have a few cups this decade.
It’s for that reason that Edmonton needs their depth scorers to step up in a big way when the playoffs hit. Both McDavid and Draisaitl have shown that they are top-notch playoff performers, but there is a concern that they will be the only ones running hot once again.
Guys like Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson have been having difficult seasons, but they have started to heat up down the stretch. The same goes with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman.
It’ll also be important for other depth guys like Corey Perry, Connor Brown, Adam Henrique, and Vasily Podkolzin to chip in on offence every once in a while.
3. Consistent goaltending
The biggest Oilers storyline this season has been the status of the team’s goaltending, which has had its fair share of peaks and valleys.
Skinner will be the Oilers’ postseason starter if healthy, and last year’s run showed a few different things. The Edmonton native did exactly what he needed to do in the last two rounds, but a second-round struggle nearly got the team eliminated.
That has not gotten any better this season as well, and Skinner has not been able to string together a consistent season and is running a sub-.900 SV%. Pickard has done well as the backup, but there are still plenty of questions about him being a full-time starter in the NHL or someone who can take over the net for long stretches, especially in the playoffs.
If this tandem can get hot at the right time, it will do wonders for Edmonton’s Stanley Cup hopes.
4. Clean up defensive lapses
The Oilers have done a pretty decent job of improving their defensive play, but some warts have popped up since the 4 Nations break in February.
It hasn’t helped that the defensive group has had some injuries prevent them from being complete for large swaths, but things need to be cleaned up. Things as simple as being smarter with pinches in the offensive end and just making sure the front of the net is cleared to prevent rebound chances.
Those types of mistakes will be magnified in the playoffs and could lead to an earlier-than-expected elimination for this Oilers squad.