Oilers bump three star players off top power play unit
The Edmonton Oilers have made three major changes to their top power-play unit after another game in which it struggled to capitalize on critical moments.
Though the team did manage to score its second PP goal of the season against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night, it still struggled to generate momentum and give Edmonton solid separation.
It’s sitting at a dismal 10.5% through the first seven games of the season, which is 29th in the NHL.
Something had to be done to shake things up and Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch revealed three huge changes this morning. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman, and Evan Bouchard were taken off the top unit at practice this morning.
In their spots were Jeff Skinner, Viktor Arvidsson, and Mattias Ekholm. Sportsnet’s Mark Spector was the first to report the changes.
At Oilers practice, new PP units on display.
1st unit: McDavid, Draisaitl, Arvidsson, Skinner and Ekholm.
2nd unit, RNH, Hyman, Henrique, with Nurse and Bouchard.— Mark Spector🇨🇦🇺🇦 (@SportsnetSpec) October 23, 2024
It’s a big deal for this power play unit to see extensive changes. Over the past couple of seasons, it has been the absolute class of the league and even set an NHL record back in 2022-23 with the highest-ever conversion rate, sitting at 32.4%.
That being said, these changes make some sense. Nugent-Hopkins and Hyman have been snake-bitten to start the season and have not looked like their usual selves. Skinner, on the other hand, has been one of the team’s most impressive forwards early on and has been finding ways to finish on some of his chances. It also helps that he has an extensive history of playing on the power play throughout his career.
Arvidsson has had some trouble finding the scoresheet to begin his Oilers tenure but has looked good despite that. His tenacious style of play should bode well for filling in Hyman’s role as the net-front presence.
The only move that doesn’t make much sense is substituting Ekholm for Bouchard. Say what you will about Bouchard’s defensive play, but he has not been the problem on the PP for the Oilers this season. While Ekholm should do fine in that role, Bouchard should remain the QB for that unit.
The Oilers have just two wins in their first seven games of the season. Something drastic had to be done to wake this team up, and demoting three star players off one of the best power plays in NHL history may do just that.
If this sticks, this new-look unit’s first challenge will come against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night.