Oilers' Jay Woodcroft not concerned about job despite loss to the Sharks

Jay Woodcroft’s one and only focus remains on making the Edmonton Oilers a better team moving forward.

The Oilers hit a new low in what has been an abysmal 2023-24 season, falling to the San Jose Sharks last night by a 3-2 final. The loss puts them dead last in league standings, with a 2-9-1 record through 12 games.

While the Oilers’ struggles can be attributed to several different areas, coaching hasn’t been a strong suit in the early going, causing many to believe that Woodcroft’s job may be on the line. That said, the 47-year-old doesn’t seem to be worried about his job security at this time.

“No,” Woodcroft said when asked if he was worried about his job. “I’m worried about taking care of my daily business, my daily process, and making sure I give my players something to focus on and concentrate on. No one’s happy with where we’re at. We all own it. We can be better, and that’s where my focus is.”

The Oilers arguably deserved a better fate last night, as they gave up just 17 shots. That said, they had a number of unexplainable defensive breakdowns, leading to pucks in the back of their net, which has been the story far too often this season.

Speaking of pucks in the net, Stuart Skinner allowed three goals on 17 shots last night, which gives him a 3.87 goals against average (GAA) and a .857 save percentage (SV%) through eight appearances. Though he can’t be held at fault for the loss to the Sharks, this team desperately needs a goaltender to come up with a big save at the right time.

The Oilers will look to put an end to this ugly skid they are in tomorrow night, as they are set to take on the Seattle Kraken. Puck drop is set for 8 pm MT.

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