Are the Oilers Really as Good as They Should Be?
I never thought I’d say it this early in November, but the Edmonton Oilers don’t look like the same team that rolled through the second half of last season. Sure, it’s still early. But when you keep blowing leads, getting embarrassed at home, and looking flat against teams you should be up to play, something deeper is off.
I have to say that, given how much I like the Oilers' coach, Kris Knoblauch, I wasn't worried. He always seems to bring out the best in his team, and at the start of the season, he experiments. I suppose, pragmatically, that a nine-to-one loss and a two-to-one loss are still a loss. You get no points for either. But they sure seem different.
So what seems to be missing from the Oilers team?
First, the Oilers’ Spark Has Gone Out
You can feel it when you watch them. There’s no fire, no spirit. Two long playoff runs in a row will drain any group, but this looks more like a team that’s tired in the soul. Last year, they played with swagger; this year, it feels like they’re going through the motions. As Kevin Bieksa noted during the Hockey Night’s panel discussion last night, McDavid can say, “This has to stop,” all he wants — but until the group actually buys in again, it won’t matter who gives the speech.
Second, the Oilers’ Chemistry Has Been Shaken
Sometimes it’s not the players, it’s the room. The Oilers lost some steady voices. Glenn Gulutzan is now the coach of the Dallas Stars. Last season’s bench assistant coach, Paul Coffey, has stepped away, and he had a sense of humor that kept things loose. You can tell when a bench stops laughing together. The Oilers’ new kids aren’t the problem. They’re just caught in the middle of a team that hasn’t figured out how to mix new energy with old routines. The result? Confusion. Lines that don’t click. Roles that keep shifting.
Third, the Oilers Seem to Have the Illusion that They Are the Same Team and Should Get the Same Results
This is the biggest trap in hockey — believing that because you were good last year, you’ll be good again this year. The Oilers seem to be skating in that fog. Some players just aren’t performing at last year’s level, and the rest of the group hasn’t adjusted. They’re still trying to play the same game with less sharpness, less confidence, and maybe less belief.
Final Thoughts About the Oilers
The Oilers might still be a team good enough to make the playoffs. But right now, they’re living off last year’s reputation. Until they admit they’re not as good as they were — and start earning it again — they’ll keep spinning their wheels.
Maybe a little honesty—not another speech—is what they need most.