Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
The Oilers are making noise in the NHL. I feel bad for Oilers fans because this season has been one heck of a rollercoaster. The start was horrendous but now they have banked 10 wins in *checks notes* 10 games. If on November 1st you had told any fan of the NHL that the Oilers will be in a playoff spot as well as riding a 10-game winning streak I think they would have asked if you were feeling ok.
The Rock Bottom Of The Oilers Season
This season has had a moment when every hockey fan was wondering if Edmonton should look into trading out some players. The turning point of the season was also a turning point for another team. The 3-2 OT loss to the Jets, sent the Oilers falling and the Jets soaring. Edmonton would then fall further and further until the Oilers faced the San Jose Sharks on November 9th and lost 3-2 in regulation. That is what we call rock bottom. The consequence would be Jay Woodcroft losing his job 3 days later.
The Uptick
After the firing, the Oilers did start winning again but there was not a big change in their place in the standings. Until they did start soaring up the standings. The Oilers are now 20-6-0 under Kris Knoblauch and they are humming at a pace that seems fake. The reason it seems fake is because of the goaltending. Stuart Skinner and his glorious mustache are plugging a hole for this Oilers team in between the pipes but you can not help but be a little skeptical. The offense is helping him out a lot and they are playing better defense as a team. This streak will end, the Oilers will prove they are real if they start another winning streak after they lose because that is what it will take to make the playoffs this year due to the slow start.
Oilers Needs
The Oilers need a goalie. Simple, done article over. Not so fast, they need a good goalie. They need someone that will give them that extra save. This is a high-octane offense team that needs to be able to rely on consistent goaltending, especially during the playoffs. The other need the Oilers have is depth. They need depth scoring and depth defense. Depth scoring is the more pressing need as the third and fourth lines need a little bit more of the hard-to-play-against type of players. The type of players that piss everyone off while also putting the puck in the net. As for the backend, it is thin. They need to bring the gritty type of blueliner and add more bodies. They are one injury away from having a guy who probably should be in the AHL being a regular in the lineup.
To summarize, the Oilers are currently on a roll. Awesome! What happens when they aren’t on a streak? Can they get consistent play from the whole lineup? Can they get Skinner to continue making saves? These are all questions that will be crucial for continuing the run they are on. They will need help to make a deep run, but if the St. Louis Blues taught us anything, it is that no matter what place a team is in December, you can still win the cup.