The Edmonton Oilers have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NHL so far in 2023-24, despite the fact they have won a few games recently and looked more like their old selves. However, until this team starts to click consistently as a unit, it's tough to say whether their recent resurgence will continue or if it will be short-lived.
Three specific players must start stepping up their games for that to happen. And while those listed below are outstanding names, they haven't performed to their respective standards early.
One of those three is someone who you would think themselves capable of putting the team onto his shoulders. Another was a late-season acquisition who has yet to find consistent footing during his first full season in Edmonton, while the third is coming off of a terrific rookie year, but has been up and down in the early going.
3 disappointing Edmonton Oilers players to start the season
3. Connor McDavid, C
Few NHL players have put together as decorated a career as Connor McDavid, and last season, he managed to take his game to another level. A perennial All-Star, McDavid won the Hart Trophy in 2022-23 as the league's most valuable player, the Ted Lindsay Award, the Maurice Richard Trophy, and the Art Ross Trophy.
His 153 points, 64 goals, and 89 assists were all career-highs, so one would think McDavid would be gearing up for quite the encore presentation, right? As it turns out, that hasn't been the case, as McDavid, a player you would expect to lift up and carry a struggling Edmonton Oilers team, has struggled right along with them, scoring just 13 points in 13 contests.
The good news? McDavid has played a pivotal role in the previous two games, snagging a goal and a plus-3 rating in the Oilers overtime win over the Seattle Kraken. And that came just two days following a win over the New York Islanders in which he had two points.
2. Mattias Ekholm, D
On Feb. 28, 2023, the Oilers traded for Mattias Ekholm, hoping he could help the team on its quest to win its first Stanley Cup since 1990. And things got off to a good start, with Ekholm logging 14 points in 21 games, and a plus-28 rating. Ekholm even kept up his physical edge, and he appeared to be poised to keep that going in 2023-24, his first full season in Edmonton.
But that hasn't happened, with Ekholm logging just five points and a minus-3 rating through 14 games and 20:21 of average total ice time. While he's been effective in the offensive zone, as evidenced by his 61.1 Corsi For and 10 goals for while he's on the ice at 5-on-5, there have also been plenty of downsides.
This has particularly come without the puck, as the Oilers have allowed 12 goals with Ekholm in the game, and his on-ice save percentage sits at a meager 88.0, a career-low since his first full season in 2013-14. Ekholm has also given the puck away an alarming 17 times, so his play has, at best, been turbulent so far.
However, Ekholm had a good game recently vs. the Seattle Kraken, logging 22:07 of ice time, three blocks, an assist, and four shots on goal. Perhaps he, like McDavid, is finally starting to turn things around.
1. Stuart Skinner, G
Stuart Skinner capped off an outstanding rookie season when he took second place for the Calder Trophy and took All-Rookie honors with a 29-14-5 record, a 0.913 save percentage, 2.75 GAA, and a solid 0.604 quality starts percentage. Skinner looked poised to take the next step, and perhaps be the Edmonton Oilers saving grace if the skaters in front of him were having a bad game.
However, that hasn't been the case, with Skinner recording just an 0.880 save percentage, a 3.23 GAA, and a 4-5-1 record. To his credit, his quality starts percentage sits at 0.500, which isn't too far under the league average. But either way, the 2023-24 season hasn't been any kinder to him.
Like McDavid and Ekholm, Skinner has played a better role lately, snagging a 0.941 save percentage, a GAA of 1.65, and three straight wins. If Skinner keeps returning to form, then he will help fuel a potential resurgence of the Oilers.
But since this team is still clawing its way up the Pacific Division's standings, he, like McDavid and Ekholm, must play mistake-free hockey. The next few games will determine whether this trio can get back onto a winning track for good this year.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)
