What is Wrong with the Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers face a major problem. Despite Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl leading the charge, the team has fallen out of playoff contention with multiple serious issues. What is wrong with the Oilers starts with their goaltenders, defense, and some questionable roster decisions that have left them scrambling to stay competitive.

Goaltending and defense are costing them games

Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard have posted save percentages of .885 and .851 respectivly. these numbers rank among the worst in the league. when your goaltenders give up soft goals, even elite offenses struggle to overcome the deficit (and that's saying something with McDavid on the team).

The Oilers' defense ranks in the bottom 25% of the NHL. Defensive breakdowns happen constantly. In a recent game against Buffalo, poor coverage in front of the net led to multiple easy goals. Strong defense requires communication and positioning the Oilers have shown neither consistently.

Bad offseason trades weakened the roster

General Manager Stan Bowman faced tough salary cap decisions. He traded away Connor Brown and Evander Kane to create space. New signings like Isaac Howard and Andrew Mangiapane haven't delivered the expected production.

Howard struggled so badly he went to the AHL to rebuild confidence. The team lost valuable depth without gaining meaningful upgrades in return. Bowman made difficult choices, but the results speak for themselves.

The second line can't keep up

McDavid's first line generates chances every shift. The second line moves too slowly and produces too few goals. Players lack the speed and physicality needed to create scoring chances on their own.

Frequent line shuffles hurt chemistry and trust. When forward combinations change constantly, teammates never develop timing. The second line remains the team's weakest link by a significant margin.

Fatigue and penalties are adding up

Back-to-back Stanley Cup Final runs without winning takes a mental toll. Players carry the weight of near-misses into every game. Physical exhaustion compounds mental fatigue.

Penalty trouble has surfaced recently. Six penalties in one game against Buffalo disrupted momentum and gave opponents free power-play opportunities. Undisciplined play kills rhythm. A brutal schedule with minimal rest makes consistency nearly impossible.

Recent games show some improvement in scoring and defensive effort The season remains salvageable if the Oilers address these problems quickly Kris Knoblauch's team has time to turn things around before it's too late.