3 Candidates For Most Disappointing Oiler Messes This Season

The Edmonton Oilers are going to make the playoffs, and they should be tough out. However, this team is not as good as last season’s squad. Some of the Oilers’ struggles have been their own doing, and some have not. Between offer sheets and injuries, downturns in production, and unexpected twists, the Oilers are not being pegged as favorites to win the Stanley Cup. The Oilers have some messes to clean up, and it’s not clear they’ll be able to do so.

What has been the most disappointing turn this season? There are plenty of candidates.

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Former Oilers Shine Elsewhere as Edmonton Struggles

Perhaps highlighting the biggest blunders of the season, the impressive performances of four players who departed in the 2024 offseason scream loudly amidst the Oilers’ mistakes. Philip Broberg, Warren Foegele, Dylan Holloway, and Ryan McLeod have all made significant impacts with their new teams, leaving many to question why the Oilers felt the need to move out speed, youth, and development for slower and older veterans.

Broberg and Holloway joined the St. Louis Blues in August 2024 via offer sheets, a bold move by Blues GM Doug Armstrong that has seemingly paid off. Meanwhile, Foegele has found success with the Los Angeles Kings, recently scoring twice in a March 30, 2025, victory over the San Jose Sharks. McLeod, now with the Buffalo Sabres, has also been performing well (despite another disappointing season for the Sabres).

Edmonton lost all these players in the last off-season. If Oilers don't win the Stanley Cup this season, I would kill myself if I were Oilers fan. This is brutal. pic.twitter.com/fVWb5r5GKL

— Rono (@RonoAnalyst) April 1, 2025

Oilers fans have voiced their frustration over losing these players, particularly in light of Edmonton’s recent struggles. The Oilers were a better team with these players on it and, specifically, had Edmonton retained Broberg and Holloway, Edmonton would have kept key pieces of the team’s future in-house.

Oilers Goaltending a Playoff Problem

After taking the Oilers to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, Stuart Skinner entered the 2024-25 season with high expectations. Unfortunately, his inconsistent play has become a major concern. And, a recent injury only magnifies the issue as the Oilers didn’t address their goaltending depth at the trade deadline.

Skinner’s save percentage remains below .900, and he has allowed more goals than expected. Calvin Pickard has been solid, but there are real questions about his ability to effectively backstop the team if he’s asked to take on the bulk of the postseason starts.

Despite speculation about adding a goalie at the trade deadline, GM Stan Bowman stood pat—a decision that now looks costly. It was believed that the Oilers didn’t want to get stuck with a third netminder or have to place someone on waivers. Now, it looks like the Oilers should have prioritized having the depth and not needing it versus needing it and not having it.

Their offseason priority may now be finding a reliable goaltender to avoid another disappointing year.

Will Injuries To Key Players Become Bigger Messes?

The Oilers remained fairly healthy through most of the season. Now, as the team tries to limp into the playoffs, key names don’t sound 100 percent. The biggest issue is, obviously, Connor McDavid. Concern over a groin issue is keeping him out of action, and while the Oilers are likely being overly cautious, behind the scenes, there has to be a sense of panic that one wrong stride or minor tweak could pose a real problem.

Mattias Ekholm also reaggravated an injury. He’s out of action as well, and if he can’t go or isn’t 100 percent, that’s a huge setback as he touches so many elements of the Oilers’ overall game.

The Oilers traded for Trent Frederic, and he’s not ready to return. If he doesn’t get regular-season games, chemistry could be a problem. Evander Kane sounds like he’s getting closer, but he’s been out all season. John Klingberg has something bugging him, and his addition might be helpful for blue-line depth, but that addition hasn’t panned out as hoped.

We talked about Skinner and Leon Draisaitl, who just returned.

Next: Insider Links Flyers to Potential Offer Sheets This Summer