Edmonton Oilers

Can the Edmonton Oilers Get Into the 2023-24 Playoffs?

The Edmonton Oilers are having a touch season so far. Can they still make the playoffs? What does the Hockey Central panel think?

by
Old Prof
November 23, 2023

The same Edmonton Oilers that many people chose to win the Stanley Cup this season are in the midst of grappling with a slow start. As a result, questions about the team’s ability to make the postseason abound. In addition to the team’s poor record, the recent change to the team’s head coach and the recurring goaltending issues have stirred doubt about the Oilers’ trajectory.

The talk is turning both negative and skeptical. Many fans and hockey analysts are left wondering if it’s too late to salvage the season. Can the team make the postseason? At this time of the season, who knows?

Hockey Central’s Panel Weighed into Oilers Playoff Chances

The Hockey Central panel delved into the topic. In the conversation in the video below, the panel dissects the team’s challenges and emphasizes the need for a shift in perspective. While historical statistics and the American Thanksgiving benchmark might paint a discouraging picture of where the Oilers currently sit, the panel urges fans and players alike to focus on the present.

Acknowledging the frustration and disappointment within the Oilers’ camp, the panel remains cautiously optimistic. Despite the eight-point gap, the Oilers have played the fewest games in the Western Conference. As a result, the panel highlights the potential for a turnaround. Drawing parallels to the team’s winning streaks last season, the panel believes that a string of victories could swiftly propel the Oilers back into the wild card race.

However, that optimism is tempered by the realistic acknowledgment that, to date, there’s been little evidence supporting such a resurgence. Still, the panel suggests that this group has the same core as last season’s group, and that makes it doable.

However, the panel also encourages a renewed sense of urgency and accountability within the Oilers’ roster. They stress the importance of being in the moment – the old one-game-at-a-time mentality – and the desire and willingness to build on each game’s lessons.

Does the Thanksgiving Benchmark Really Hold Significance?

While the Thanksgiving break holds historical significance, the panel suggests that it should be kept in the past. There are examples to the contrary. As a result, dwelling on dates and statistics can cloud the team’s mindset. Instead, the panel believes the team should engage in a day-by-day approach, focusing on good practices, positive attitudes, and incremental improvements.

Connor McDavid scored two, but not enough to beat the Panthers.

For the panel, the bottom line is that the Oilers must embrace the challenge. They seem to believe that many teams have defied the odds to secure playoff berths after such a rocky start. The key lies in a collective shift in mindset, a renewed sense of urgency, and the belief that a stretch of exceptional games is on the horizon.

Certainly, any team with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on it has the potential for success. We’ll see soon, however.