ESPN Analyst Rips Oilers, Hopes Team Taught Painful Playoff Lesson

Former NHL defenseman PK Subban isn’t holding back when it comes to the Edmonton Oilers’ offseason decisions — or lack thereof. His comments have ruffled some feathers in Oil Country, even if some believe he might be onto something. Fans are calling him out for not being objective as an analyst, with many thinking he might be bitter from a signing that didn’t happen back in 2022. At the very least, Subban’s hoping the Oilers lose in the playoffs because he doesn’t agree with management decisions seems a bit harsh.

According to the 2 Mutts Podcast, during a recent segment on NHL on ESPN, Subban questioned the Oilers’ judgment for the decisions they made in the offseason, specifically losing young players Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg via offer sheets to the St. Louis Blues. He suggested that Edmonton missed an opportunity to upgrade its roster ahead of what could be a make-or-break season.

So @PKSubban1 isn’t a fan of the #LetsGoOilers & the offseason moves they didn’t do in terms of letting Dylan Holloway & Philip Broberg go to the #STLBlues

PK Subban said on NHL on @espn that he “hopes the #GoKingsGo teach the #Oilers a lesson come the playoffs” PK#NHLonESPN

— 2 Mutts Hockey Podcast (@2MuttsHockeyPod) April 11, 2025

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But Subban didn’t stop there.

Subban Wants the Oilers to Lose and Learn the Hard Way

The former Norris Trophy winner went on to say that he “hopes the Kings teach the Oilers a lesson come the playoffs,” referencing a potential fourth consecutive first-round matchup between Edmonton and Los Angeles.

For fans who agreed that the Oilers likely made a mistake with the offer sheets, that’s where Subban lost them.

The moment Subban said he wanted the Oilers to lose because they chose not to match offer sheets or because of the summer and trade deadline moves they did make, fans started pointing out the flaws in his assessment. First, many noted that the Oilers have eliminated the Kings in three straight playoff series. “What exactly is L.A. supposed to ‘teach’ Edmonton?” one fan asked. Others took aim at Subban’s playoff record and the fact that he tried to get signed by the Oilers in 2022, and they didn’t want him.

While the Oilers remain focused on contending in the West, critiques like Subban’s continue to rile up Oilers fans. This has not been the kind of season the Oilers were hoping to have, but they are still headed for the playoffs. They’ll also be getting several of their best players back from injury over the next week. While they made some questionable decisions with their roster and arguably aren’t as strong a team as they were in 2023-24, betting against the Oilers might be a mistake.

Subban’s behavior as an ESPN analyst and his cheering for a team to lose seem to indicate that he has lost sight of what his job is.

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