The Oilers Might Be Making a Costly Early-Season Mistake

The Edmonton Oilers are four games into the season, and it’s already clear they’re leaning too heavily on their stars. In Thursday’s 4–2 loss to the New York Islanders, both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl played over 25 minutes, well above their career averages. Set to take on the New Jersey Devils on Saturday afternoon, head coach Kris Knoblauch has to know that finding another way to get points on the board is a priority.

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It’s early, but that level of usage isn’t sustainable over an 82-game schedule — especially for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations.

Get More Oilers Involved in the Game

When asked about killing penalties, earlier this season, Draisaitl joked about how much he and McDavid stay out on the ice. He laughed off the idea that the coach probably doesn’t love the length of their shifts. It’s becoming clear early that this isn’t a joke.

The last two games for the Oilers haven’t been pretty. The Oilers picked up a win over the New York Rangers but were arguably outplayed. Edmonton was a turnover machine against the Islanders, giving the game away. All the while, depth players and rookies they want to get involved in the action weren’t noticable.

Andrew Mangiapane — who scored two goals in his first two games — was practically invisible against the two New York teams. Trent Frederic wasn’t effective, and rookies like Matt Savoie and Ike Howard played well, but their limited minutes meant it was tough for them to find sustained momentum.

Adam Henrique played 11:24, Kasperi Kapanen played 11:16, and Savoie played 11:06. Howard got a low of 8:19. That’s just not enough, especially when you consider at least three of these four players can and should be killing penalites.

As for Howard, if he’s not going to play meaningful minutes, send him down to the AHL where he can get a ton of experience.

It’s not just on the star players to monitor their own playing time. Knoblauch’s tendency to shorten the bench in tight games is a concern. At times, it’s understandable. At others, forcing the team to use all of its weapons, even in pressure situations means that everyone has to pull their weight for an entire 60 minutes. Not doing so means playing from behind or trying to hang onto a game that shouldn’t have been as close as it was.

Reducing the workload of McDavid and Draisaitl — especially on the penalty kill — will not only help keep them fresh, but also build confidence and chemistry throughout the lineup. The Oilers can’t afford to have their top two forwards exhausted by Christmas.

Next: Jack Eichel’s New Mindset Highlights Frustrating Start for Oilers’ McDavid