The Edmonton Oilers are in a great spot with two months remaining in the regular season. They entered the 4 Nations Face-Off break tied for first place in the Pacific Division with a record of 34-17-4 for 72 points. Despite that, there’s still room for improvement and players need to elevate their game as we inch closer to the postseason. If the Oilers want to hoist the Stanley Cup in June, they need everybody to buy in. Everybody on the team can find another gear and increase their intensity. But, these three players in particular desperately need to step up their game and be impactful down the stretch.
Evan Bouchard
Evan Bouchard is an elite offensive defenceman and is a valuable part of this team. He thinks the game at a high level and moves the puck extremely well. He makes great, but subtle plays with the puck that often goes unnoticed. However, his defensive errors are so blatant and egregious that they usually end up as high-danger chances for the opposition. These defensive miscues are frustrating and result in heavy criticism. If he can eliminate those mistakes from his game, he will undoubtedly be a Norris Trophy candidate.
His defensive gaffes can be forgiven if his offensive game is where it needs to be, but even his production is down from last season. He has nine goals and 44 points through 55 games this season, but surprisingly, he’s yet to score on the power play. In comparison, he had 82 points in 81 games last season, with 18 goals, and eight power-play markers. Last postseason he was a beast, racking up six goals and 32 points in 25 games averaging over 25 minutes a game. That’s the level of production this team needs from him the rest of the way.
He’s got a heavy and hard shot but he’s been labelled “the shinpad assassin” because his shots are constantly getting blocked. His shot is his greatest weapon, so he needs to find a way to get them through the traffic in front. This team needs him to step up and minimize those careless mistakes while being the offensively gifted player we are used to seeing. When Bouchard is at his best, this is a dangerous team. If the Oilers are going to bring the Cup home, he needs to be a major contributor both offensively, and defensively.
Viktor Arvidsson
If he’s going to play on the second line alongside Leon Draisaitl, Viktor Arvidsson needs to step up and contribute offensively more consistently. When healthy, he has played with Draisaitl most of the season but only has seven goals and 18 points in 40 games to show for it. That’s not good enough. The Swedish forward is a five-time 20-goal scorer, and two-time 30-goal scorer in this league, so he can put the puck in the net. Unfortunately, he’s battled injuries recently, so his production has declined.
The Oilers inked him to a two-year deal with a $4 million cap hit this past offseason, and he hasn’t lived up to expectations. When he was signed, he was supposed to add that much-needed secondary scoring to alleviate the pressure off Draisaitl’s back. Draisaitl has been a monster this season, registering 40 goals already. So, imagine if Arvidsson was contributing at his normal 20-goal pace. That line would be unstoppable. He can salvage his underwhelming start in Oil Country by turning it up a notch down the stretch and into the playoffs. It’s not how you start, but it’s how you finish.
Stuart Skinner
Goaltending is arguably the most important position on the team and as a result, it’s often the most criticized. This fanbase has heavily scrutinized Stuart Skinner to the point where many of them are clamouring for a trade. An upgrade in net is unlikely, so like it or not, this is Skinner’s crease. With that said, the Oilers’ netminder needs to be better as we head toward the playoffs.
Through 37 games, he has a 2.74 goals-against average (GAA) and a .900 save percentage (SV%). Those numbers are average, but the team needs above-average goaltending if they hope to have sustained success come playoff time. Skinner’s biggest flaw is his starts. He holds a lacklustre .879 SV% in the first period this season but usually dials it in after that. However, these poor starts force the Oilers to chase games and continually fight from behind, which is exhausting. The difference between winning the Stanley Cup and not is usually quality goaltending. Therefore, if Edmonton is going to break Canada’s lengthy Cup drought, the 26-year-old netminder needs to step up and be a difference-maker.
Which Oilers need to step up the most as we approach the final 27 games of the regular season? Keep following The Hockey Writers for all your NHL news and rumours as we head down the stretch and into the playoffs.
