For the second straight season, the Edmonton Oilers are struggling out of the gate. The Oil are 6-7-1 and in the midst of a two-game skid that has the club in fifth place in the Pacific Division and on the outside looking in for a playoff spot.
But despite another slow start, general manager Stan Bowman isn’t considering adding a defenseman after reports to the contrary — at least according to The Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins.
“What is the main reason why the Oilers would not go out and make a deal for a Top 4 defenceman right now? I suspect Stan Bowman figures that at the very worst, this team can bumble into the playoffs without doing so,” Leavins wrote on Thursday.
“So, unless something irresistible falls into Bowman’s lap sooner, he should wait until after Christmas. He would then be in a much better position vis-à-vis the salary cap to go out and get a great player. But just as importantly, that would also be when more of those guys are actually available. Right now, he would be paying a premium price to fish in a small, shallow pool.”
The Oilers are in the bottom tier of the league in terms of goals against; they’re currently giving up 3.21 per game. It would certainly be interesting if Bowman delayed his pursuit of a top-four D-man for the time being considering the way things are going.
The trade market is currently thin on quality defensemen, and it might not be the worst idea to hold off until after the holidays when cap space is more flexible — especially considering the amount of available players is likely to increase.
Regardless, the Oilers need to stem the bleeding, whether or not Bowman makes a move sometime in the coming weeks. And it doesn’t help that defenseman Troy Stecher left late in Wednesday’s loss to the Vegas Golden Knights after blocking a shot.
Oilers couldn’t manage a win in Connor McDavid’s return
In Connor McDavid’s return to the lineup, Edmonton was beaten 4-2 by Vegas, despite the game being tied with under a minute left in regulation. It’s the Oilers’ second consecutive defeat and third in their last five tries.
“It’s just some details that we’re missing, and right now, obviously, we need all the details possible,” Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said after the loss, per NHL.com’s Gerry Moddejonge.
“When the pucks aren’t going in for you, you’ve got to be able to play good defensive hockey, and tonight I thought we started off playing pretty good like that. They’re always going to get good scoring chances, they’re a good team, but as the game went on, that’s when I thought our details dropped.”
McDavid missed three games with an ankle injury, and despite Wednesday’s loss, the club will be thrilled to have No. 97 healthy moving forward.
The hockey world is waiting for the Oilers to turn things around — as they did after a brutal start in 2023-24 — but it hasn’t happened yet. Edmonton will look to right the ship against another divisional opponent in the Vancouver Canucks in British Columbia on Saturday night.
