Edmonton Oilers: Tensions reaching boiling point after another slow start

The Edmonton Oilers are reaching their boiling point after a slow start to their 2018-19 season. 

Going into the 2018-19 season, perhaps no team was under more pressure to perform than the Edmonton Oilers. After making the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2016-17, they were arguably the most disappointing team in the NHL during the 2017-18 season. Despite Connor McDavid having an incredible season, the Oilers failed to make the playoffs.

Even though they struggled so much last season, the Oilers decided to hang onto general manager Peter Chiarelli and head coach Todd McLellan. Both of them could be gone by the end of the season. It could happen sooner rather than later unless the Oilers can turn things around. It’s not just the coaching staff and front office who are feeling the pressure – the players are as well.

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Here’s what NHL insider Elliotte Friedman had to say during a recent radio segment with Sportsnet 960 in Calgary.

“I would just say this: I don’t there’s a person in [the Oilers organization] who feels secure. Maybe Gretzky because, I mean, he’s Gretzky. But I don’t think there’s anybody in that organization who feels secure about what’s going on right now.”

Changes will be coming if the Oilers don’t turn their ship around. They have plenty of time to do it, as they’ve only played two games. However, in those two games, the Oilers haven’t shown anything to suggest they are any better than they were last season. It’s basically been the McDavid show thus far. The Oilers have scored three goals and their captain has three points.

Anytime you have the best player in the world and you don’t make the playoffs, it’s a bad sign. McDavid has won the past two scoring titles and the past two Ted Lindsay Awards, so it’s hard to argue he isn’t the best in the world at what he does.

Recently, the Oilers hired former Calgary Flames and Dallas Stars head coach Glen Gulutzman to be an assistant coach. Maybe the reason behind the hiring was to give them an experienced option in case they want to replace McLellan.

The writing is on the wall, as the Oilers recently fired all three of their assistant coaches after the team finished near the bottom of the league on both the power play and the penalty kill in 2017-18. More often than not, replacing assistant coaches is the equivalent of firing a warning shot at your head coach. The next logical guy to go in Edmonton could be McLellan.

Chiarelli was remarkably quiet this summer. Given his history of losing “big trades”, that’s probably a good thing. However, how much longer will Chiarelli wait? Oilers fans have to be worried that he might make one of his panic trades. You know, like Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson. Or Jordan Eberle for Ryan Strome.

The Oilers have issues with their coaching staff and their front office. On one hand, McLellan clearly isn’t getting the most out of his roster. However, Chiarelli deserves a part of the blame as well because he hasn’t given his coach a proper roster the past two seasons.

It’s becoming more obvious by the day the 2016-17 Oilers were a team who merely got lucky with a generational superstar and a goalie who had his best season. If things don’t get better in Edmonton soon, there could be some major changes across the organization.