The Edmonton Oilers must approach the 2021 offseason with urgency
The Edmonton Oilers have established an unfortunate tradition of underachieving in recent years.
As a result, the Edmonton Oilers need to make some key moves this offseason. That may sound obvious, as all clubs have holes that they need to fill during Free Agency or the Draft, but Edmonton feels like it has more gaps to plug than most teams, while simultaneously boasting some of the most elite players in the NHL at the top of the lineup.
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It’s an intriguing combination, and it’s one that has led to Playoff letdowns and should now lead to an urgent offseason approach.
In all reality, the Oilers had about six players that played well consistently in 2021: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Darnell Nurse, Tyson Barrie, and Mike Smith. Looking ahead to the 2021-22 season, half of those players need new contracts, making this offseason even more dire. With that said, those players played at such high levels that this team, although lacking depth and facing uncertainty, has a chance to be competitive in 2022.
There are really two reasons that I’m willing to dub this team as competitive, rather than plainly discounting it, and the first is one that I mentioned above: the talent at the top of the roster is undeniable.
As long as Edmonton’s got its stars in the lineup, it can always be a dangerous team, so the fact that it has looked so dismal collectively in the McDavid/Draisaitl era is extremely disappointing. It’s time to make some serious moves to change that and actually capitalize on having an elite duo on the roster.
The Edmonton Oilers need to proceed with urgency this offseason.
Why is this the right time? Because the Oilers are set to rejoin their Pacific Division rivals out west in a division that, prior to Free Agency, looks pretty weak. Of course, the Vegas Golden Knights live at the top of the division and seem unmatched by any other Pacific Division club, but after that I struggle to find another team that will hands down qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
So for any team, this is a golden opportunity to sneak into the postseason, but for an organization like the Oilers that’s already got the star players taken care of, finding a way to support them in a year where two-three postseason spots seem wide open is a cause for urgent, aggressive offseason moves. Combine that with the fact that a flat cap and Expansion Draft have made more players available, and you can see why this is the time to right some wrongs.
Granted, the Oilers have already made some moves having reportedly signed goaltender Mike Smith to a two-year, $4 million deal per Chris Johnston of Sportnet, while they are also close to signing Toronto Maple Leafs forward and pending free agent Zach Hyman to what could be a seven or eight-year contract.
Plus, they did trade for veteran defenseman Duncan Keith from the Chicago Blackhawks earlier in the offseason, although the three-time Stanley Cup Champion is on the decline and it remains to be seen what value he will offer the Oilers.
Will any of those moves help push the Oilers over the top and allow McDavid to finally enjoy some postseason success? Only time will tell.
I would argue that this is a do-over of sorts for Edmonton, as the North Division that it just competed in also felt weak, yet the Oilers were unable to take advantage. In fact, they were swept in Round One at the hands of the struggling Winnipeg Jets, backing up its 2020 Qualifying Round performance with another example of why this team needs to be revamped.
This franchise needs to learn from 2021 and go all-in on this offseason, because I’m not sure that there will be a more wide-open opportunity than this upcoming year.
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To state everything very simply, the Oilers have immense individual talent that hasn’t yielded team success, and that has to change while Edmonton has a key opportunity in front of it. If the Edmonton Oilers want to experience a deep run through the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they have to be aggressive, and that has to start now.