The Edmonton Oilers are coming off a rough 5–1 loss to the last-place Buffalo Sabres on Monday. They’ve stumbled out of the gate this season with a 9-8-4 record. This is a surprising start for a team that reached the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers last season. Now, they’re struggling to regain their footing.

With the slow start, fans are beginning to wonder whether the Oilers might shake things up by firing members of the coaching staff or making roster moves to spark a turnaround.

Is the Oilers’ Coaching Staff Under Fire? Here’s What a Former D-Man Said

Former Oilers defenseman Troy Stecher was placed on waivers last week to clear cap space ahead of Zach Hyman’s return from injury. He was claimed by the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday and made his debut in their 3-2 OT win against St. Louis on Tuesday.

On TSN’s OverDrive, NHL analyst Mike Johnson brought up Stecher’s comments after being claimed by Toronto. Johnson said, “I had a little conversation with Troy Stecher this morning, just about you know, hey, you’re walking into the fire here a little bit. Stecher told me he just left the fire. It’s exact same as in Edmonton, right?”

Johnson pointed out that Toronto isn’t exactly a calm landing spot either, given their own struggles as they sit near the bottom of the Atlantic Division. Still, Stecher’s remark hints at the tension surrounding the Oilers and suggests that coaching changes could be on the horizon.

Johnson also weighed in on Edmonton’s performance, noting that getting blown out 5-1 by a bottom-standing team like Buffalo or losing to a struggling St. Louis team adds more pressure. “That’s how it feels when you don’t [win], like how we lose to those guys and another sort of not great looking loss even with Hyman back now.”

He added that while the team isn’t dealing with significant injuries outside of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the Oilers still aren’t playing to their potential. Jack Roslovic is producing, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are doing what they usually do, and Zach Hyman has just returned from injury, yet the results still aren’t there.

That, Mike Johnson said, “Everything else, but you’re wondering, okay, where is the reason it’s been so poor other than it’s been poor? And I think that’s the concern.”

The Edmonton Oilers will look to respond as they head on the road to face the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.