Tensions are running high in Oil Country as the Edmonton Oilers often look helpless and discombobulated on the ice. No consistency in the roster, another list of offseason signings crashing and burning, and visible frustration from some of the players have made the 2025–26 season a true test in resiliency.
Insiders in the hockey world are speculating wildly about what the team needs to do to improve its performance, which has largely beendisappointing all season. Criticisms from observers cover almost every aspect of the organization, from poor professional scouting and talent identification to coaching to ice time distribution to depth players undercontributing; there is very little respite from this on the roster. Save for maybe the star power of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, that is.
Things heated up to a new level shortly before the Olympic break in a testy interview with Draisaitl. The star forward called out numerous parts of the organization after an Oilers loss. Starting with the coaching and working all the way down to the defensive structure, goaltending, and lack of on-ice contributions from other parts of the lineup.
This season features a significantly less dominant Oilers team than we are used to. Luckily, because the Pacific Division is incredibly weak, Edmonton is still in a playoff spot. But with the final stretch of the season approaching, the Oilers have only 24 games left to figure things out if they wish to compete this season.
That is why this Olympic break could not have come at a better time for the team. It is providing a much-needed mental reset for all. Hopefully, allowing for a return to the ice in March refreshed, recovered, and calmed down from some of the noise surrounding the team this season.
Where is the noise coming from?
The energy around the team was high on opening night. The Oilers were fresh off huge contract extensions to McDavid, Mattias Ekholm, Vasily Podkolzin, and Head Coach Kris Knoblauch. But that energy quickly dissipated with another slow start.
Fingers quickly pointed to the goaltending, which was (and still is) a problem. But it was not the only issue. Goaltending was the easy scapegoat. The Oilers could not string together a winning streak, and in fact, only won three straight games for the first time in January.
The coaching and systems had turned a once dynamic and exciting team into a slow and boring-to-watch snoozefest. The changes that made them boring and slow have not even helped improve the defence and goaltending performance, as one would expect. Depth players and prospects not named Mattias Janmark have a leash so short you cannot even see it, leading to concerning ice time distribution for the bottom half of the lineup.
All of these, lineup depth, coaching, systems, ice time distribution, defence, goaltending, and offseason contract decisions, have given the hockey world plenty of ammunition to latch on to.
The impact of the underperformance and criticisms
Hockey players are good at blocking out the outside world. But that noise will still infiltrate when players and coaches have to field constant questions about the laundry list of things going wrong.
We saw it most prominently in Draisaitl’s interview before the Olympic break. He is never one to mince words, and when the situation calls for it, he is honest and direct.
Draisaitl bluntly said that this team is not as good as they have been the last two seasons. He called out coaching, saying it starts at the top. He called out the defence, saying they need to do a better job at preventing chances. He even called out the goaltending, saying there are saves the goalies need to make at some point.
This level of frustration mostly stems from within. The players and staff in the locker room know that the team is underperforming. They do not need to be informed of that. But they still see it.
The constant trade rumours and talks involving some players cannot be easy. It clearly weighed on former starting goalie Stuart Skinner, who addressed the noise surrounding his own play as an Oiler shortly after arriving in Pittsburgh. He indicated that he was happy to have the reset and that it was a trade that ultimately needed to be done. That same sentiment was echoed by general manager Stan Bowman.
So, for players like Andrew Mangiapane, Darnell Nurse, and Trent Frederic, the noise around their performance will impact their on-ice contributions.
Surely all of the insider speculation, online discourse, and now even internal critique cannot be helping an already struggling team.
The Olympic break came at a perfect time
The water had been beginning to boil on this team, and this lengthy Olympic break comes at a perfect time to let that cool off. With 24 games left in the regular season, there is still time to find their game and put together a strong string of games. It is not too late.
The front office will have a chance to step back and evaluate the roster. Hopefully, the roster freeze will prevent any misguided panic moves and overpayment.
The coaching staff, as touch-and-go as it seems with speculation of a lateseason shake-up, will be able to sort out some wrinkles in the systems and hopefully come back with a fresh view on the team. Though the trends that we have seen with Knoblauch at the helm have persisted for most of his tenure and likely will continue to do so.
Most importantly, the players will have a chance to detach for a few weeks and recharge mentally. McDavid, Draisaitl, and Samanski get to go to the Olympics. McDavid will spend some time with some of the best to ever lace up skates as he, Nathan MacKinnon, and Sidney Crosby unite in a quest for an Olympic gold medal. Draisaitl gets to step into a leadership role of his own as the face of the German team.
Some time away from the toils and troubles of the Edmonton Oilers could do wonders for these players. And if the insiders are to be believed, the team is set to look very different soon after play resumes. Whether that is coaching staff, players, or both, remains to be seen.
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
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