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Evander Kane of the Edmonton Oilers reacts to his goal in front of Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Oilers’ Issues That Must Be Addressed to Make Playoff Run

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Jackson Scherger | Last updated Apr 23, 2025 9:55 AM ET

The Edmonton Oilers are once again back in the NHL Playoffs. They have consistently made the postseason for several years in a row now; however, they have come up short time and time again. Whether it be a defensive collapse, injuries, or a mix of a few things, something always seems to halt the team from lifting the Cup for the first time since 1990. It’s time to crack down on those issues and make a worthwhile playoff run.

Every season brings different issues to the table. Last season, it was clear that the lingering injuries and lack of consistency took a toll on the team in the late rounds. This playoff season, there are similar problems, with some being evident in Monday’s heartbreaking 6-5 Game 1 loss to the LA Kings. Let’s take a look.

The Injury Bug

The Oilers had a lot of injury troubles towards the end of the season. Despite getting a few key pieces back for Game 1 in LA, the team is still without defensive stalwart Mattias Ekholm, power forward Evander Kane, and veterans Troy Stecher and John Klingberg. The absences of Ekholm and Kane were the most notable in the Oilers’ loss Monday night, and could become a problem the longer they are out.

Fixing this issue is obviously the toughest, unless, of course, Edmonton can find a magic doctor to get the team back to full health immediately. The team has to simply keep playing and keep themselves in the playoffs as long as possible in order to get back all their assets at full health. With Ekholm out at least until a potential second round and Stecher on an unclear timeline at this point, the Oilers will need to battle hard while being slightly shorthanded.

Some possible good news has come recently on the injury front, as Klingberg appears likely to be activated off long-term injured reserve (LTIR) and available for Game 2 Wednesday night. This gives the Oilers another option on their depleted blue line against a strong Kings offence. He has not played since the end of March with an undisclosed injury.

Consistent Defense

Something that is forever criticized when it comes to the Oilers is their defence. Obviously, it takes more than just the defensemen to guard the goal, but evidently, it has been them who have caused one too many problems. Evan Bouchard drew some attention on a goal in Game 1 that points to exactly the problem the team is having. This was one of Bouchard’s four giveaways on the night.

Phillip Danault tacks on off an awful Evan Bouchard turnover in front#GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/bYlZVsRXCD https://t.co/jAkBIqTRpa
— Joseph (@HockeyJoseph10) April 22, 2025

Now, again, obviously, there is more to the team than the defensemen. The goaltenders and forwards share some blame as well and make some sloppy plays like this from time to time, and it shows. The Oilers rank 14th out of the 16 playoff teams in goals allowed per game, as well as 16th in the whole league in penalty kill percentage. These stats don’t look too good for a team vying for another shot at the Cup. The defence needs to be tightened up, and it needs to be more consistent through the rest of the playoffs, otherwise, the Oilers’ season will be over very quickly.

Depth Scoring

Scoring from players not named Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl appears hard to come by unless both of them are out of the lineup. When injuries hit the two stars late in the season, the Oilers’ depth players stepped up and pushed the team over the hump into the postseason. However, when they are both in the lineup, they seem to be the main sources of offence. The gap between them as the top two scorers on the team and the rest of the players is quite large compared to other teams. It’s alright when you are winning games, but two players can only get you so far.

For the Oilers to have consistent success in a playoff run, they need everyone to contribute. We saw more of that last year when guys like Zach Hyman and Mattias Janmark really showed what they were capable of. Now it’s time for them and others to support McDavid and Draisaitl and push this team to new heights.

Solving all these problems may seem easy, but it really isn’t. The Oilers are trying to make another magical run at the Stanley Cup Final, so these issues will have to be addressed on the fly as best as they can. Round 1 is the time to adjust and, of course, come out with your first big series win. Buckle up, Oil Country.