Oilers Thoughts: The kids need consistency, Nurse needs Walman

Tuesday night against Utah was the first time in roughly nine games that I felt like the Oilers gave us a glimpse of their “A” game.

We really haven’t seen them reach that level since their win over the Vancouver Canucks back on October 11. Since then, they’ve had three other victories, but none of those wins were exactly masterpieces.

The win over the New York Rangers only happened because Stuart Skinner stole the show. The win over the Ottawa Senators featured a sloppy third period and long stretches where they couldn’t generate any offense. The win over the Montreal Canadiens came because their power play got enough chances to overcome a two-goal deficit.

Now, there will be plenty of games throughout the season where the power play or goaltending will win them games, and that’s fine. Great teams find different ways to win, even when they don’t have their best stuff.

Still, it was nice to see the Oilers turn on the jets for the final 40 minutes against the Mammoth and remind everyone that they’re still capable of playing high-end hockey.

In those last two periods, the shot attempts were 35-24 in favor of the Oilers at even strength, and 18 of those 35 were considered scoring chances by Natural Stat Trick. That led to Edmonton outscoring Utah 6-1, with all six goals coming at even strength.

They dominated, and it was a good reminder that when the Oilers are rolling, even the hottest team in the league can’t keep up.

Just about everybody in the league has passed the ten-game mark of the season now, which is a decent sample size, so here are a few things I’d like to see the Oilers focus on going forward.

Give the kids consistency

So far this season, Isaac Howard and Matt Savoie have been bounced all over the lineup. At five-on-five, Savoie has played 15 or more minutes with ten different forwards, while Howard has done the same with five.

Savoie’s most common linemate has been Adam Henrique, but the looks haven’t been consistent. Whenever Savoie has moved up the lineup, he’s looked good. He’s great at extending cycles and keeping plays alive—something that fits well with either Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. I’d like to see him get three straight games in the top six and see what develops.

Howard, meanwhile, might be better suited lower in the lineup, ideally alongside Henrique. Howard plays with more risk and less structure than Savoie, but keeping him away from top matchups could help him thrive. The numbers back it up: Howard and Henrique have outscored opponents 2-1 at five-on-five, while Howard without Henrique has been outscored 5-2.

I want to see Savoie locked in the top six for a few games and Howard with Henrique. Give us the 2025 version of Nail Yakupov and Derek Roy.

Keep Nurse with Walman

Darnell Nurse had another tough night against Utah, committing two turnovers that led directly to goals against, resulting in Kris Knoblauch benching him to start the second period.

Nurse with Bouchard hasn’t been awful historically, but this year, it’s been rough. Nurse with Kulak hasn’t worked either, and the idea that Troy Stecher is the “Nurse whisperer” can probably be put to rest. That pairing has struggled badly, and after nearly 60 five-on-five minutes together, it’s time to move on.

Nurse and Walman, however, have been good. They’ve outscored opponents 3-2 at five-on-five, and the shot clock has tilted in Edmonton’s favor when they’re together.

The Ekholm-Bouchard pairing, meanwhile, has been outscored 8-2 at five-on-five this season, but that’s largely due to bad turnovers and some tough luck. They’ll bounce back, and the Oilers should let them play through it rather than breaking up other pairings that are working.

Taking Nurse away from Walman to fix something that isn’t broken is not the right move.

What do you think? Is there another lineup change you’d like to see this coaching staff make as they wrap up the first month of the season?