Three Fixes the Oilers Need to Win Without Draisaitl

The Edmonton Oilers have been lucky, really lucky, to keep winning without their second-best player, Leon Draisaitl. That’s no small thing. Losing him usually throws a team off rhythm, but the Oilers have managed to scrape by thanks to depth stepping up and a few bounces going their way. Still, luck can’t carry you forever. If they want to stay dangerous, especially when the playoffs roll around, some practical tweaks are unavoidable.

Three Things the Oilers Must Do to Keep Winning.

First, the Oilers Must Tighten Structure and keep it simple.

Without Draisaitl, you can’t rely on magic plays. The Oilers need cleaner line changes, simpler entries, and a focus on defending the high-danger areas. Stop giving free lanes through the slot or neutral zone. Every shift should be about consistency — don’t overcomplicate it. Make the easy plays, limit mistakes, and keep the game manageable.

Second, the Oilers Must Spread the Load.

Draisaitl does it all — possession, creating chances, drawing attention. When he’s out, someone else has to step up. That means other centers take tougher minutes, wingers get more aggressive along the boards, and secondary players become playmakers. It’s not about replacing one superstar. It’s about everyone doing their part, together.

Third, the Oilers Must Max Out Special Teams and the Little Things.

Without your second-best player, the small stuff matters even more. The Oilers need a sharper power play, a more aggressive penalty kill, and a focus on winning the little battles: faceoffs, backchecking, finishing checks, boxing out in front of the net. Over 60 minutes, those little edges add up and keep the team competitive when one shift can’t carry the game.

What’s Next for the Oilers?

If Edmonton wants to survive the stretch run and make a real playoff push, they have to treat these fixes as habits, not temporary band-aids. Depth players need to embrace responsibility. Veterans need to enforce structure on every shift. Coaches need to push repeatable, process-driven hockey over fancy plays.

It all falls to the practical. But if the Oilers get it right, they stay dangerous even without their second engine. And when Draisaitl comes back, this team won’t just fall back into normal—they’ll be sharper, smarter, and a lot more battle-tested than before.