Stop Overreacting About the Edmonton Oilers Rough Start

About a month into the NHL season, one of the league’s most talked-about disappointments has been the Edmonton Oilers. After back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Final — both ending in defeat to the Florida Panthers — the expectations in Edmonton couldn’t be higher. With Connor McDavid in his prime and signed, the standard is simple: Stanley Cup or bust.

But despite their early struggles, I’m here to say one thing loud and clear: I don't care.

Yes, the Oilers have stumbled out of the gate, but this isn’t anything new. The last two seasons began the same way — sluggish starts followed by deep playoff runs. Even with poor early-season play, Edmonton found its rhythm and then ran through the Western Conference come playoff time.

It’s no secret that goaltending has been a concern. Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard haven’t exactly instilled confidence, but this is the same goaltending duo that helped Edmonton reach consecutive Finals. While I don't think this tandem is good enough to win the Cup, it’s more than capable of keeping them competitive deep into spring.

Most teams — and fan bases — would happily take two straight Stanley Cup Final appearances. Edmonton’s recent track record, even with inconsistent netminding, shows that their offensive firepower and top-end talent can overcome shaky goaltending in the short term.

Now, let's talk about Evan Bouchard’s poor start. The defenseman hasn’t been himself early on, but expecting him to stay at this level all season would be unreasonable. While his defensive play is still a work in progress, Bouchard’s offensive instincts — especially in the postseason — make him one of the most dangerous blueliners when it matters most.

In fact, few defensemen in NHL history have been as offensively productive in the playoffs as Bouchard has been the past two years. Once he finds his rhythm again, Edmonton’s transition game and power play will return to elite form.

It’s also worth noting that the Oilers aren’t even fully healthy. Zach Hyman, a former 50-goal scorer, has been absent. When healthy, and skating alongside McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Hyman is easily capable of another 35–40 goal season — production that completely changes Edmonton’s offensive ceiling.

Not to mention, I just don't think this will be the same roster come playoff time.

General manager Stan Bowman has a two-year window with McDavid’s extension secured. Expect him to make aggressive moves to bolster depth, balance the defense, and perhaps even address the goaltending situation before April.

At the end of the day, this team knows who they are — and what matters most. The Oilers aren’t built to dominate the regular season; they’re built for the playoffs. As long as they secure a ticket to the dance, they’ll back themselves to go toe-to-toe with anyone.

So, will the Oilers be this bad all season? Absolutely not.

Will they win the Stanley Cup? Probably not if the goaltending remains untouched.

But will they be among the final eight or even four teams left standing by spring? Almost certainly.

This is still one of the NHL’s most dangerous rosters. Once the team finds its stride and management fine-tunes the lineup, expect Edmonton to remind everyone why they’ve been a postseason powerhouse the past two years.

When the dust settles, don’t be surprised if the Oilers are back in the conversation as one of Vegas’s top favourites to win it all.