Edmonton Oilers Need To Remove Forward From Top Powerplay Unit
The Oilers dropped another game this afternoon to the Dallas Stars, with the powerplay once again letting Edmonton down.
The early season rut for the Oilers has seen the team struggle on defence and with goaltending, but the offensive stars have yet to make their usual impact - especially on the powerplay. The Oilers have just one powerplay goal so far this season, and today against Dallas, failed to convert again. You can blame defence or goaltending on the loss, but the Oilers can't win if their stars don't score.
With the powerplay a clear point that's hurting the team, perhaps the Oilers should look to make a change to include one of their new offensive weapons on the first unit. New forward Jeff Skinner has been fantastic in the few games as an Oiler, has plenty of experience on the powerplay, and is a proven scorer in the NHL. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has been struggling to start the year, so perhaps he could be moved off the top unit.
Skinner is currently leading the NHL in shots on goal at even strength, so he could be not far away from earning a look on the powerplay. Skinner's got an elite shot that defenders would have to respect on the powerplay, which could take attention away from other players. He's just two years removed from an 82 point season, and the Oilers may be wasting Skinner's talents solely on the third line.
At the end of the day, the scoring on the Edmonton Oilers will fully run through Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Until those two find their rhythm and start dominating the score sheet, the Oilers may find it a struggle to win games.
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