Analyst Blasts Oilers After Poor Start

The Edmonton Oilers have started the 2024-25 season 0-3, with one key area yet to show up.

Oct 12, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; The Chicago Blackhawks celebrate a goal scored by forward Philipp Kurashev (23) during the first period against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images / Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

The Edmonton Oilers were one of the best teams in the NHL in 2023-24, rifling off 16 straight wins at one point and fighting all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. They may have lost to the Florida Panthers, but the Oilers showed they were to finally be taken seriously as a true contender.

Despite a notably better roster on paper, the Oilers have gotten off to a poor start to the 2024-25 season. They’re 0-3-0, they’ve only scored three goals as a team, and Connor McDavid is yet to find the back of the net.

It’s that lack of scoring that is drawing big criticisms from analysts, including TSN’s Craig Button who had a few words on the Oilers’ awful start.

“I think the level of concern is one the offensive side of things,” Button said. “The offense is nowhere to be seen.”

Button went into the details of what is holding the Oilers back, and took note of how they are near the bottom of the league in multiple crucial ways to score and build offense.

“If you’re not going to pay the price and you’re not going to play hard,” Button said. “And you’re not going to dig in when the other team is defending hard, you’re not going to score. Right now, these offensive players have to look at themselves.”

The offense is what has made the Oilers click throughout the McDavid era. With only three goals scored on the year, including being shut out in the season opener, the Oilers have started the season 0-3 for the first time since McDavid’s rookie year.

To kick off the 2015-16 season, the Oilers went 0-4 and ended up finishing with a 31-43-8 record, last in the Pacific Division.

Back to 2024, the Oilers are surely going to right the ship, but starting off 0-3 puts an early handicap on the season. Sure, the defense has been just as poor, but the offense not showing up is already costing the Oilers crucial points.

“Three goals,” Button said. “What do they have? $78 million tied up in offense? And we’re going to blame the defense? Give me a break.”

McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are two of the best offensive talents in the NHL, each capable of well over 100 points per season. Zach Hyman exploded for 54 goals last season. Evan Bouchard had a coming out party in 2023-24 with 82 points from the blue line.

To make matters worse for the Oilers, two of their losses have come against beatable teams like the Calgary Flames and Chicago Blackhawks. Both of those squads have low expectations in 2024-25, yet are both holding better records than the reigning Western Conference champions.

The offense is what moves the Oilers, and they’ve been stunted throughout the start of the year.

“Until the offense improves, nothing else is going to improve.”

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