Edmonton Oilers: Can Drake Caggiula Recapture Rhythm

Besides Jimmy Vesey, Edmonton Oilers forward Drake Caggiula was the tggest NCAA signing of 2016. He impressed with a remarkable performance at training camp, and made the opening night roster.

Edmonton Oilers

Unfortunately, he would soon after fall victim to injury and his season would have to start in November. Through 49 games this season, Caggiula has four goals and 11 points and is a minus-3. He has shown speed, ability and a solid physical game, and has proven his potential as a full-time NHLer.

However, of late, Caggiula has found himself in a tough stretch, one that has gotten him scratched. He notched an assist in the Oilers 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders Tuesday, which ended a 13-game scoreless drought. Over that same span, the 22-year-old also struggled a bit

Over that same span, the 22-year-old also struggled a bit in different areas, but this didn’t slow down his game. Despite his recent drought, Caggiula will surely regain his scoring rhythm, and there are a multitude of reasons why he’ll surge again soon.

No Longer the Lone Third-Line Centre

The 22-year-old is still young and developing into his position. He was also relied upon as the third-line centre at a time, which added extra pressure and added a different vantage point to his game. Now that David Desharnais is around to take off some of that workload, Caggiula can focus on finishing plays and using his speed to join the rush, not start it.

Now that the team is confident in a veteran presence to unite the third line, Caggiula will no longer lack confidence in himself. By the same token, he can take a lot from Desharnais’ ability down the middle, and use that to shoot more. This will help him adjust and find his rhythm, especially if he is not relied upon to be the main playmaker.

Breaking Out

Now that Caggiula got the monkey off his back, he will likely have an easier time busting out of his slump. All it takes is one point to get a player out of his funk and to show that he can overcome the recent stroke of adversity.

Caggiula has also been getting more involved in the play, and with the postseason race nearing, he will surely step up when the time calls for it. By the same token, his linemates are succeeding (Zack Kassian), so he should be able to eventually contribute and break out of this funk.

Overall, Caggiula is a solid player and still an up-and-coming NHLer. He will find his touch sooner rather than later, and it will stick.