Edmonton Oilers: Eberle’s Struggles Could Lead to Demotion

Edmonton Oilers winger Jordan Eberle has been quiet these playoffs, with the exception of two helpers this series. Otherwise, he has not been playing up to his potential.

His minus-7 through nine playoff games is the worst on the team, and he has not shown drive or flashes of his former self. With Eberle, who is supposed to be a core player and top-six scorer, struggling, many are curious as to if a demotion is in order.

Edmonton Oilers

First off, the second line unit of Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Milan Lucic has shown chemistry in the past. They are one of the team’s top forechecking lines and know how to move forward and crash the net. While Eberle has proven to be an x-factor on this line, there’s not much from him now.

Eberle will show only a very occasional burst of his true potential. However, at other times, he falters, looks sluggish and doesn’t give his full effort on the ice. That being said, he shouldn’t stay on this line, even though they have shown great chemistry in the past.

Demotion?

In fact, sometimes a demotion can be motivating. It can show the player being pushed down the lineup that something needs to change, and it can ignite a spark to help them be better. In Eberle’s case, he has been a rumored trade candidate for a while. Since that hasn’t completely led him to prove his critics wrong, a demotion to the bottom-six might.

On the other hand, there are only a handful of players that have shown true chemistry and potential as a top-six player. It is possible Anton Slepyshev could take his place, but there’s concern that this move could drain Eberle’s confidence. Not to mention, it could put too much pressure on Slepyshev, and take away from the chemistry he has on the fourth line.

Overall, something has to change, and Eberle could see a move to the bottom of the lineup if he can’t improve.