The Edmonton Oilers suffered their sixth straight loss, this time against the Winnipeg Jets. The panic button has to be pressed if not already.
It has to be said more than ever; it’s time to start worrying about the Edmonton Oilers. With what has transpired the past few months, or for argument sakes “years” is a travesty, to say the least. Having a once in a lifetime type of talent like Connor McDavid would force any franchise to do what it takes to keep him happy with a competitive team that can contend for the Stanley Cup.
But that hasn’t been the case for a while, only one man can be blamed for that, and his name is Peter Chiarelli. A man who’ll eventually be relieved of his duties running the Oilers in the near future.
Peter Chiarelli was considered a brilliant hockey mind who helped the Boston Bruins won a Stanley Cup back in 2011. He helped construct a defensive minded team with strong goaltending that was a threat in the Eastern Conference on a yearly basis. That stopped when they didn’t qualify for the playoffs in the 2014-15 season.
The Edmonton Oilers hired him in a hot second after his termination and felt that he could replicate his success, but that hasn’t been the case at all. To be perfectly honest, his ego has gotten in the way of his hockey acumen.
Just look at his recent media availability on Monday morning. He apparently wanted to justify the trades he made on Sunday by describing the weaknesses of this team has displayed the past few weeks after the injury to Oscar Klefbom.
But Chiarelli knows that the blue line had been a significant issue for a long time and he has never even bothered to address it in any meaningful trades. Drafting and developing defensemen is one thing but trying to acquire a puck-moving defenceman who can play a significant role in the power play is another.
The Edmonton Oilers are in the midst of a 6-game losing streak to end 2018. If this continues well into the new year, this organization will need a significant shakeup long after they get rid of Peter Chiarelli.