3 Edmonton Oilers Players That Fell Under Expectations This Year

This season so far seems to be a successful one as the Edmonton Oilers are currently sitting comfortably in a playoff spot. Team success is one thing, but there are also several players that are having individual success.

Connor McDavid getting over 100 points again and tracking down his first 50 goal season. Leon Draisaitl getting his second career 50 goal, 100 point season. Zach Hyman with career high in goals, Jesse Puljujarvi has a career high in points and on pace for the most goals of his career as well.

McDavid and Draisaitl are going to once again be in the conversation for the Hart Trophy. The reason why the Oilers stars may not win the Hart is because the Hart is given to the player that is the “most valuable” to their team. It is hard to say either of them is the most valuable because they have each other.

McDavid should win the Ted Lindsay as it is more aimed at who is the best player in the NHL. There is no doubt in my mind that Connor McDavid is the best player in the league. McDavid is leading the NHL in points by 6 over Jonathan Huberdeau. There isn’t much of an augment for it to not be McDavid.

There has been lots of players that have met or exceeded expectations for this Edmonton Oilers team, but there has also been a few that have had an underwhelming season.

This is what I will be diving into today. It isn’t that the following players don’t help the team out, it is just at the start of the season I thought they would be having a better season then they are having.

Hopefully these players can turn it on down the stretch and into the playoffs. Right now the majority of the team is playing up to their peak, if they can get all 18 skaters and both goalies hot this team should be able to go on a long playoff run.

Mike Smith

Even thought Mike Smith has played well in his last 3 starts, that isn’t a big enough sample size for me to say he is back to last years Mike Smith. His last 3 games are hopefully a sign that his game is back, but 2 of the 3 games have been against much weaker teams than the Oilers. His last game against the playoff bound Kings was his weakest game, but he still played good.

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If he continues to play this way in the coming weeks prior to playoffs, there will be no doubt that he will be the starter on the opening night of the playoffs. The problem with Smith is his injury history so far this season. So, even if he is playing good one wrong leg movement and he will be out.

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If you take the stats from his whole season he has been an average goaltender. Like I mentioned above his biggest downfall of his season has been health. In the games he played earlier in the season I assume he was playing when not 100% healthy, which is why his numbers struggled.

I believe if Mike Smith can stay healthy and play average hockey the remainder of the season he will have worked his way off this list. Until he does that he will stay here because coming into the season he was penciled in as the Edmonton Oilers Number 1 goalie.

Warren Foegele

It is not cause Warren Foegele has had a bad season that he is on my list, it is because I thought he would be a better fit on this team. So far this season Foegele has been unable to secure a solid role on this team.

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He has bounced around from line to line. I was really hoping he would start on the third line and play there the whole season. He just hasn’t been able to hold that spot. Plus with the addition of Derick Brassard he has now been pushed to the 4th line.

The good news about Foegele being on the Edmonton Oilers 4th line is he is over qualified for that roll. Putting him with McLeod and Ryan makes for a 4th line that is hard to play against and has the ability to score goals.

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Generated 4/8/2022.

Foegele’s stats for the Edmonton Oilers this season haven’t been terrible, they are about average so far for his career. It isn’t the stats for Foegele that have him below expectations it has been his play. Like I said before he has been very up and down this season.

If he can level out his play the rest of the way, he is going to be an important piece in the Edmonton Oilers playoff success. When it comes to the playoffs the teams that go on deep runs have good depth players. When it comes to depth players Warren Foegele needs to be one of the top players.