3 Oilers with the most to prove on 4-game road trip
By Paul Taylor
As the Edmonton Oilers prepare to begin four games on the road, we take a look at three players with particular pressure to show what they can do.
The Edmonton Oilers are on a roll with three straight wins, including going 2-0 to begin Kris Knoblauch’s reign as coach. However, at 5-9-1 there is still plenty of work to do, to get back into the playoff race.
Along these lines, the four-game road trip which begins on Saturday afternoon in Tampa Bay, is going to be crucial for the team. After playing the Lightening, the Oilers will then face the Panthers, Hurricanes and Capitals before returning home to Edmonton.
Speaking to the media on Friday, Knoblauch was asked about going on the road as the next part of the head coaching experience, and what he has in mind. He said:
"“I know how I want to coach, the systems I want to implement. There’s some things that we’ve changed already, some things that we are gradually doing. It’s tough here in the NHL with little practice time, as we play almost every second day and the day between is often a rest day. … but I just want our players to learn who I am, get to know me and hopefully I can get to know them.”"
In this respect, the players have plenty to do, to show their coach can rely on them as the team moves forward. Here is a countdown of three Oilers in particular, with a lot to prove during this four-game road trip out East:
3) Philip Broberg
It’s been a challenging season for Philip Broberg so far. Things just haven’t gone as planned for him, although you can say this about plenty of players on the Oilers roster.
Broberg wasn’t helped by recently being loaned to the Condors, to make way for Raphael Lavoie. It was the obvious move to make, given the blue-liner is waiver exempt.
Not that this means Broberg was unlucky to be the one sent to Bakersfield. The reality is he has struggled so far in 2023-24, not taking the necessary next steps in his development.
The 22-year-old has been decidedly underwhelming, with zero points and a -1 plus/minus rating in eight games for the Oilers. One of the biggest indications of his play was a decreasing ice time in the games leading up to his demotion, all the way down to just 5:46 in his last appearance versus the Stars.
For the season as a whole, Broberg has thus far had an average ice time of 11:12. For some context, he averaged 12:36 in 46 games last season, and 13:28 in 23 games during his rookie NHL campaign.
We should be clear in stressing the organisation still has faith in a player they selected eighth overall in the 2019 draft. He is skilled and strong, with plenty of intriguing upside.
At the same time however, Broberg really does need to begin justifying the Oilers’ decision to draft him so high. This four-game road trip represents an excellent opportunity for him, when considering the overall defensive struggles so far for the team.
Some of the reason comes down to the issues with changing from a man-to-man scheme, to a zone defence at the beginning of this season. Regardless, the blue line needs to better compliment the recent improvement by Stuart Skinner; in this respect, it’s time to show everyone what you can do Mr. Broberg.