The Edmonton Oilers fell 4-3 to their Battle of Alberta rivals, the Calgary Flames Wednesday night. The Oilers have lost three in a row as they enter the three week break in the regular season schedule to accommodate the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
This losing skid has felt like a bit of a tipping point for many within the fanbase as the fingers start to point at the head coach and his deployment. Over the past week, many have called into question Kris Knoblauch and his line usage, for good reason.
The team is 5-5-0 in their past 10 games and has had a largely up-and-down season, despite being second in the Pacific Division playoff race.
Knoblauch and questionable deployment
This past week, Oilers bench boss Knoblauch has been under fire for some of his lineup decisions, particularly how much he leans on his big stars and how little he room he gives his bottom-six. It creates a dynamic of 'haves' and 'have-nots' where players struggle to produce if they are not on a line with Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl.
It is understandable that you would play your stars the most of any players on your team but it makes it hard for the other lines to find success when they are unable to garner momentum. This is illustrated very well by the powerplay where the usual unit of; McDavid, Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins where those four have over triple the amount of ice time as the next closest players.
This is further amplified when many of the depth pieces on the Oilers have had massive struggles to produce this season. These struggles have caused players like Isaac Howard to be yo-yo'd between the American Hockey League affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors and Oilers. It has also caused Andrew Mangiapane to appear in trade rumours and for the team to be reportedly eyeing a top-nine forward at the trade deadline. As well, forward David Tomasek had his contract mutually terminated due to his mediocre performance as a rookie.
Are all of these issues solely on the Oilers head coach? No, but his seat should definitely start to heat up at the very least. The club cannot make mistakes and allow an opportunity to slip through their fingers as they hope to make a third straight push for the Stanley Cup this spring.
Although for now, the Oilers sit second in the Pacific, given there are multiple teams nipping at their heels with games in hand and a dwindling points cushion, it is bound to put pressure on the players and staff. The Olympic break will represent a good period for those within the organization to plan and reflect on the difficult road ahead.