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The Edmonton Oilers entered this season as one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup but after a month of the 2023 NHL season, they are near the bottom of the standings. It's been a disappointing start and if Edmonton is going to make the playoffs, they will need to play nearly perfect for the rest of the season.
That said, here are three reasons why that won't happen and the Oilers won't be in the playoffs come April.
3 reasons why the Edmonton Oilers won't make the playoffs
#1, Goaltending
A big reason why the Edmonton Oilers have struggled this season is due to their goaltending.
The Oilers entered this season with a lot of question marks around Jack Campbell and Stuart Skinner and right away the two struggled. Campbell has since been sent down to the AHL while Skinner is 3-5-1 with a 3.27 GAA and an .876 SV%.
If Skinner doesn't improve or Edmonton doesn't acquire another goalie, this will be the top reason why the Oilers won't make the playoffs.
#2, Connor McDavid hurt?
Connor McDavid suffered an injury that kept him out of the lineup for two games and since returning he doesn't look healthy. Although McDavid has been adamant that he's healthy, his play is down from years past. In his last five games, McDavid has three points and is only a point-per-game player this season.
Even though being a point-per-game player in the NHL is solid, it's not good for McDavid. He had 153 points last season and could take over a game when he wanted to but this season that hasn't been the case.
#3, Lack of secondary scoring
The Edmonton Oilers are built through their stars of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Zach Hyman.
However, the knock on Edmonton has been their lack of depth players and secondary scoring. If teams can shut down McDavid and Draisaitl which they have done this season, the Oilers struggle to score.
Unless Edmonton's depth guys step up, the Oilers will continue to lose games.
