3 turning points that derailed Edmonton Oilers’ 2024-25 season ft. not adjusting to Panthers

The Edmonton Oilers had another wildly successful season. They reached the Stanley Cup Final for the second year in a row. However, the season ended in bitter disappointment when the Florida Panthers claimed their second Cup in as many seasons.

While the Oilers fought back and defeated strong teams like the Dallas Stars and the Vegas Golden Knights in the postseason, there is a sense of what-if regarding the factors that held the Oilers back.

So, here’s a look at the three turning points that derailed the Edmonton Oilers’ 2024-25 season.

3 turning points that derailed Edmonton Oilers’ 2024-25 season

#3 Goaltending injuries in the postseason

Stuart Skinner had two atrocious games in the Edmonton Oilers’ opening-round series against the LA Kings. Coach Kris Knoblauch turned to backup Calvin Pickard, who ran with the crease. He went on a 6-0 run before sustaining an injury during Game 2 against the Golden Knights.

Skinner was back in the crease and managed to hold the fort as the Oilers ran past Vegas and Dallas.

In the Stanley Cup Final, however, Skinner faltered. The Oilers turned to Pickard, who showed a heroic performance in Game 4. But then he faltered in Game 5, leaving Edmonton with little choice but to go back to Skinner for Game 6.

Fans are left to wonder what could have happened if Pickard hadn’t been injured against Vegas. Perhaps the team could have carried that momentum on to the Cup Final and beaten the Panthers.

#2 Hyman injury

Zach Hyman sustained a gruesome injury in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars. The wrist injury kept him out for the remainder of the playoffs, requiring offseason surgery.

The Edmonton Oilers were down one of their best goal scorers. Beyond that, the team was forced to go through multiple lineup changes, including turning to the much-maligned Jeff Skinner.

In the Final against Florida, Hyman’s absence was noticeable. The Oilers struggled to generate offense, overly relying on Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to carry the load. Other secondary scorers like Evander Kane and Viktor Arvidsson could not pick up the slack.

It’s worth wondering if the Oilers could have mustered more offense against Florida if Hyman hadn’t been injured.

#1 Not adjusting to Panthers

Despite the injury woes, the biggest issue for the Edmonton Oilers was failing to adjust to the Florida Panthers’ airtight checking system. Throughout the series, the Panthers deployed two and even three players to check McDavid and Draisaitl.

While the duo managed to get away from time to time, the rest of the club could not get past the Panthers' relentless forechecking and hard-hitting defense. Instead of trying to find a way around the situation, Knoblauch kept stacking his top line. That made it even easier for Panthers’ coach Paul Maurice to deploy his best defenders against the Oilers’ best scorers.

The Oilers’ inability to adjust to the Panthers was their biggest issue, as they could not overcome one of the most talented teams in recent memory.