NHL insider pinpoints the biggest issue with Edmonton Oilers - "So much internal pressure to win"

NHL insider Jason Gregor has a unique take on why the Edmonton Oilers have so much pressure to win.

The Oilers have lost in the Stanley Cup Final in back-to-back years, and Gregor believes the group is too serious. Gregor thinks that Edmonton needs to be more loose and fun, especially during the season, as they put too much pressure on themselves.

"I'm actually going to go off the board here. I think the Oilers' organization right now, I'm really in the room. I think they're, they're very serious group, and like, you can't win the cup in October, you can't win it in December," Gregor said on The Sheet. "You can lose it by having a terrible run. They haven't done that. But I wonder just sometimes, if they ever really have any fun, right? Like, there's such a serious group, and I think that there's so much internal pressure to win now, because they've lost twice."

Gregor believes the Oilers need to remember they are playing hockey and have fun early in the season, and don't take it so seriously until the playoffs, which will let them be more loose and free.

"I understand it, like you don't want to lose twice, obviously, not. But I would say the biggest issue for them is being able to exhale a little bit, and, and enjoy the process, rather than always, every decision you make, thinking that it's all about June, it is but it's you can't take, like, it's, it's a step, every year to get there, you don't just get to jump to row 20 and start the playoffs, you got to do everything along the way," Gregor added.

Part of the pressure for the Oilers is the fact that Connor McDavid has one year left on his deal, and he could leave in free agency.

What did the Edmonton Oilers do in the offseason?

The Edmonton Oilers have had a quiet offseason as they have seen multiple players leave the team in free agency.

Edmonton traded away Evander Kane and Viktor Arvidsson, while the Oilers saw Corey Perry, Jeff Skinner, John Klingberg, and Connor Brown all leave in free agency.

Edmonton did acquire top prospect Isaac Howard and signed him to an entry-level deal. The Oilers added Curtis Lazar and Andrew Mangiapane to bolster the offense and signed Evan Bouchard to an extension.

The Oilers have $225,834 in cap space.