Edmonton Oilers (21-18-3, 45 pts): The Edmonton Oilers are one of the league’s most storied franchises, yet, since their amazing run to the Stanley Cup Finals only a few short seasons ago, they have failed to perform up to expectations and have been disappointing as of late. This season has been much of the same, as the Oilers haven’t been able to string more than two or three wins at any point during the season.
Offseason acquisition Erik Cole has been a bit of a bust so far. The right winger was expected to be one of the team’s top offensive performers, but has only 11 goals and 20 points. While this may put him near the top of team rankings offensively, it has done little to help the Oilers’ offense, which has been subpar all season. (Two of the Oilers top five scorers are defensemen) There are a couple of bright spots up front, however, with Ales Hemsky finally developing into a bonafide scorer, while Andrew Cogliano and Sam Gagner give the Oilers plenty of hope for the future.
In their own end, the Oilers have been just as mediocre as their offense has been. While Sheldon Souray and Lubomir Visnovsky have done their part to help the offense, the Oilers have suffered from poor play in their own end and between the pipes. Mathieu Garon was slated to be the season’s starter, but after a poor start, Dwayne Roloson has recaptured his former job. Roloson has played well recently, with 13 wins and a 2.61 GAA.
Current League Rankings:
Goals - T-16th Goals Against - 22nd Powerplay Goals - 14th Powerplay Percentage - 14th Shorthanded Goals - T-21st Penalty kill percentage - 28th
