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Oilers Quarter-Season Report Card |
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After 20 games, the Edmonton Oilers’ 4-14-2 record can be traced back to a number of disappointing individual performances. Head coach Dallas Eakins maintains that he doesn’t coach a team but a collection of 23 players, and he’s got his work cut out for him with this bunch.
Forwards
Boyd Gordon – A+
Gordon has exceeded expectations in each area since arriving in Edmonton, eclipsing all Oilers forwards in blocked shots (34) and faceoff percentage (58.7%), and providing stability on the third line that the team hasn’t had since the days of Grier and McAmmond.
Mark Arcobello – A
The Oilers version of San Francisco’s Batkid, the pint-sized Arcobello has won over the fanbase with strong puck possession and two-way play. Plus, he leads the team’s forwards in hits (41) by a wide margin over the closest competitor (Gazdic – 28).
David Perron – B+
Provided some secondary scoring and much-needed pushback up front that you wish was infectious, but it hasn’t seemed to catch on so far. Leads the team in shots (58) but has a woeful shooting percentage (6.9%) that you have to think will rise at some point.
Taylor Hall – B
He’s dealt with more adversity (center experiment, knee injury, Smyth linemate) than most Oilers this season. He’s been good but not great, mainly because of his ugly turnover habit, but leads the team in goals (5) despite playing only 13 games.
Luke Gazdic – B
The Oilers’ resident rock ’em, sock ’em robot, Gazdic will drop the gloves with anyone at any time. He’s nothing more than a fourth-line plodder, but does the job well enough to displace Mike Brown and Ben Eager. Provides no offense, but that’s not his job at all.
Ales Hemsky – C+
At this point, Hemsky is what he is: Permanent trade bait that occasionally wows with his stickhandling and chips in offensively, but never does enough to rank among the night’s three stars. He gets a little bump because his giveaway-takeaway ratio is so good (10-15).
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – C+
The team’s primary offensive playmaker has been up and down this season, showing dynamic skills on some nights and being invisible on others. Once again, he’s been a disaster in the faceoff dot (40.7%) which has contributed to power play struggles.
Jordan Eberle – C-
Eberle leads the team in scoring, with 15 points in 20 games, but doesn’t inspire much confidence. The epitome of too much flash, not enough substance, he has 31 missed shots this season, which is more than twice as many (Arcobello – 15) as the next closest Oiler.
Ryan Jones – C-
Jones has been put in a difficult situation this season, having to fight his way back into the lineup after the early demotion. He provided some spark and swagger on his return from Oklahoma City, but the offense hasn’t been there in limited time.
Jesse Joensuu – D+
Injuries derailed Joensuu early, which is unfortunate because he was among the team’s best players in the first game of the season. Like a shooting star that blasted across the night sky, we haven’t seen the same intensity or upside since that initial appearance.
Will Acton – D+
I hate to pile on during a day when Acton has been eviscerated by the Arcobello-Acton debate, but nepotism continues to be a contributing factor in his role with the team. Provides no offense, and can’t be counted on cycle the puck on the fourth line.
Ryan Smyth – D
Another sad subplot of the Oilers season is Smyth’s descent into an ineffective third-line winger that can’t grind or score. After his initial wave of offense, the 37-year-old doesn’t have a point in his last nine games and appears to be playing out the string.
Ben Eager – D-
A zero-dimensional forward that can’t be counted on to chuck knuckles because of his concussion issues, Eager didn’t add much when he was in the lineup so he didn’t make many appearances. A shell of the guy he once was in his prime, which wasn’t a whole lot.
Nail Yakupov – F
He spent the first 20 games playing like a guy who keeps trying to score his way out of the doghouse, making poor decisions with the puck and rushing too much. Looks completely overwhelmed on most nights, and currently eighth on the team in shots (32).
Sam Gagner – F
Has a built-in excuse coming off the jaw injury, but it’s hard to tell how much that’s been a contributing factor to his horrendous play. Gagner looks a step slow, weak on the puck, and reluctant to engage in board battles. You have to hope he’s not Horcoff 2.0.
Defense
Justin Schultz – B-
A chronic groin injury sounds like something that might be diagnosed during a Jackass movie, but it’s kept him out of the lineup recently. Schultz gets a bad rap because his mistakes are often so spectacular, but he’s been decent and provided some offense in limited action.
Nick Schultz – C+
The ultimate lunch pail defenseman that doesn’t thrill you or kill you, Schultz just goes about his business without inflicting much pain or the ire of Oiler fans. There are better options out there, but the veteran defenseman is holding down a job for now.
Philip Larsen – C
With Larsen, you have to ask yourself whether the offensive upside is worth the cost of his defensive downside. He’s jumped into the primary offensive role from the blueline with J. Schultz on the shelf, but has a lot to learn in order to become a steady NHL regular.
Anton Belov – C-
About as raw as you would expect a KHL veteran to be while adjusting to the NHL, Belov has shown flashes of brilliance and has a heavy shot. However, defensive awareness is an issue and he’s been a frequent resident of the sin bin this season.
Andrew Ference – D+
I was expecting a lot more grit and gumption from Ference, but he’s been ineffective on nights when bigger, tougher teams have pressured the Oilers defense. Surprisingly, he’s the team leader in hits (53) but averages fewer blocked shots (one per game) than any regular Oilers blueliner.
Jeff Petry - D
I figured Petry had turned the corner and was primed for a breakout season, but the results have been uninspiring for a young player that still looks lost against premier opposition. Leads the team in both blocked shots (42) and giveaways (24) by a wide margin.
Goaltenders
Jason LaBarbera – D
He gets a little more rope than Dubnyk, but hasn’t been any better between the pipes. Blame the Oilers defensive corps for their failings if you want, but goaltenders have to be capable of bailing the team out now and then. LaBarbera can’t be counted on to do that.
Devan Dubnyk – F
The starting job was his for the taking but he barfed all over himself early on, forcing the team to search for an upgrade in Ilya Bryzgalov. That move necessitated the Ladislav Smid trade, which means that not only is Dubnyk bad, but his play has done irreparable damage to the Oilers roster.
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
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