Oilers overly reliant on their two superstars
McDavid and Draisaitl dominate scoring, but lack of secondary offense raises concerns for Edmonton's playoff hopes
December 16, 2024
Key points from this story:
- Draisaitl and McDavid: 40.2% of Oilers' goals
- Next highest scorer has only 4 goals
- GM seeking additional scoring forward
- Zach Hyman in early-season slump
- Oilers started slow last season, finished strong
- Team acknowledges need for improved performance
It's a good-news, bad-news scenario that Edmonton Oilers have the two highest- scoring team-mates in the National Hockey League. The good news is that Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid are a threat to score almost every time they're on the ice, but the bad news is that the team's secondary scoring beyond the two superstars is scarce. Memo to NHL coaches: Figure out a way to stop, or slow down, Draisaitl and McDavid, and you're more than likely to stop the Oilers.
Recent NHL stats show that while goal production from the top two scorers on each team in the NHL represents, on average, 28.5 per cent of a team's offensive output, the figure is a league-high and unhealthy 40.2 per cent for the Oilers. Through the end of November, Draisaitl had 17 goals and McDavid 12. The next-best goal output by an Edmonton forward was four – Ryan Nugent- Hopkins, Corey Perry and Jeff Skinner.
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