The Oilers had a fantastic penalty kill last season, but some key components of that group have left the team. Can those remaining keep up?
The Edmonton Oilers may face an intriguing challenge this upcoming season. This off-season saw roster changes that not only affected their 5-on-5 lineup but potentially their penalty-killing group as well.
During the 2023-24 NHL regular season, the Oilers had a penalty kill that hit at a 79.5 percent success rate, good for 15th in the NHL. That number jumped dramatically in the playoffs to 94.3 percent (first among playoff teams). Players bought in under the guidance of Assistant Coach Mark Stuart, and it was a key reason the Oilers made it all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
But, many of the names who were key to that penalty kill success are gone. This off-season, the Oilers lost Vincent Desharnais, Ryan McLeod, Cody Ceci, Warren Foegele and Philip Broberg. No way the losses don't hurt that penalty-killing unit. Still in Edmonton are Mattias Ekholm, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Mattias Janmark, Connor Brown, Darnell Nurse, Brett Kulak, Derek Ryan and Adam Henrique.
With the additions of Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner – neither of whom are penalty killers – how much worse will this group be?
Cody Ceci Leaving Will Hurt
During the regular season, Ceci ate the most minutes on the kill among Oilers, spending 205:08 minutes short-handed. At about 2:36 per game, he was relied upon heavily by the coaching staff. During the playoffs, his numbers dropped slightly, (down to 2:14 per game), but he ranked third on the team for short-handed ice time. Top of the list was Desharnais, who averaged 2:57 per game.
Ceci took some criticism for being inconsistent and not always meshing with Nurse. That said, there is no denying how important he was to the Oilers' success when down a man.
Can the Rest of the Group Pick Up the Slack?
What made the Oilers' kill so successful in the playoffs might not have been who was on it, but how the players responded to the system. Everyone bought in and no team has that kind of success without the entire group understanding their role and the way the team was to approach each penalty kill situation.
The Oilers still have some important names on that roster who can and likely will ensure the team doesn't regress too heavily. Led by Ekholm and Nugent-Hopkins, a lot will also be asked of Janmark, Brown, Henrique, and others.
"I'm a solid, two-way defender, who gets the puck up to the forwards. [Penalty killing] is a big part of my game where I can block shots. That's what I can bring to the table," said Ty Emberson, a recent addition in the Ceci trade.
This group won't be as solid as it was. Then again, a 94.3 percent success rate might have been impossible to replicate next season, even if everyone had returned.