After a disappointing exit, Edmonton must overhaul its defensive identity and reduce heavy minutes for its superstars to transform from regular-season giants into resilient playoff champions.
During the latest edition of 32 Thoughts, Kyle Bukauskas and Elliotte Friedman had a conversation about what comes next for the Edmonton Oilers, especially given the comments from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on Saturday.
An early exit from the playoffs have left everyone disappointed and the loss to Anaheim points out the need for some serious fixes.
Friedman started by suggesting that the Oilers will take a long look internally into how they play as a team. “...Some of the conversations I had, Kyle, in the aftermath were not necessarily about the personnel in and around the team. It was that the Edmonton Oilers are going to have to have some big conversations, no matter who’s in the lineup, who coaches them, or who runs the team."
He added, "The owners are going to have to have some big conversations about how they play and how they distribute minutes. I think, to some people in and outside the organization, that was actually some of the stuff that hit them the hardest or that they noticed the most."
Friedman went on to admit that there will be discussions about who stays and who goes, including a need to look at the goaltending situation. "Yes, they may have to address some personnel changes. But some of the things that were talked about there, and some of the things we were talking about during the season, screamed that they need to change the way they approach games."
The Defense Wasn't Good Enough
Despite having what many thought was the deepest blue line group they'd had to start a season in some time, their group was exposed in 2025-26. The Ducks dismantled the Oilers on the rush in their series.
Friedman said, "Their rush offense was one of the worst in the league in the regular season, and it got shredded by the Anaheim Ducks in the playoffs." He argued that the Oilers couldn't overcome that flaw, despite having two nuclear weapons in McDavid and Draisaitl. The lack of depth and the injuries did Edmonton in.
"I think the way they play and defend as a team is finally something they’re going to look at and say, ‘We’re going to have to make changes. It’s going to have to be different.’"
The Oilers' Stars Have to Play Less
One of the other arguments Friedman made was the team's need to play its big guns fewer minutes so as not to tax them as much.
"And I’ll tell you something else—Connor McDavid basically came out and said it: they’re going to have to play less." Head coach Kris Knoblauch admitted when he spoke on Saturday that he didn't give the depth guys enough of a roll and responsibility.
Friedman pointed to the power play as the first place Edmonton can look to cut back. Someone said to me, ‘If we want to save the wear and tear on guys like McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, those are easier minutes, but one way to ease the wear and tear is, if you’re comfortably ahead, maybe they don’t go out on the power play.’"
Don't Expect the Oilers to Fire Knoblauch
As much as playing differently and better utilizing all the players is an area where the coach needs to improve, Knoblauch is not likely to be fired. "If you’re firing Knoblauch just after giving him a three-year extension, it’s an organizational failure," said Friedman.
Bukauskas pointed out that the coach isn't entirely to blame here, because he wasn't given the players to pull back on the top star's minutes.
"Personnel goes hand in hand with that, because you need a lineup where you trust other players in more situations than you currently do."
He added that he didn’t see Draisaitl’s comments as a five-alarm fire. "If anything, that was the best thing that could have happened for the Oilers. Instead of sweeping things under the rug, they’re acknowledging there’s more beneath the surface that needs to be corrected."
For Draisaitl to say that the team took a step back, and that there needs to be honest conversations about how to fix it, that’s the only way you can tangibly make improvements.
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