The Edmonton Oilers could get back to winning in one of many ways.
The Edmonton Oilers are in a proverbial pickle. With sky-high expectations - including Stanley Cup aspirations - the team's 1-3 start is less than ideal.
There have been many things that have gone wrong, but most of the issues could be summarized as "lack of effort".
What can the Oilers do to get back on track? Here are a few of my thoughts:
Bench Players for Mistakes
This is a method that doesn't seem likely, given Jay Woodcroft's positive reinforcement coaching strategy. This has worked for more "old-school" coaches like John Tortorella.
Could something like this motivate a player to play better? Yes, it could. Is that the way that Woodcroft would motivate his players? Not likely.
Full Lineup Blender
The Oilers have paired up Connor McDavid with Leon Draisaitl for the last two games. They have yet to put the lineup through a full blender.
Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard.McDavid, Draisaitl, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins could provide a 1-2-3 punch down the middle. Right now Nugent-Hopkins is playing a top-six role - both center and winger.
Wait for McDavid to Go Off
McDavid has yet to go supernova on other teams. We've seen glimpses of the superstar skills that McDavid has - but he's yet to take over a game and will the Oilers to a win.
Be Patient
With only four games in the rearview and 78 games in front of them, there is a lot of runway for the Oilers to have a successful season.
The Oilers can right the ship, it might just be a matter of waiting.
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