Oilers have big problem emerging in bottom six forward group

In fact, not only do McDavid and Draisaitl lead the Oilers in points and goals, but also account for the exaggerated bulk of the team's offense.

One indication that the Oilers have overall trouble scoring 5v5 is that they've gone to overtime in roughly 50% of their 20 games played, that's 9 games, of which four have been wins.

Edmonton has relied heavily of McDavid and Draisaitl, that much is obvious, which has caused an imbalance in the lineup; we've seen Kris Knoblauch juggling lines consistently to find chemistry, though it's only the 1st-line that has it.

Poor goal conversion has also been one of the team's issues, despite generating offensive chances. This has been an ongoing theme for the club.

During the 2024-2025 season, the bottom-six forwards showed an ability to drive possession and generate chances at 5v5. In the 2025 playoffs, the team was outscored 21 to 12 at 5v5 when McDavid and Draisaitl were not on the ice.

Recently acquired players meant to address scoring depth, such as Trent Frederic and Andrew Mangiapane, have not provided the expected offensive production 20 games into the campaign, whereas Jack Roslovic has done as was expected, scoring 6G and 14 points in 18 games.

The Oilers' have struggled to assemble a consistently productive bottom six, and high roster turnover leaves the team with an unproven group of depth forwards.

McDavid and Draisaitl will carry the team, as they have in the past. The question is, for how long?