Top Oilers analyst rips into team with very specific comments
Photo credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
The Edmonton Oilers have some major problems developing this season, and NHL insider Frank Seravalli put them on blast.
Speaking with Insider Bob Stauffer on Oilers Now, Frank Seravalli let loose on the Edmonton Oilers for winning just 28 of their 58 games played this season.
This team needs a real wake-up call. Let’s just call a spade a spade. To me, Leon Draisaitl’s comments were pretty pointed. And it’s not that the coach needs to be singled out. I think the point is that it’s getting late earlier than you think.
When you’re in 19th place and you have Stanley Cup aspirations, it’s not good enough. Like I said, the Oilers are on track for 91 points...it’s not one player, one person, one facet of the operation. It’s everything together.
And I think that’s whether you want to look at it from one way or the other, whether it’s complacency or lack of urgency. I believe truly that that’s the root of the Oilers’ struggles and issues this season.
- Frank Seravalli
When you’re in 19th place and you have Stanley Cup aspirations, it’s not good enough. Like I said, the Oilers are on track for 91 points...it’s not one player, one person, one facet of the operation. It’s everything together.
And I think that’s whether you want to look at it from one way or the other, whether it’s complacency or lack of urgency. I believe truly that that’s the root of the Oilers’ struggles and issues this season.
- Frank Seravalli
Leon Draisaitl publicly stated recently that Edmonton was in a slide and needed to improve in all areas.
Seravalli seems to agree and blames it on a general lack of urgency and complacency. Yet, he also singled out defenseman Darnell Nurse.
“Darnell Nurse is this team’s biggest problem, start and finish. Like, you could end it right there. At nine and a quarter million bucks, he needs to be an impact piece, and the Oilers are trying to survive in spite of him.”
It's true that Edmonton has struggled defensively. The team often relies on its potent offense to win games; but when they can't do it alone, bad defense has been the culprit.
Even Oilers-analyst David Staples said as much in a recent article, though this time it was Walman, Regula and Stastney whom he criticized.
Unfortunately, the habit of relying too much on past successes, as well as their offense, has cost the team to become complacent. They may be running out of time to gain momentum.
Yet, we also saw this last year, when Edmonton went into the post-season having been passive for much of the late stages, and then turned it on to reach the Finals.
Perhaps they'll do the same this playoffs.
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