Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton Oilers star center Connor McDavid earned the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL scoring champion for the fourth time in his career, putting him in some elite company.

McDavid is just the seventh player ever to earn the scoring title four or more times, joining the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe and Mario Lemieux.

Connor McDavid became the seventh player to claim the Art Ross Trophy at least four times, joining Wayne Gretzky (10x), Gordie Howe (6x), Mario Lemieux (6x), Phil Esposito (5x), Jagr (5x) and Stan Mikita (4x). #NHLAwards#NHLStats: https://t.co/7wTdgmQTsB pic.twitter.com/C2bI3Y94PX

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) May 1, 2022

It's McDavid's second straight season taking home the Art Ross Trophy. Gretzky and Howe are the only other players to win it four or more times before their 26th birthday. McDavid was joined by Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, who also won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the NHL’s goal-scoring leader for the second consecutive year.

McDavid recorded 44 goals and 79 assists in 80 games to finish with a career-high 123 points. It's the second-highest point total recorded by an NHL player over the last 15 seasons. He finished way ahead of Calgary Flames left wing Johnny Gaudreau and Florida Panthers left wing Jonathan Huberdeau, who both notched 115 points this season.

A two-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner as the league's MVP, McDavid now has compiled 239 goals and 458 assists for 697 points through his first seven NHL seasons. His career average of 1.43 points per game that ranks fourth in league history behind only Gretzky (1.92), Lemieux (1.88) and Mike Bossy (1.50) among players with a minimum of 100 appearances.

With McDavid leading the way, the Oilers finished second in the Pacific Division with a 49-27-6 record. Edmonton will host the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series Monday.

The Edmonton Oilers clinched a spot in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs with an 6-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Friday at Rogers Place. 

🎶 YOU CAN PLAY LA BAMBA RIGHT INTO THE PLAYOFFS 🎶#LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/5EdhLUJPHq

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 23, 2022

THEY'RE IN‼️

Spread the news, the @EdmontonOilers are officially back in the #StanleyCup Playoffs! pic.twitter.com/IfyHeyGN6t

— NHL (@NHL) April 23, 2022

Edmonton improved to 46-26-6 with the win. This is the third straight season the Oilers have reached the playoffs, and the team is hoping to go farther than the first round for the first time since 2017. 

That said, let's take a look at the updated Western Conference standings:

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Pacific Division

1. Calgary Flames: 48-20-10, 106 points
2. Edmonton Oilers: 46-26-6, 98 points
3. Los Angeles Kings: 42-27-10, 94 points

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Central Division

1. Colorado Avalanche: 55-17-6, 116 points
2. Minnesota Wild: 50-21-7, 107 points
3. St. Louis Blues: 47-20-11, 105 points

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Wild Card

1. Nashville Predators: 44-28-5, 93 points
2. Dallas Stars: 43-30-5, 91 points

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And here's a look at the Eastern Conference standings:

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Atlantic Division

1. Florida Panthers: 56-15-6, 118 points
2. Toronto Maple Leafs: 51-21-6, 108 points
3. Tampa Bay Lightning: 47-22-8, 102 points

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Metropolitan Division

1. Carolina Hurricanes: 50-20-8, 108 points
2. New York Rangers: 51-21-6, 108 points
3. Pittsburgh Penguins: 44-23-11, 99 points

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Wild Card

1. Boston Bruins: 47-25-5, 99 points
2. Washington Capitals: 43-23-11, 97 points

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The Oilers are paced offensively by superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. 

McDavid entered Friday's game with 43 goals and 70 assists for 113 points, while Draisaitl had 54 goals and 52 assists for 106 points. 

Aside from McDavid and Draisaitl, Edmonton has also received excellent performances offensively from Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Kailer Yamamoto and Jesse Puljujarvi. 

Hyman entered Friday with 25 goals and 26 assists for 51 points; Nugent-Hopkins entered with 11 goals and 36 assists for 47 points; Yamamoto had 18 goals and 17 assists for 35 points; and Puljujarvi had 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points. 

The Oilers have also been anchored defensively by Evan Bouchard, Tyson Barrie and Darnell Nurse. Duncan Keith, Cody Ceci, Brett Kulak and Kris Russell have also been a part of that group. 

Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen have manned the crease this year. While neither has been particularly bad, the Oilers could use an upgrade in goal come next season.

With teams like the Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames and Minnesota Wild set to appear in the postseason, the Oilers will face an uphill battle to win the Stanley Cup.

The Florida Panthers came back to force overtime against the New York Islanders on Tuesday night at UBS Arena and needed only 20 seconds to win the game in the bonus period to record their 11th straight victory.

Captain Aleksander Barkov recorded a hat trick in the 3-2 win, and Jonathan Huberdeau moved one step closer to winning the Art Ross Trophy by taking over as the league’s points leader with 111.

The team talked about building up their overall game to what they want it to look like during the Stanley Cup playoffs.

"There have been some comebacks, some three- or four-goal comebacks, and that’s not the way we want to play," Barkov said. "But we’ve talked a lot about keeping games tight and not letting [opponents] score a lot. The last few games have been like that. The most we’ve given up is like three goals in the last few games, so I think we’re heading in the right direction.

"We just have to keep building, and there are still a few things we need to clean up. But we will."

There isn’t much for a team with a plus-100 goal differential to clean up. The Panthers and the Colorado Avalanche each have 116 points and are competing for the Presidents' Trophy.

Plus, Florida may be getting back defenseman Aaron Ekblad soon, as he skated with the team earlier in the day on Long Island. Meanwhile, Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog (knee) started skating with the team during its current road trip, as The Athletic's Peter Baugh showed.

The Avs and the Panthers are the favorites to hoist the Stanley Cup because they don’t have any glaring weaknesses. But what about the teams that do?

We’re nearing the finish line of the 2021-22 regular season. We have seen enough of the teams to be able to figure out their strengths and point out the red flags.

Let’s explore some of those red flags before the regular season concludes April 29.

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Tampa Bay Lightning: Failing to Play the Full 60 Minutes

Are the two-time defending champs slumping at the wrong time?

The lottery-bound Detroit Red Wings scored three goals against the Bolts in a span of 3:57 in the second period of their tilt Tuesday. This came after a dominant first period. Coach Jon Cooper later told reporters that he sees this as a recurring theme of sorts and wants it to end before the playoffs get underway.

"It's one of those games that we clearly beat ourselves, and it's becoming probably a little bit too much of our story in a game that I thought, after the first period, we had full control of, and we weren't satisfied and sticking with it," Cooper said. "Then you saw what happened."

In case you didn't see what happened, Cooper elaborated: "It was just odd-mans, breakaways, turnovers, and it's perplexing why some of these players that have been with us for a while—especially in Game 76—are continuing to do this. It's too bad."

It’s easy to take your foot off the gas when a playoff spot has already been locked up. This is also a team that can make up a big deficit quickly, but it will get tougher to do that in the postseason.

No one knows better than the Lightning the type of mental toughness it takes to win four seven-game series, but they haven’t shown a lot of that in a month wherein they have gone 4-4-2. Maybe some adversity is good for a team like this, but it’s far too late in the season to be trying to establish good habits and consistency.

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Boston Bruins: A Powerless Power Play

The Boston Bruins clinched a playoff spot Saturday with a win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. But this is a team that's had its lapses as well.

There was a particularly bad loss to the Ottawa Senators earlier in April that exposed the dismal state of the Bruins' power play. Boston went 0-for-5 with the man advantage in that game and haven’t fared much better since, failing to score a power-play goal in their past two games. They're 0-for-27 on power play in their past eight games. 

The B's are ranked 15th in overall power-play conversion (21.4 percent), so you could say it's mostly been so-so throughout the season. And missing David Pastrnak doesn't help, either. He leads the team with 38 goals, 14 of which have come on the power play. Pastrnak’s signature one-timer from the left faceoff circle is a tough shot to save for a goalie who is trying to go from post-to-post.

However, the underlying metrics aren’t great: According to Natural Stat Trick Boston isn’t creating a ton of scoring chances on the power play.

A good power play isn’t crucial in the playoffs, but it's often the difference in close games. Facing a team like Florida, which averages more than four goals per game, will require all of the offense the Bruins can get. They need more from special teams.

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Carolina Hurricanes: Injuries

Much like the Avs, Panthers and maybe even the Calgary Flames, the Carolina Hurricanes don’t have any big weaknesses. They are known for their high-flying and high-volume offense, but they also limit chances on the other end effectively and have a potential Vezina Trophy candidate in net to bail them out.

However, the contender for that award, Frederik Andersen, has got hurt at the worst time. He went down with a lower-body injury against Colorado on Saturday in a game that was billed as a potential Stanley Cup Final preview.

It sounds like Andersen could be ready to return for the playoffs, with TSN and The Athletic insider Pierre LeBrun reporting that the goalie's MRI came back negative. But if Andersen is ruled out, then the team will have to go with backup Antti Raanta. No disrespect to Raanta, but there is a drop-off in quality between him and his teammate.

Captain Jordan Staal was also knocked out of that same game, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi is also out as well. It’s not uncommon for injuries to be aggravated at this time of year, but starting the postseason without a captain and a goalie would be a big blow for a favored contender.

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Minnesota Wild: 2-7-5 in Last 14 Games Against the St. Louis Blues

Looking at the standings, the likelihood that the Minnesota Wild face the St. Louis Blues in the first round of the playoffs is high. This isn’t a good matchup for Minnesota, which hasn’t shown that it can beat the Blues when it counts.

The best example of this might be the Winter Classic, when Jordan Kyrou spoiled a celebration of all things Minnesota with his four-point night. But the Wild were coming off of an extended COVID-19 pause, and an outdoor game is an easy one to look at as an outlier given the unusual elements teams have to deal with.

But this record of 12 losses in 14 tries dates back a few seasons. And the stakes are higher for Minnesota this year. This team has made it known that it is going for it. The Wild acquired reigning Vezina winner Marc-Andre Fleury at the trade deadline when they already had an All-Star goalie in Cam Talbot, partially because of Fleury’s postseason prowess. They also made moves to get tougher up and down the lineup, and they want to capitalize on high-scoring wing Kirill Kaprizov's prime.

Minnesota’s group is a little banged up as well, so health will be important, but the one thing it does have going for it is a favorable home schedule through the rest of the season.

The Wild play five of their last six regular-season games at home, and they have played well at Xcel Energy Center this season, going 27-7-2 in St. Paul.

If they continue their winning ways over the next week, they could secure home-ice advantage, which would be even more advantageous against a team they haven’t fared well against in recent years, especially when you look at Minnesota's record in St. Louis: 0-4-3 in the past seven trips to Missouri.

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Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins: Goaltending 

Each of these teams has a different situation in net, but they are grouped together since they all have red flags at the position.

Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry is "week-to-week" with a lower-body injury, but he was spotted wearing a boot in the team photo and riding a scooter around PPG Paints Arena by TribLIVE.com's Chris Adamski. If he's out for an extended period, Louis Domingue and Casey DeSmith will have a large net to fill considering how well Jarry has played this season (34-18-6, .919 save percentage).

Jarry’s playoff struggles have been well-documented, but he's considerably better than either DeSmith or Domingue.

Inconsistent goaltending has plagued the Washington Capitals all season, and their .903 save percentage is the worst among all teams that occupy a playoff spot. However, the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings are barely above the .900 mark as well.

Jack Campbell has returned from his rib injury in Toronto, which is promising for the Leafs if he can recapture the form he showed during the first half of the season. In Edmonton, recently appointed head coach Jay Woodcroft hasn’t exactly fixed goalies Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen, but he does have the team playing much better in front of them.

All of these teams have had goaltending issues at some point throughout the season. The goaltending in Edmonton was one of the factors that led to the club dismissing coach Dave Tippett in February. It’s been the biggest problem in Washington, and it’s held back Toronto at times throughout the season.

Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane settled a lawsuit tied to allegations of an assault in 2015, according to The Athletic's Daniel Kaplan.

Rachel Kuechle filed suit against Kane in July 2016, saying she suffered "serious emotional trauma" and "serious, permanent and painful personal injuries" from the then-Buffalo Sabres star inflicting a physical battery on her.

Kane filed a defamation case against Kuechle in response.

Per Kaplan, a bankruptcy attorney for Kane declined to provide any specifics regarding the settlement, which covers both the lawsuit and countersuit.

No criminal charges were ultimately brought against the 30-year-old.

Kaplan reported a judge in New York scheduled a trial date for Sept. 19. In the wake of the settlement, the case was switched from "active" to "disposed."

In January 2021, Kane filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in California after saying he had almost $27 million in outstanding liabilities and only $10 million in assets. This past January, Kaplan reported the bankruptcy trustee wanted to pull funding for Kane's countersuit because it "has little or no economic value to the estate."

This was one of many off-ice stories surrounding Kane in recent months.

The NHL cleared him last September following an investigation into whether he gambled on games. He was subsequently suspended for 21 games the following month after Front Office Sports' A.J. Perez reported he had submitted a falsified COVID-19 vaccination card.

The San Jose Sharks announced in January they were placing Kane on unconditional waivers and wanted to terminate his contract after he breached the NHL's standard player contract rules and the AHL's COVID-19 protocols.

TSN's Darren Dreger reported Kane had a grievance hearing Tuesday over San Jose's attempt to void his deal.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are fast approaching. 

There is at least one Western Conference wild-card spot up for grabs, possibly even two. The Pacific Division has yet to be fully decided, and the Vegas Golden Knights are on the outside looking in for the first time in franchise history.

Things are significantly less exciting in the Eastern Conference, where we've known the playoff group for a few months already. The Tampa Bay Lightning look dominant again, though less so than its counterpart on the east coast of Florida, the Panthers. However, the Atlantic Division as a whole is a tough field, with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins also in the mix.

The Washington Capitals are the weak link in the Metropolitan Division with inconsistent goaltending, but that may not matter during the postseason when a player like Alexander Ovechkin can be a difference-maker. The Carolina Hurricanes look like a true contender, but the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers appear strong as well.

The postseason begins in three weeks. Let’s explore some of the early developing storylines as the regular season starts to wind down. 

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Legacies on the Line 

Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews are two of the best players in the world, yet they have relatively little playoff success.

Whether or not the Maple Leafs make it out of the first round will likely be the biggest playoff storyline for a few reasons. There will naturally be a lot of pressure on a historic Original Six team playing in the hockey capital of the world. The media spotlight burns brightest in Toronto, and there is a level of prestige that comes with wearing the Maple Leaf.

It can be tough to play for the Leafs, and it's even tougher when the expectation is that the team is built for championships, but the narrative is that the team can't win when it matters.

The franchise hasn't made it out of the first round since 2004, and its epic collapse in last year's seven-game series against the Montreal Canadiens has not been forgotten.

In Edmonton, McDavid's legacy has been tarnished by mismanagement. The club has yet to truly build a contender around McDavid and Leon Draistaitl. Interim head coach Jay Woodcroft has had much better results behind the bench than Dave Tippett did, and his team is a near-lock to make the postseason.

But how far are they capable of going? All of those first-round picks have led to little more than first- and second-round exits. 

Matthews, McDavid and Draisaitl will all be in the Hall of Fame someday, but anything less than a Cup Final would be considered a disappointment.

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Will the Tampa Bay Lightning Create a Dynasty with a Third Straight Championship?

Here's the thing no one tells you about winning Cups: It can be exhausting. It's obviously worth it, but there is a reason you don't see teams winning three in a row anymore.

Playing four rounds of four to seven games is a lot. It's two months of injuries, adrenaline, long overtimes and travel with tight turnarounds. It can put a lot of mileage on the skaters and take a toll on the goalies.

Training staffs often adjust their offseason plans to give players an adequate amount of rest, but it's a tough balancing act because the players don't want to be behind physically to start the next season.

The Lightning have played a lot of playoff hockey over the last few years. This is a dominant team that knows how to win, but they also might be mentally and physically burnt out. The team is third in the Atlantic Division, and the quality of play has not slipped this year, though, so there is nothing to indicate that this is the case.

But this isn’t exactly unheard of.

The Los Angeles Kings won Cups in 2012 and 2014, with a trip to the Western Conference Final in between. In the latter championship run, the Kings won three series that went into seven games to become the first team to advance to a Final having won 21 games. They looked unbeatable and had nearly all of their top players returning in 2015.

And then Los Angeles failed to make the postseason in 2015. They admitted to being drained. 

Tampa Bay has played in 45 playoff games over the past two seasons. If you add in the round-robin games from the bubble in 2020, that's 48 games.

Maybe this is the year we see Florida or Colorado take the crown from Tampa Bay. Those two teams have loaded up with the intent to knock out the Lightning. Or maybe the window is still open for Patrice Bergeron and the Boston Bruins.

Of course, the mental toughness may come into play here and the Lightning could become the first team to threepeat since the New York Islanders won four straight Stanley Cup championships from 1980-1984, and the first in the salary cap era. 

With goalie Andrei Vaseilveskiy you have to like their chances, which brings us to the next storyline…

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Do Teams Have Good Enough Goaltending? 

Most of the top teams have questionable goaltending. The Lightning, the New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, Colorado Avalanche and Calgary Flames are pretty set in net with solid No. 1 goalies, which is quite a luxury in the postseason.

In Edmonton, Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen don't inspire much confidence. The Maple Leafs don't seem to trust Jack Campbell. The Washington Capitals have been hamstrung by bad goaltending all season.

Some teams could not address their goaltending needs at the trade deadline because of the high prices for goalies and salary cap issues. There wasn't enough Marc-Andre Fleury to go around.

Then, there are the teams with tandems. Tandem usage is effective in the regular season, but it can become a problem in the postseason if a No. 1 goalie is not named. It creates divisions and uncertainty, which isn't what you want for a locker room in win-or-go-home scenarios.

Jonathan Quick won the Conn Smythe a decade ago during Los Angeles' first run and outdueled Henrik Lundqvist during the second run two years later, but he's 36. Quick has been the preferred goalie over Cal Petersen this season, but they've split a lot of the workload.

The Minnesota Wild won the Fleury sweepstakes, so it would seem that they would prefer a three-time Stanley Cup winner, but Cam Talbot was signed to be the No. 1.

The Bruins have to choose between Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark. 

You could maybe even say that Tristan Jarry—who struggled in the playoffs last year—is a question mark for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Goaltending can make or break a team in the postseason, so it’s fascinating to see so many good teams with question marks in net. 

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Is This the Last Stand for the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Veteran Core?

Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang have accomplished a lot together. Even some of Pittsburgh's important role players like Bryan Rust, Jake Guentzel and Brian Dumoulin have helped the team stay exceptionally prosperous during Crosby and Malkin's prime years.

But Malkin is coming up on free agency this summer, as are Rust and Letang. There may be a changing of the guard of sorts since the club is tight on cap space and will have to start ramping up the planning for a post-Crosby and Malkin era. The prospect pool isn't exceptionally deep because, as a perennial contender, assets are consistently traded to maintain competitiveness.

As long as Crosby is around, the club will try and contend, and the Penguins will have to find ways to retool, reload and get younger in the coming years. But for now, the trip will get a shot to capture their fourth Stanley Cup.

How good are those chances? Their plus-38 goal differential would say they're somewhat good. Winger Rickard Rakell has been a fantastic addition to the lineup, working well with Crosby in limited action and even setting up the goal that gave Crosby his 1,400th NHL point. Coach Mike Sullivan said Rakell might see more time on Crosby's line since they know Rust can play with Malkin. 

At the start of the season, people predicted a slide for the Penguins this season, myself included. But Pittsburgh has maintained a strong level of play with Sid and Geno still leading the way. 

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Will There Be a Surprise Team to Make a Run?

After two seasons of altered playoff formats, the NHL is back to using the same format before COVID-19: Three teams from each division and two wild-card winners from each conference.

In 2017, the Nashville Predators made it to the Stanley Cup Final as a wild-card team, and they're still the only team to have ever done so. In 2012, the Kings won the Stanley Cup as the No. 8 seed (pairings were reseeded after the first round, and the wild-card format had not been instituted).

The 2021 Montreal Canadiens may not have even made the playoffs had it not been for the all-Canadian North Division created because of border restrictions during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In 2019, John Tortorella guided the Columbus Blue Jackets to a sweep of the heavily favored Lightning in the first round, a team he previously led to a Stanley Cup back in 2004. Columbus failed to advance past the Eastern Conference semifinal round, but it was quite possibly the most memorable series of the entire postseason.

The Predators might be the wild-card team with the best chance to advance. Roman Josi has 87 points this season and has a chance to reach the century mark with 10 games left. Matt Duchene is having a career year at age 31, the club opted to keep Filip Forsberg at the deadline, and rookie Tanner Jeannot has proven to be quite the throwback of a power forward, providing offense and toughness.

Of course, it also helps to have an outstanding goalie, and Juuse Saros has been one of the best in the Western Conference this season.

The Preds are exceptionally tough to play against, which is exactly what coach John Hynes wants. 

Of course, few would be surprised to see a team like the Boston Bruins run through the Eastern Conference bracket. They appeared in the Final in 2019 with much of the same core intact.

Everyone likes an underdog story, and it's no different in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

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Will COVID-19 Play a Role? 

For the third season in a row, COVID-19 has impacted the NHL. Games were postponed and rescheduled at such a high frequency that the league prevented players from participating in the Winter Olympics.

The holiday break was extended. It took the New York Islanders months to catch up to other teams in games played, and it's probably one of the reasons a heavy favorite in the East will be sitting out this summer.

The NHL managed to get nearly every player in the NHL vaccinated, and things have calmed down considerably since the Omicron variant rapidly spread in December and January.

Canadian teams played in empty buildings once again. Protocols were tightened, and testing ramped up, but as the case numbers went down, the protocols were relaxed once again, and the league stopped testing asymptomatic players.

At the moment, transmission does not seem to be a problem. But it continues to be in the background as the season ends, and it will remain there during the postseason as well.

There were some absolute blockbuster trades completed Thursday ahead of the NBA trade deadline, and it begged the question: Why doesn't this happen in the NHL? 

Hopefully, there will be a day when a superstar like Connor McDavid is traded for another one of his caliber. That day is not today, but it should be because McDavid is left to languish on yet another mediocre Edmonton Oilers team unlikely to make the playoffs. 

On Thursday, McDavid's head coach was fired. Dave Tippett is the third head coach McDavid has played for, and he was replaced by Jay Woodcroft, a very good, up-and-coming coach who still can't fix the goaltending situation or turn back the clock on defenseman Duncan Keith. 

Tippett wasn't the problem. Ken Holland, the Oilers general manager, and his poorly constructed roster are the problems.

Holland decided to go all-in over the summer by spending up to the salary cap, opening up the checkbook for goalie Mike Smith and Keith, who are 39 and 38 years old, respectively. 

Smith was coming off of one of the best seasons of his career when he was extended for $2.2 million. He even received Vezina Trophy votes last year after putting up a .923 save percentage. But it was a shortened season, and Smith faced the same few opponents because of the temporary divisional realignments.

That's not to diminish the impact he had on the Oilers, but at his age, it wouldn't have been difficult to predict a decline in his performance or health—both of which we've seen this season as he's battled leg, upper-body and thumb injuries while registering an .890 save percentage. 

It's not that his salary-cap hit is so outrageous, but when coupled with Mikko Koskinen's contract, it's obvious how hamstrung the Oilers truly are. The duo accounts for 8.2 percent of the team's cap money, and they have a combined .898 save percentage, better than only the Arizona Coyotes, the league-worst Montreal Canadiens, the New Jersey Devils and the Seattle Kraken. Koskinen's -3.95 goals saved above average is one of the worst in the league. 

You can't fault Koskinen for the most recent losses since he entered COVID-19 protocols Monday. Coming out of the All-Star break, Edmonton has been outscored a combined 8-1 by the Vegas Golden Knights and Chicago Blackhawks.

You might be inclined to give the Oilers a break against the Golden Knights, but this is a team that was supposed to compete with Vegas for the Pacific Division title. Instead, they're trailing the Golden Knights and the rebuilding Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames in the standings. They have a 39.7 percent chance of making the playoffs, according to MoneyPuck.com, and they have some ground to make up to catch those aforementioned division rivals. However, it's a steep uphill climb even for a team that has two of the best players in the world in McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. 

Edmonton is a prime example of just how crucial it is to have good goaltending. The club has been unable to develop any itself. They ran Cam Talbot and Devan Dubnyk out of town, and both were better elsewhere. Talbot is in the midst of an All-Star campaign with the Minnesota Wild. 

Trying to predict a player's career arc is an inexact science, especially when it comes to goaltending. But the ability to scout, draft and develop is a large part of being a general manager. It's not always wheeling, dealing and making trades; it's taking the scouting information and using your own discerning eye to say, "This is a goalie who is capable of winning 30 games a year for the next five years." 

Holland has not demonstrated an eye for the future in his recent dealings. The addition of Zach Hyman was a very good move, but he's put together a blue line that can't move the puck up to the forwards and a forward lineup that can't generate offense without McDavid and Draisaitl on the ice. Holland brought in Evander Kane, which was not the most popular choice given his history of problems on and off the ice. 

Kane, like Woodcroft, can't stop the puck. The best thing Holland could have done to set this team up for success would have been to acquire a true No. 1 goaltender over the summer. And it's worth noting he hasn't done anything to address the issue since the season started, except acquiring Alex Stalock, who is unable to play because of a heart condition. 

The luster has worn off of the general manager who was once lauded for winning three Stanley Cup championships with the Detroit Red Wings. It's possible the game has passed him by. Holland himself seems flummoxed as he continues to say, "This is how we did things in Detroit."

Well, this isn't Detroit, and this isn't 2008. 

When Holland took the Red Wings reins from Scotty Bowman in 1997, he inherited a winning culture. It was a seamless transition for a young assistant GM like Holland who had already been with the organization. 

This is a much different challenge. This is an organization that has not seen a whole lot of stability since 2006, when Edmonton last reached the Stanley Cup Final. The Oilers are synonymous with chaos, and switching things up with another head coach isn't exactly helping. The best thing Holland can do now is give Woodcroft time by keeping him in place through next season to establish some semblance of consistency. 

To be fair, this isn't how Holland always operates. Tippett is the first coach he has ever fired midseason. But in other ways, he's still operating the same, handing out bad contracts and failing to properly project talent. 

Coaches are hired to be fired, and Tippett was no different. Something had to change because the Oilers cannot keep wasting the best years of McDavid and Draisaitl, but Edmonton is no closer to contending with Woodcroft than it was with Tippett. 

Holland had a chance to right the ship months ago, and he didn't. This move is too little, too late.

The Edmonton Oilers reportedly fired head coach Dave Tippett on Thursday following back-to-back lopsided losses to the Vegas Golden Knights and Chicago Blackhawks.

TSN's Darren Dreger reported Tippett, who compiled a 95-62-14 record across two-plus seasons, and assistant Jim Playfair were both dismissed.

Jay Woodcroft and Dave Manson, who were part of the coaching staff of the team's AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, will take over on an interim basis, per Dreger.

The Oilers came out firing on all cylinders to open the 2021-22 season. They started 9-1-0 and stood at 16-5-0 following a win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec. 1.

They've gone just 7-13-3 since that point, however, and it appears the losses to the Golden Knights and Hawks by a combined score of 8-1 were the final straw. They now sit five points behind the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

While Tippett's regular-season record with the Oilers was well over .500, the team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs each of the past two years. Their odds to reach the 2022 postseason had dipped 61 percent amid the recent cold spell, per Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic.

So Edmonton is betting on a coaching change will provide a spark to get the club trending back in the right direction before those playoff chances fade any more.

Woodcroft and Manson inherit a roster led by two of the NHL's best players, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but also a group that features limited depth. McDavid and Draisaitl are both over 60 points (125 combined), but only one other player (Ryan Nugent-Hopkins) has over 30.

Trying to generate more production outside that dynamic duo will be crucial if the Oilers are going to turn things around and make a serious push toward the Stanley Cup.

The front office will likely be active leading up to the March 21 trade deadline in pursuit of a couple top-six forwards to bolster the scoring depth.

Edmonton can't wait another six weeks for its play to improve, though. So a coaching change was the short-term solution, and JFresh of EP Rinkside noted the team is due for some positive regression following some miserable puck luck:

This is what pain looks like https://t.co/JbkuuuMBZq pic.twitter.com/U99c0nvtUb

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) February 10, 2022

Some fresh ideas from the coaching staff, a few more lucky bounces, modestly improved goaltending and a key acquisition could put the Oilers back on the path toward contention.

Evander Kane has not played an NHL game this season, but he reportedly could be returning to the ice for a new team pending the outcome of a league investigation.

Darren Dreger of TSN reported there remains "a decent chance" the left-winger will sign with the Edmonton Oilers if he avoids a significant suspension. He also said the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning "remain in the mix," although things could change if the NHL gives him a lengthy penalty.

.@DarrenDreger: If Evander Kane avoids suspension, there's 'a decent chance' he'll sign with the Oilers. pic.twitter.com/OADADZbwj2

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 20, 2022

In November ESPN's Greg Wyshynski wrote about Kane's 2021, including his 21-game suspension for violating the NHL's COVID-19 protocols because he submitted a fake vaccination card.

What's more, the league investigated after his estranged wife, Anna Kane, made allegations of domestic violence and that he bet on NHL games. The NHL said the allegations of assault "could not be substantiated" and determined there was no evidence he bet on hockey games.

The Sharks placed Kane on waivers, which he cleared, and then reassigned him to their AHL affiliate, the Barracuda.

San Jose then announced on Jan. 8 it placed him on unconditional waivers and would terminate his contract, citing a "breach of his NHL Standard Player Contract and for violation of the AHL COVID-19 protocols."

The NHL's ongoing investigation into Kane is related to this breach of protocols. Per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the league is looking into a border crossing made by Kane from the U.S. into Canada in December.

Still, ESPN's Kevin Weekes reported "most" teams that are realistically in contention for the Stanley Cup gauged interest from Kane's camp. 

Pierre LeBrun of TSN said the left-winger's agent, Dan Milstein, said the plan is to sign a one-year deal for the rest of the 2021-22 campaign.

Kane played for the Atlanta Thrashers, Buffalo Sabres and Sharks from the 2009-10 season. He appeared in 56 games for San Jose in 2020-21 and finished with 49 points on 22 goals and 27 assists.

The Oilers are 18-15-2 on the season for 38 points, which is good enough for seventh place in the Pacific Division.            

It's been a wild week in the NHL with the Evander Kane situation changing seemingly by the hour. Let's review.

- The San Jose Sharks announced on Jan. 8 that they had placed the 30-year-old winger on unconditional waivers for his second violation of COVID-19 protocols this season as a member of the club's AHL affiliate, the Barracuda. His contract was officially terminated on Jan. 9. Kane was originally suspended in October for reportedly using a fake vaccine card.

- The NHLPA immediately stated its intention that it would file a grievance on Kane's behalf, challenging the Sharks' decision to terminate Kane's contract.

We are aware of the San Jose Sharks’ stated intent to terminate Evander Kane’s contract. The NHLPA intends to challenge any such action by filing a grievance.

— NHLPA (@NHLPA) January 8, 2022

- According to Sportnet's Elliotte Friedman on Jan. 11, the Edmonton Oilers were in serious contention to sign Kane as an unrestricted free agent.

- When asked directly about signing Kane, Oilers general manager Ken Holland said, "I believe in second chances." Oilers captain Connor McDavid was also open to having him join in Edmonton.

- On Jan. 12, Friedman reported that Kane was under league investigation for the process of crossing the U.S.-Canadian border in December. The investigation would likely delay any team from signing Kane in the near term.

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1481320054788694017

So where does this leave Kane and Sharks? How did we get into this situation in the first place? And what will happen next? 

Let's take a closer look at the entire situation.

Why was a former 30-goal scorer in the prime of his career playing in the AHL in the first place?

After being suspended in October for reportedly having a fake vaccine card, Kane was playing in the AHL for the first time in his career as the Sharks sought a trade partner that never materialized. Kane had worn out his welcome in the Sharks locker room, with several teammates saying they didn't want him back for the 2021-22 campaign.

Trading him also would have required them to retain much of his $7 million yearly salary, since Kane is in the fourth year of a seven-year, $49 million contract. His time in the AHL wasn't without controversy either, as the club questioned his commitment to the Barracuda after he missed practices with what he called a sore shoulder and food poisoning, according to The Athletic. 

What caused the Sharks to release Kane?

The Sharks said they terminated Kane's contract "for breach of his NHL standard player contract and for violation of the AHL COVID-19 protocols. It's important to note that the club probably could not have terminated his contract had the league not agreed that there was a breach of contract terms. 

The NHLPA did not see the situation the same way, but that was to be expected. 

Just a few months after being named the Sharks' player of the year, the team decided it was better off without the distraction, even if that meant losing his prolific offensive production. 

Has Kane been involved in other troubling incidents?

Kane has long had a history of on- and off-ice issues that range from clashes with his own teammates to conflicts with officials to arrests. 

The fourth overall pick in the 2009 draft by the Atlanta Thrashers, Kane was sued for assault damages in 2014 as a member of the Winnipeg Jets. He was scratched after an incident with his teammates. He publicly stated that he felt the team didn't have his back and traded away its problem.

In July 2016 as a member of the Buffalo Sabres, he was sued by a 21-year-old woman who claimed he invited her to a party in the Buffalo hotel room where he was living and attacked her. Later that month he was arrested after allegedly harassing three women at a Buffalo bar. He was later cleared of all charges.

Kane has also missed practices—once to go to the NBA All-Star Game in Toronto—he was scratched for violating the Jets' dress code, he's been late to practices, and teammates and coaches have found him to be unaccountable. Former Sabres general manager Tim Murray said Kane's involvement in highly publicized incidents like bar fights brought negative attention to the organization. 

Last year, his estranged wife, Anna Kane, posted a series of Instagram stories accusing her husband of domestic abuse, gambling on NHL games and even throwing games. While Kane does have a history of gambling, as is evidenced by his bankruptcy that stemmed from gambling debts, the league cleared him of any wrongdoing, and he and his wife dropped their domestic violence restraining orders against one another

Who is interested in signing Kane?

Frank Seravalli of DailyFaceoff.com reported on Jan. 12 that as many as 16 teams have shown interest in Kane. The Oilers appeared to be the most interested in him. However, there is a chance that Kane probably would not be able to help a team in need of him for a playoff push.

Kane and his agent, Dan Milstein, were interviewing with teams before deputy commissioner Bill Daly sent out a memo saying the league was opening an investigation into his cross-border travel. 

The Canadian government does not allow people to board a "public flight" within 15 days of receiving a positive COVID-19 test. Failure to comply with the Canadian federal Quarantine Act could result in "fines, imprisonment or both." Kane allegedly tested positive on Dec. 21 and traveled on Dec. 29.

Aside from the legal ramifications, Kane could be subjected to disciplinary action by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, which could mean that any team that signs him wouldn't be able to use him right away. Kane was already suspended for 21 games for the first COVID-19 infraction, so if he's suspended again it could be in the range of 30-40 games, which would bring him right about to the start of the postseason. 

Why do so many teams seem willing to sign Kane?

Kane is capable of scoring 20-30 goals per season, and scorers like that will always be coveted. There is no question Kane is a talented winger who could boost the offensive production of any lineup. 

Financially, it's a low-risk move since a team could negotiate a short-term contract. 

Should a team still sign him? 

McDavid seemed somewhat noncommittal when asked about the situation Wednesday night. 

"I'm not really here to discuss optic issues," he said. "If fans don't like it or the media doesn't like it, I think, whatever. It is what it is. There are a lot of things that go on on the ice that fans don't like and we don't necessarily have to discuss those up here with you guys.

"The public opinion is something that matters a lot, but we're here to try and win games and put a good team on the ice."

McDavid and his teammate, Leon Draisaitl, badly need help. The team has shown a remarkable inability to produce offense without those two on the ice, and goaltenders Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen have struggled. The roster has had several COVID-19-related absences and the team is right up against the cap, so Kane would be a way to bring in offense for cheap. 

If the captain says it's not a big deal, then the rest of the locker room will have to take the same approach, at least publicly. But privately, it's a different story. 

There will always be players who place a high value on team chemistry and accountability. There will always be young, impressionable players on their entry-level contracts because this is a salary-cap league. Can the Oilers afford to keep Kane around emerging young defenseman Evan Bouchard? Can any team afford to have a player known for being late or skipping practices around its top prospects? 

It's possible that Kane is, in fact, a better teammate than we are seeing on Twitter. Along with Akim Aliu, Kane was a co-founder of the Hockey Diversity Alliance. However, he took a "voluntary leave" from the organization in August after Anna Kane's allegations became public. 

But one could also argue that continually putting organizations in positions to defend his actions and leaving teams short-handed because of things like suspensions makes him a poor teammate. 

There are some executives who have decided against signing Kane, even at a fraction of the cost. But if a team is that desperate for offensive production and it feels as though it has the structure and leadership to keep him on track, or that a playoff run would motivate him, then it may think otherwise. 

It all depends on the outcome of the league's investigation and then what an independent arbitrator decides regarding his contract with the Sharks. For now, everything is on hold, which adds yet another layer to an already complicated situation. 

Connor McDavid was once compared to Wayne Gretzky. It was a fitting comparison in 2015 when the elite center was selected first overall by the Edmonton Oilers, the team that produced The Great One, arguably the only center more elite than him. 

McDavid was supposed to be the club's savior, the player who would help the perennial losers return to their championship ways. 

But a better comparison these days might be to Mike Trout. The Los Angeles Angels outfielder has only one playoff appearance to his name, a three-game sweep at the hands of the Kansas City Royals in 2014. While McDavid does have a few more postseason appearances than that, the Oilers' dysfunction has effectively hamstrung the club and wasted years of the world's best player in his prime.

McDavid wasn't on the ice Wednesday night in Toronto at Scotiabank Center as Edmonton lost 3-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs because of a positive COVID-19 test, but he didn't really need to be. It was clear the team can't win without him, but maybe more importantly it showed that the Oilers don't have a strong enough supporting cast around McDavid and second-line center Leon Draisaitl. 

The loss bumped the Oilers to fourth place in the Pacific Division, which is much more competitive one than many anticipated it being, meaning wild-card spots could be difficult to grab.

McDavid and Draisaitl both lead the league with 53 points, and Draisaitl's 26 goals are also No. 1 in the NHL. They are playing huge minutes because they have to, leading all NHL forwards in ice time per game.

But the Oilers are 2-6-2 in their last 10 games. Since Dec. 1, they're 2-9-2 and the only two wins have come with coach Dave Tippett away from the bench in COVID protocol, which naturally has renewed calls for the coach to be fired and replaced with Mike Babcock.

The Oilers are in very real danger of missing the postseason, which shouldn't happen when you have those two players. 

Tippett has publicly sparred with goalie Mikko Koskinen, and Koskinen fired right back. 

One of the team's biggest issues is goaltending. A .901 save percentage by Koskinen, 39-year-old Mike Smith and Stuart Skinner isn't exactly a ringing endorsement of the team's backstopping.

Koskinen's minus-6.49 goals saved above average is the third-worst mark in the league, per NaturalStatTrick.com. Smith kicked in a goal Wednesday night, and a double deflection for the Maple Leafs' second goal at the end of the first period to surrender the lead was very on-brand for this incarnation of the Oilers. 

But even beyond that, it's clear the Edmonton skaters are not generating offense beyond McDavid and Draisaitl. This chart by Corey Sznajder illustrates that, and as Sznajder pointed out, this chart has continually looked like this year after year. 

Poor roster construction has yet again been exposed. General manager Ken Holland simply has not surrounded McDavid and Draisaitl with enough talent, which places the majority workload on those two alone. 

Tippett is the third head coach the Oilers have employed since McDavid was drafted and the seventh since the 2010-11 season. Holland is the fourth general manager since 2008. Maybe the fifth if you count interim GM Keith Gretzky, who was on the job for almost five months after Peter Chiarelli was fired in January of 2019. 

The Oilers have long had a reputation for mismanagement and missed opportunities. They've won only a single playoff series since reaching the 2006 Stanley Cup Final. They've had more wins in the NHL Draft Lottery, winning four times in six years, including three years in a row from 2010 to 2012. 

There has always been cautious optimism over the last decade. But all of those first-round picks haven't amounted to much in the win category. 

The very foundation of the team was shaken when the Oilers dealt Taylor Hall just one year after drafting McDavid. A year later they traded Jordan Eberle, the 22nd overall pick in 2008. Top draft picks like Nail Yakupov failed to live up to their projections. There were bad deals, like when Peter Chiarelli signed Milan Lucic to a seven-year, $42 million contract.

And though Holland was able to get rid of that albatross of a contract, he's made plenty of mistakes too. 

Holland is a well-respected veteran who spent 22 years as the general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, where he helped put together four Stanley Cup-winning teams and transformed the Wings into a perennial powerhouse. But he hasn't shown a particularly adept eye for talent since leaving Detroit.

Last summer, the 66-year-old decided to stand pat on the goaltending tandem. He re-signed Smith through his age-41 season, banking on Koskinen to emerge as a true No. 1. But that emergence has not occurred. 

Zach Hyman has been a nice addition to McDraisaitl but the rest of the offseason moves amounted to little more than an expensive, mediocre blueline. 

The market for defensemen blew up over the summer, and the Oilers were right in the middle of the action they extended Darnell Nurse and Tyson Barrie. They traded for a 38-year-old Duncan Keith and signed Cody Ceci to a four-year deal at $3.25 million AAV. 

That's a lot of money and term for a bottom-pairing blueliner like Ceci, and it's a lot of salary cap dedicated to a defense corps that isn't doing a whole lot of defending and is struggling to get the puck to the forwards. And there is little forward depth to begin with. 

So, how can the Oilers get out of this mess? 

Some might not like this answer, but firing Tippett and bringing in Babcock isn't the solution, at least not right now. This is on Holland to fix by bringing in players who can make plays and generate offense. 

And the bad news is that Holland doesn't have much cap space to work with. There is no wiggle room. The Oilers don't have the money to fix the goaltending, the defense and get a top-six winger at the trade deadline, but Holland can start to address these issues with some sensible trades. 

If he can convince the Chicago Blackhawks to retain salary for goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, then maybe Edmonton can get back in the Pacific Division race. But goaltending alone won't save the Oilers. This team isn't close to contending the way it's set up now and for the next few years. 

So once again, the focus will have to shift to the offseason. Salary will need to be dumped in order to be able to bring in play-drivers and a goaltender. The Oilers should look to hang on to young defensemen like Evan Bouchard, but if they can somehow get Jakob Chychrun out of Arizona (and convince the Coyotes to retain salary) then they can make some progress. 

Where does this leave McDavid? The 24-year-old face of the franchise is signed through 2025-26. His no-movement clause doesn't kick in until next season, per CapFriendly.com. Would anyone be shocked if he asked for a trade? His salary might be hard to move ($12.5 million AAV) and Edmonton could play hardball, much like the Buffalo Sabres did with the player taken after McDavid in the 2015 draft, Jack Eichel. But there is not a team in the league that wouldn't want McDavid. 

However, McDavid has given no indication that he does not want to play in Edmonton. While there has been speculation, there have been no credible rumors to this point. Trading McDavid would be the nuclear option and probably wouldn't happen unless he requested it, or he indicates he will not extend his contract in Edmonton ahead of the negotiating window, which he's still a few years away from.

Much like Trout, McDavid seems committed to the team that drafted him. And much like the Angels, the Oilers will continue to like their chances each season that they slot McDavid into the lineup.

However, with the money the team has committed to ineffective players and the lack of high-end talent coming through the pipeline, the team's path to championship contention is murky at best.