Page 44 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 131

44 Issue #131 December 2023 www.sportsenergynews.com

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Energy N e w s presents Sports Panel
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Stories And More About The People In Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry
After a dozen games the Edmonton Oilers are at the bottom of the NHL standings
with a measly two wins. Is it too late to save their season, and what should they
do to get out of this predicament?
Jake Lapierre - Conditioning Coach -The Edmonton Oilers 2023 season is quickly slipping away as they’ve only managed to
maintain a dismal sub .400 pace in efforts to hang on to any possibility of a playoff position. Oilers losing streak and the cracks
or better termed “craters” in the teams’ structure is focused primarily on the teams’ defensive units. The Oilers weak defence
is costing them games; one could argue their obvious solution is a few smart trades and acquire a better starting goaltender,
however without smarter players on defence, I doubt it’s enough for the oilers this year.

Jim Riddell - Seaway Karate Club - The first six weeks of the 23-24 season have definitely not gone as expected for the Edmonton
Oilers. Last season the team was quite successful, finishing in 2nd place in the Pacific Conference with 109 points. Here we are
now on the American Thanksgiving with the Oilers having only 5 wins in 18 games and in second last place in the NHL. Since
the salary cap era began in 2005, the American Thanksgiving has provided a good indication of which teams will and will not
be in a playoff position in April. Seventy-seven percent of teams in a playoff position now will make it in, which only leaves
room for about three teams. Even with Connor McDavid’s nagging injuries, the Oilers can still score goals. The issues are their
defence and in particular, the goaltending. Jack Campbell, who has been at or above the league average in net since he entered
the league in 2016, has been sent to the AHL to “work on his game.” If the Oilers decide to move on from him, trading his 5M
per season contract, which doesn’t expire until the end of 26-27, will come at a steep cost. It looks like the Oilers need a solid
goaltender, an upgrade on defence, and a lot of luck to salvage this season.

Peter Collins - Sports Enthusiast - When a pre-season Stanley Cup favourite starts their season like the Oilers have, it’s a recipe
for change. When that team includes McDavid and Draisaitl, two of the top players in the world, the panic mode is at an even
higher level. It may not be too late for the Oilers, but they are on the cusp of the point of no return! The first change made by
GM Ken Holland was to place underperforming goalie Jack Campbell on waivers for the purpose of re-assignment. Campbell’s
.873 save percentage and five million dollar a year contract is a sure combination to get a coach or manager fired. And that’s
exactly what happened next, bad goaltending and poor defensive play cost coach Jay Woodcroft his job only thirteen games
into the season. It doesn’t seem fair, but if Holland wouldn’t have taken these drastic steps, he would be looking for work.
Edmonton players stated that Woodcroft hadn’t lost the room, which is usually a precursor to a coach being fired. Despite the
players loyalty to their coach, when you have McDavid, Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins, Kane, Hyman, and Ekholm on your team,
you shouldn’t be hanging around the bottom of the standings. There’s enough talent in Edmonton to still make the playoffs, but
if they don’t, GM Holland will be the next casualty of this disappointing team!

“People Pulling Together for you”

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