The Edmonton Oilers are back on their foot after an awfully close match against the Carolina Hurricanes at the Lenovo Center on Saturday. The Oilers have climbed up the Pacific Division rankings to occupy the fourth position with 22 points. The men in blue and orange entered the season limping, but thanks to captain Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers have made a serious comeback in November.
Edmonton is not beating the allegations of being a “one-line team” at this rate. One of the primary reasons the Florida Panthers emerged victorious in the Stanley Cup battle was that they are a well-rounded team with enviable chemistry. The Oilers are often seen as being heavily compromised without their captain, and Kris Knoblauch is doing little to change that narrative.
The Edmonton Oilers are Still a Two-Man Team
In the showdown against the Canes, McDavid accumulated two goals and one assist, playing an extraordinary role to save the day. Draisaitl scored a goal and two assists, further enabling the team’s OT victory. Jack Roslovic also left his mark with one goal and an assist. With the victory at Lenovo Center, the Oilers have won three of their past four games.
However, behind the silent comeback are the towering figures of McDavid and Draisaitl, working overtime to turn the tables for the Oilers. In their match against the Canes, McDavid spent more than 24 minutes on ice. He is already spending more than 23 minutes on ice per game on average this season: more than he has ever done in all these years. It is also not uncommon to see Draisaitl spending around 23-24 minutes on ice lately.
The duo has spent markedly more time on ice than other top players in the league, raising concern. With 20 games into the season, the Oilers have already reverted to their old tendencies of heavily relying on McDavid and Draisaitl to anchor the team. Jeff Patterson drew the community’s attention to the startling difference through his post X.
The two players spending the most time on the ice are the Oilers’ McDavid-Draisaitl duo.
league-wide 5-on-5 ice time among all #NHL forwards#Canucks pic.twitter.com/KjbnSHmkHE
— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) November 15, 2025
In terms of presence on ice, they are far ahead of players like Connor Bedard, Kirill Kaprizov, and Macklin Celebrini, among others. While the Oilers captain has already spent more than 328 minutes on ice, Draisaitl has spent more than 310 minutes.
Moreover, McDavid and Draisaitl are also spending more time, about a minute more every game, killing penalties. The season is still young, and the duo has already taken it upon themselves to salvage every game for the Oilers, raising similar concerns as before.
