After an extended losing stretch, the Edmonton Oilers have climbed into the top half of the Pacific Division standings. However, despite improved results, the franchise remains unable to string together a sustained winning streak.
Their last consecutive victories came on October 23 against Montreal. While the Oilers have shown progress, head coach Kris Knoblauch continues to experiment with line combinations, and one insider has recently revealed troubling statistics about his approach.
Why Is Kris Knoblauch’s Constant Line Shuffling Hurting The Oilers?
The Oilers have stumbled from the season’s opening game. Since facing Calgary, a troubling pattern has emerged that whenever Edmonton falls behind, Knoblauch abandons the current lineup rather than making tactical adjustments.
This approach has resulted in key lines receiving insufficient ice time while underperforming combinations get extended opportunities. The Leon Draisaitl-Connor McDavid-Andrew Mangiapane trio has logged significant minutes despite producing underwhelming results.
The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman shares those concerns. He noted that through 13 games, the Oilers have deployed more than 28 different line combinations. The insider believes this instability is harming the team’s development.
“The Oilers have had a couple of big offensive outbursts lately, but have otherwise struggled to score this season. Kris Knoblauch experimenting like a mad scientist hasn’t panned out,” Nugent-Bowman wrote.
He pointed out that despite pairing McDavid and Draisaitl together, Edmonton hasn’t replicated the success of recent seasons. According to Nugent-Bowman, while Edmonton possesses the talent to contend, the constant roster shuffling prevents players from developing chemistry.
He emphasized how much the team has missed Zach Hyman’s presence. “Without top natural winger Zach Hyman, the Oilers have used 28 different line combinations to start games. That’s not even taking into account in-game adjustments. It’s hard to find continuity that way,” he added.
The implication is clear: without Hyman, the current approach isn’t sustainable. Nugent-Bowman acknowledged understanding the need to experiment while finding a functional top line. However, Knoblauch has taken the strategy to extremes.
“The players aren’t using all the line combinations as an excuse, but they’re quick to point out how out of sync they’re playing. Maybe there’s a connection,” he noted. With reports suggesting Hyman could return soon, Nugent-Bowman hopes the timeline accelerates.
“The Oilers have desperately missed his presence around the blue paint in the offensive zone, both on the power play and especially at five-on-five,” he wrote. The insider also highlighted McDavid’s uncharacteristically passive approach.
While the captain has created numerous scoring opportunities, his teammates continue to view him primarily as a playmaker rather than a shooter. That perception has limited Edmonton’s offensive potential.
However, with the Oilers finding rhythm and climbing the standings, Nugent-Bowman hopes they’ll soon rediscover the form that carried them to consecutive Stanley Cup Finals appearances.