The Character Of The Oilers

I’m not going to spend a lot of time on this topic, but it’s something that has been on my mind and that I feel like needs to be at least touched on a bit. Jordan Eberle was quoted following the embarrassing 8-2 loss to the Kings on Thursday as saying just that, it was embarrassing. In that quote, however, Eberle also mentioned how the Kings treated the Oilers like a junior team.

Later on that night, members of the Kings, including star sniper Marian Gaborik, publicly mentioned how they felt bad for Oilers’ back-up goalie Tyler Bunz, who got toasted in the third period of that game in an almost unfair manner. I, too, felt for Bunz in that spot.

Then there was Ben Scrivens, who, for a split second, can be caught yelling at his teammates from the bench after Bunz allows his second goal and the Oil called a timeout in this game. Scrivens was visibly angry about something, and the Sportsnet cameras quickly pulled away from the shot. This was a topic of debate on the LA broadcast, however.

Then on Saturday night, the Eberle quote was brought up by the Sportsnet panel before Edmonton’s game against the Calgary Flames, and that’s when Nick Kypreos mentioned that he had heard members of the Oiler management team had noticed things about the level of pride and effort being shown by the team.

It wasn’t a long quote, heck it wasn’t even an information filled quote, but it was one that made it’s point. The Oiler management team, likely meaning Craig MacTavish, Kevin Lowe and Scott Howson, are not pleased with the level of “Pride” being shown by this hockey club at this time.

It’s frustrating, because while I haven’t seen the Oilers give up on a game this season, it’s clear that they haven’t responded this past week. No one expected Edmonton to beat the Ducks, Kings, or even Flames, but people expected solid efforts. The effort level was clearly down in these games, and the Oilers just were not willing to respond or battle back in any of the tilts.

It’s certainly an issue, there is no one on this hockey club that has picked up the torch and led by example yet. We’ve been waiting for Taylor Hall to do it, but it hasn’t happened yet. Yes, he’s a dynamic player, but great players would have put the team on their backs in these games and said let’s go. It’s not a knock on Hall at all, but it’s a point I’m trying to make.

Ditto for Jordan Eberle, and even to a degree Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. I know the roster is undermanned, but at least show some fight in these hockey games. Yes, it’s tough to play out the stretch, again, but it is what it is. I don’t see this as a problem in Columbus or Philly, heck it’s not even an issue in Toronto!

It’s something that will need to get addressed this summer, and something that I think will be very high up on Craig MacTavish’s to do list. MacT mentioned at the season ticket holder lunch that he wanted to add a leader, and this quote getting leaked on HNIC just adds fuel to that fire.

Yes, Andrew Ference is a strong leader in the room, but he can’t do it on the ice anymore. The Edmonton Oilers simply do not have that voice in the locker room that can step-up both vocally and action wise. The Oilers need a leader who doesn’t just talk the talk, but who can also walk the walk. Ideally, that player is a defender who has won before at the NHL level.

Craig Ramsay said it as well, these guys have to learn how to win. You can be talked to about it all you want, but you have to see it to learn it. The Oilers currently have two veterans who can show it in Pouliot and Fayne, but neither does it at that very high level. Pouliot isn’t a top-line forward, and Fayne is not a top-pairing defender.

The Edmonton Oilers have a number of problems, and a character problem seems to, sadly, still be one of them. The Oilers have brought in character guys before, but have never brought in the character guy who is also a ‘show-me’ kind of leader. If this team ever wants to have success, that kind of guy will no doubt be needed.

Craig MacTavish mentioned the team expects to add a big time leader this off-season, while Nick Kypreos mentioned he heard Oiler management has noticed this as an issue. Folks, whether or not we agree matters not, the Edmonton Oilers see character as an issue for this current squad.

It’s going to get addressed this summer, and it could come at a dear price. The best case scenario? Edmonton adds Brent Seabrook not only as their top-pairing option, but as their leader as well, that’s two birds with one stone. The worst case scenario? Edmonton pays big money for another overrated player from a good team, ala Adam McQuaid in Boston.

We know Edmonton needs to add a goalie, and we know the Oilers need to add a defender. We also know, thanks to Darren Dreger back in November, that the Oilers know this too. Now, we also know the Oilers feel a need to add more leadership. This, in an underrated way, could be a major part of the upcoming off-season.