Oilers need scoring from more sources
You haven't heard this often. The Edmonton Oilers have a scoring problem.
While the Oilers sit 12th with 2.80 goals per game, those tallies have come from the same source too often. Edmonton has seen 62 of its 172 goals come from Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Patrick Maroon. All three have reached the 20-goal plateau and have combined for more than one-third of the Oilers' goals.
That means the rest of the roster has accounted for just 110 goals, or about six goals per player. Edmonton needs more scoring from its top skaters, where the likes of forwards Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Milan Lucic - all carrying $6-million cap hits and signed to multi-year contracts - are the most guilty.
| Players | % of Team Goals |
|---|---|
| McDavid | 13% |
| Draisaitl | 12% |
| Maroon | 12% |
| Rest of roster | 63% |
With 12 goals on the season, Eberle is on pace to finish with just 16 markers after averaging 26 goals over each of the past three campaigns. The Oilers are undoubtedly expecting more from a player signed to such a hefty contract.
Down the middle, Nugent-Hopkins has seen a dip in usage, relegated to third-line duty, but his production has seen a far steeper decline. Nugent-Hopkins is scoring 0.48 points per game, his worse pace since breaking into the league in 2011. His previous low-mark was his sophomore campaign, a lockout-shortened season where Nugent-Hopkins finished with 24 points in 40 games.
Meanwhile, the Oilers' big-ticket recruit in Lucic has disappointed in the season's later stages. Through the season's first two months, Lucic tallied 17 points in 24 games, but since December, that production has fallen to 15 points in 36 outings. The Oilers can't afford for the hulking winger to decline in the first season of a seven-year pact.
On pace to qualify for the postseason for the first time in a decade, the Oilers' secondary scorers will need to step up if the team hopes to make any noise after finally qualifying for spring hockey.