Edmonton Oilers Loss Of Speed ​​Could Have Costly Impact Going Forward – Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers

While the Edmonton Oilers are expected to be a great team again in 2024-25, they will look very different. After their trip to the Stanley Cup Finals, they added forwards Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner in free agency and signed defenseman Josh Brown.

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They come from Warren Foegele, who signed as a free agent with the LA Kings, and Vincent Desharnais, who signed with the Vancouver Canucks. Many expected those to be the only significant changes to the Oilers roster this offseason, but that was far from the case.

Less than a week after free agency opened, the Oilers announced they had traded Ryan McLeod to the Buffalo Sabers for prospect Matthew Savoie. Since then, they have lost Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway to give sheets extended by St. Louis Blues and traded Cody Ceci to the San Jose Sharks. To help soften the blow of that loss, they brought in forward Vasily Podkolzin and defenseman Ty Emberson.

While fans have mixed feelings about the offseason as a whole, the consensus is that the Oilers are a better team than last season, even though their blue line took a hit. Defense may not be the only area to worry about, however, as all three departed forwards, Foegele, McLeod, and Holloway, had one thing in common that the Oilers suddenly lacked.

Speed ​​Is No Longer Oilers' Forte

For years, the Oilers have been known for their speed as a devastating team. Good skaters are a commodity in the NHL, a league that seems to get faster every season. However, the team appears to be going with a different plan this season (from 'Allan Mitchell: Are the Oilers fast enough without Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway?' Athletic 08/22/24).

In their previous free agent signing, Arvidsson is a good skater, although not as fast as he was in his early days due to multiple injuries. On the other hand, Skinner is fast, but his overall speed is limited compared to his peers. The Oilers still have some speed up front, especially in Connor McDavid, who is the smoothest skater in the world. Zach Hyman also plays with great speed, especially up front. But the team's pace dropped significantly in the bottom six.

The Oilers re-signed four of their six floor players who were set to be free agents this summer. Adam Henrique is the most offensively gifted in the team and arguably the best defensively. He's never been the best of feet, though, and he's not fast at 34.

They also brought back Connor Brown, who is the fastest of the four, but he doesn't have blazing speed. Brown's partner in the murder case, Mattias Janmark, was also brought back. Janmark, too, is a reliable under-six forward but is on the slower side compared to most NHLers. After that, you have Corey Perry.

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Perry has never been known to be a great skater. Even during his Hart Trophy-winning season in 2010-11, he was slow, but he got credit for some great skill around the net. That ability is still there, but at 39, his speed has slowed even further. It was an issue in the 2024 Playoffs and he watched some games in the press box because of it. This lack of speed made it a surprising decision for the Oilers to bring him back.

Playoffs May Reveal Lack of Speed

As has been said several times this offseason, the Oilers shouldn't face too many problems during the 2024-25 campaign. They are arguably one of the most talented teams in the NHL and should be able to score at will throughout the regular season. Once the playoffs begin (quick pace), the Oilers may regret losing so much speed from their forward group.