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Oilers Thoughts: Salary cap crunch means improvements must come from within

2 1
14.11.2025
It’s been a rocky start to the season for the Edmonton Oilers, and honestly, I didn’t think I would be saying that after the team picked up points in each of their first three games to start the year.

At this point in October, they were 2-0-1, and Stuart Skinner was coming off a brilliant shutout performance at Madison Square Garden. It looked like, for the first time in a handful of seasons, the Oilers were going to avoid their early-season slump.

That would not be the case. The team won just three of their next nine games to close out October and kicked off November by blowing back-to-back two-goal leads, then getting their teeth kicked in by the Avalanche on national television.

Not great.

The frustrating run of hockey has the fan base asking a lot of questions. Not just about the current state of this hockey team, but about the organization’s overall philosophy and how it can realistically improve from here.

To those fans wondering how this team can get better, I have some good news and some bad news.

The Good News

This team is much better than it’s currently showing. While there are plenty of reasons to be legitimately concerned about what we’ve seen over the last month, bad luck has also played a role.

They’re not getting the bounces, the finishing luck has been off, and the goaltending hasn’t stolen many games. That’s not ideal, but it’s also not permanent. A few good weeks of hockey could turn everything around, and the core talent is still there to make that happen.

The Bad News

For the first time in a few seasons, I don’t think Oilers fans will see a big in-season move to bolster the roster. That might frustrate people, but the reality is that their salary cap situation is not good.

© Oilers Nation