In my latest article for Oilersnation, I looked into the drivers for the Oilers recent success under the new coach, and areas worth keeping an eye on.

If the Oilers can maintain their ability to control the flow of play at even-strength and perform well on their special teams, they’re giving themselves a very good shot at a wildcard spot in the Western Conference. But they’ll need to address their goaltending, which is lacking depth right now and putting their starter at risk of burnout as the season progresses. Up front it does appear with McDavid back in form, the club should be scoring at the rates they were at last season. But they need some of their secondary, depth players to contribute at the same level as last season. The top six have some players who are at risk of seeing their numbers decline, and it doesn’t appear as though management has prepared any youngsters to take on larger roles on the club.

It’ll be interesting to see over the next month if the Oilers can sustain their recent success and make some ground in the western conference. The teams ahead of them in the standings aren’t very strong, and don’t have the elite talent the Oilers have. But if goaltending slips or injuries occur, it’ll be a significant blow to their playoff aspirations.

Sunil Agnihotri/Oilersnation

Full article is at Oilersnation.