NHL analyst warns Kris Knoblauch's new plan could backfire badly

The Edmonton Oilers have relied on a duo for this past decade, and these players are Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. These players have been expected to finally bring greatness to Edmonton. They seemed to be on their way to doing just that.

Going to the Stanley Cup Finals twice showed just how much progress this team had made when all members finally began earning their keep.

During these postseason runs, Edmonton had a balanced team. They could match four lines, their blue line play was above average, and their physicality exhausted their competition.

Their power play was deadly, and each man knew his job. These elements are what made these successful seasons so special.

Fast forward now to the beginning of the 2025-26 season, and things are looking much different. The Oilers have gotten off to a terrible start, but even with the same roster in place, something just doesn't feel right with this team.

Their identity, which made them so great, is nowhere to be found. Their head coach, Kris Knoblauch, fresh off a new deal himself, has made it clear what his plan is.

McDavid and Draisaitl are playing playoff minutes with 16 games into the regular season, with both leading all NHL forwards in average ice time. They have even been put on both the power play and penalty kill units.

Although only one short-handed goal has resulted from this experiment, it has been expensive. The team's five-on-five play has been awful, with the Oilers looking exhausted much too early in the season.

Whether Knoblauch is making a statement for management or if he is merely overcorrecting for mistakes, one thing is for sure: if it comes down to McDavid and Draisaitl carrying the Oilers again, NHL analyst Zach Laing believes that this team is heading straight for trouble.