Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch has implemented some ice-time decisions that some see as questionable, and it could be holding the team back. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have spent over 23 minutes per game on the ice in the first five games of the season, which is more than all other NHL forwards and <a href='https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-need-willing-give-young-players-opportunity' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>more than any forward has averaged in the past decade</a>. While each of them should both be near league leaders in ice time, it's noteworthy that their workloads are at career highs in an Olympic season after two long playoff runs. This continued reliance on Edmonton's stars is limiting the younger players from really flourishing. With all the previous problems with player development, there has still been no course correction. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/OilersNation/status/1979930927318151504'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> The forwards on the team under the age of 25, such as Matthew Savoie, Isaac Howard, and Vasily Podkolzin, are all playing less than 13 minutes per game. <h3>Some analysts believe the Oilers are using Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl excessively</h3> It is still early, and Kris Knoblauch can adjust things as the season goes on. Yet through five games, Knoblauch's usage of McDavid and Draisaitl has walked the line of being too close to excessive. He may need to limit their ice time on the penalty kill and make use of some of the other veterans on the team. <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/edmonton-oilers/edmonton-oilers-scratch-top-prospect-isaac-howard-sparking-debate-among-fans-about-his-future' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>It's also time for the Oilers to begin trusting young players</a>. The front office spent this offseason on a younger, healthier support cast, and October is the time to shore up confidence from top to bottom in the lineup, not drain their stars right at the start. And then there's the question of fatigue. The Oilers are coming off back-to-back runs to the Stanley Cup Final, and both McDavid and Draisaitl will be representing their respective countries at the Olympics this winter. I don't care how elite their conditioning is; that's a lot of hockey. Adding an extra minute or more every game for these superstars to handle is not wise if Edmonton aspires to play deep into June again. - Oilers Nation Minute management now may be the difference between another deep playoff run and suffering yet another heartbreaking defeat when the game matters most.