Oilers' Defensive Struggles Lead to Failing Grade at Quarter Mark

The Edmonton Oilers have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. They have back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances on their resume. They have the kind of star power most franchises would kill for. And yet, a quarter into the season, they've been handed a D grade that reflects just how poorly things have gone in Alberta.

The Athletic recently graded every NHL team at the quarter mark, and the Oilers' assessment was as harsh as their defensive numbers suggest. When you're allowing more goals than anyone else in the league, no amount of offensive firepower can save you from a brutal report card.

The Numbers Tell the Story

Edmonton has managed just ten wins through their first chunk of games, but even that modest total comes with a massive asterisk. Only five of those victories have come in regulation, meaning the Oilers are constantly playing with fire and needing overtime or shootouts to squeak out results.

The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman laid out the damning details in his assessment. Edmonton has won by multiple goals just once all season without the help of empty-net goals. For a team built around elite offensive talent, that kind of inability to put teams away is alarming.

And then there's the defensive side, which has been nothing short of a disaster. The Oilers have allowed the most goals in the entire NHL, a stat that would be embarrassing for a rebuilding team and is downright unacceptable for a franchise with championship aspirations.

Some Excuses, But Not Enough

Nov 17, 2025; Buffalo, New York, USA; Edmonton Oilers left wing Zach Hyman (18) waits for the face-off during the first period against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images | Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

Nugent-Bowman did acknowledge some mitigating factors in his grade. Edmonton has played 16 of their 25 games on the road, a brutal early-season schedule that would challenge any team. Key players like Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Jake Walman have all missed time with injuries, leaving the lineup depleted at crucial moments.

Those factors earned the Oilers some leniency in the grading, but not much. The bottom line is that this start has been disastrous regardless of the circumstances surrounding it.

Time Running Out for Excuses

At some point, the Oilers need to figure out how to defend. You can't ride McDavid and Draisaitl to victories every single night when the team in front of the goalie is giving up chances at an alarming rate. The schedule will eventually balance out, the injured players will return, and Edmonton will be left with no more excuses.

The talent is there for this team to compete with anyone in the league. But talent means nothing if you can't keep the puck out of your own net, and right now, the Oilers are failing at that fundamental task.

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