Help wanted on Edmonton Oilers: more drivers, fewer passengers on the attack
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Nugent-Hopkins, Lucic, Strome, Letestu, Slepyshev, Khaira need to drive attack more
The Edmonton Oilers have too many passengers on the attack, not enough drivers. As a result, Edmonton is scoring just two goals a game. If this doesn’t change, neither will the Oilers won-loss record.
Which players need to pick it up?
When it comes to attacking, you can’t count on a forward to get a point every game, or even every second game, especially in a short period of time. That said, if a forward — and especially a forward in the Top 6 — is doing his job as an attacker, he’ll regularly make some dangerous pass or shot that leads to a Grade A scoring chance.
How regularly?
A superstar in the NHL’s new Dead Puck Era will make more than 2.5 such major contributions to scoring chances per game.
For example, last season Connor McDavid of the Oilers made 280 shots or passes that were key parts of the sequence on hard or dangerous scoring chances from the inner slot, 3.41 per game.
This year, after seven games, McDavid has made 25, 3.57 per game.
So whatever is ailing the Oilers on the attack right now, it’s not Connor McDavid.
A strong NHL attacker will make 2.0 major contributions to Grade A chances per game. Last year on the Oilers, Leon Draisaitl made 2.38 per game. This year, Draisaitl is at 2.33 per game, but he’s only played three games. His absence is an obvious reason the Oilers aren’t scoring so much right now.
Top 9 passengers
At the same time, many other players have failed to step up in his absence, namely Ryan Strome, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Mark Letestu, Milan Lucic, Anton Slepyshev and Jujhar Khaira.
A good Top 6 NHL attacker will chip in 1.5. to 2.0 scoring chances per game. Last year, Jordan Eberle and Patrick Maroon both chipped in on 1.72 per game and Milan Lucic 1.54 per game. This year Kailer Yamamoto has filled in well for Eberle, chipping in on 2.00 per game, while Maroon has upped his output to 2.29 per game. But Lucic has dropped to 1.14 per game, despite all kinds of time on the top power play and the second line. 
An OK Top 9 attacker on an NHL team will make a major contribution to 1.0-to-1.5 Grade A chances per game.
Last year, the Oilers had Ryan Nugent-Hopkins at 1.12, Mark Letestu at 1.12 and Drake Caggiula at 1.05. This year Caggiula is hurt, while RNH has dropped to 0.57 per game and Letestu to 0.71 per game. Ryan Strome has been a dud on the attack, 0.43 per game. Anton Slepyshev and Jujhar Khaira have got next to nothing done in a major way.
Zack Kassian has stepped up to 1.0 per game, with Jussi Jokinen doing his bit, 1.14 per game. But the Oilers have too many Top 9 forwards, and especially second line attackers, who aren’t driving hard enough to get into the slot for great chances.
Forget about RNH’s face-off circle questions, he, Strome, Lucic, Letestu, Slepyshev, Khaira and Caggiula (when he returns) have simply got to do more to create Grade A scoring chances.
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