DALLAS — The Edmonton Oilers started the season feeling old and slow, especially after a deep playoff run the previous year.
The feeling was that Game 7 from Sunrise, Florida, had barely finished before the new season`s Game 1 began. Crucially, the Oilers were missing four of their faster players: Dylan Holloway, Ryan McLeod, Warren Foegele, and Philip Broberg. This absence significantly reduced the team`s pace.
Superstar Leon Draisaitl acknowledged this, saying, “I think you could see it, especially the way we started the year. It felt a little slower, it looked a little slower.”
General Manager Stan Bowman, relatively new to the job, was immediately challenged when an offer sheet from St. Louis GM Doug Armstrong resulted in the departure of Holloway and Broberg. Compounding this, McLeod was traded to Buffalo, and Foegele left as a free agent for Los Angeles, deemed too expensive to retain.
While McLeod and Foegele were somewhat part of future plans, losing two young, 23-year-old players like Holloway and Broberg unexpectedly left the team less youthful and slower.
Bowman recalled the chaotic period, stating, “Normally the month of August is really slow.” Speaking at a press conference before the Western Conference Final – a stage many doubted the Oilers would reach back in August – he added, “It was early in August when that happened, and we almost went into trade-deadline mode for that week. We were having meetings every day, analyzing different options…”
Despite the rocky start, Bowman has a proven track record as a shrewd team builder. He successfully rebuilt the Chicago Blackhawks after their 2010 Cup win, leading them to further championships in 2013 and 2015. Now in Edmonton, where a championship is still sought, he was tasked with reconstruction.
He made a smart move acquiring speedy, physical depth winger Vasily Podkolzin from Vancouver for a fourth-round pick. As the season progressed, he claimed Kasperi Kapanen, another winger who helped inject some much-needed speed back into the lineup.
In January, defenseman John Klingberg became available. Although initially seen as a gamble, Klingberg has become a vital, fast-playing puck-mover, excelling at delivering transition passes that fuel the Oilers` forward attack.
Leading up to the trade deadline, Jake Walman and Trent Frederic were added, bringing physicality up front and a mobile defender comfortable with playing a rugged game.
Individually, none of these players are superstars. However, they are all solid, effective players who collectively make the Oilers a better team.
Bowman elaborated on his strategy: “We`ve got the fastest player in the game (Connor McDavid), but just one player doesn`t make your team fast. It`s not always just about someone that can be fast, like a speed-timed event. It`s someone that can process the game quickly.”
He concluded, “If you can make fast decisions, and you`ve got enough skill, then your team can play fast.”