It feels like all of the Edmonton Oilers should be on the NHL’s Hot Seat Radar.
Their 11-11-5 record is a result of their shoddy defense. Edmonton has allowed 3.48 goals against per game, and only the Vancouver Canucks have surrendered more goals. So as we’ll explore below, their goalies are feeling all sorts of pressure to get the team back on the right track.
This brings us to our first person on this week’s Hot Seat Radar. And before we dive into this week’s figures feeling intense pressure, remember that there’s always a chance people can heat up or cool down if their performance changes in short order.
And don’t forget, being on TheHockeyNews.com’s Hot Seat Radar doesn’t necessarily mean the person is about to get removed from their team. However, in every case, there’s a ton of pressure to improve. Let’s get down to business:
Cooling Down, But Still Hot: Stuart Skinner, G, Edmonton Oilers
Skinner has been at the center of the Oilers’ frustrations this season. But this past week-and-a-half was a mixed bag for him.
He began last week getting shelled by the Dallas Stars, giving up four goals on eight shots. But in his last two starts, Skinner has been stellar.
On Nov. 29, Skinner posted a 26-save shutout against the Seattle Kraken, then followed that up by allowing one goal on 24 shots against the surging Minnesota Wild. Unfortunately, Edmonton couldn’t muster a goal against Minnesota, so instead of winning two of three games, Skinner lost two of three.
Until the Oilers show progress defending their zone, there will be rumors linking Edmonton to goalies available in the trade market. But Skinner’s rebound performances of late are keeping the wolves at bay. And who knows – if Skinner is traded, he may thrive with a new team.
For now, though, the pressure remains on Skinner, as well as backup Calvin Pickard, to improve in short order. No team will succeed with a league-worst joint save percentage of .869, and even making the playoffs is an uncertainty for the Oilers right now.
Warming Up: Jonathan Huberdeau, LW, Calgary Flames
Last week, Flames president of hockey operations Don Maloney was on the Hot Seat Radar. The Flames went 1-1-1 in the past week, so let’s turn our focus to another Flames member who’s under pressure to improve.
The Flames have the NHL’s worst offense, at 2.29 goals-for per game. And Huberdeau – their highest-paid player at $10.5 million per season – has four goals and 13 points in 23 games, including one assist in his last five contests.
Huberdeau’s on pace for 13 goals and 43 points in 77 games by the end of the year.
Those would be Huberdeau’s worst totals since 2016-17, when he had 26 points in 31 games. As for a mostly healthy season, his last stats that low came in 2013-14, when he had 28 points in 69 games. He was a sophomore with the Florida Panthers that year.
Huberdeau’s contract is untradeable, and as the Flames plod their way through a brutal season, he will face even more pressure to contribute a meaningful amount of offense. And he’s got another five seasons left on his contract. Yikes. For that reason, don’t expect Huberdeau’s seat to get cooler anytime soon – he can’t escape it.
Warming Up: Newell Brown, Assistant Coach, Los Angeles Kings
He’s not a household name, but Brown is responsible for the Kings‘ power play.
The Kings’ power play has been abysmal, capitalizing on only 13.8 percent of their opportunities. That’s the third-worst power-play efficiency in the NHL.
Brown’s responsible for the forward group as well. Los Angeles’ offense is fourth-worst in the league at 2.62 goals-for per game. They have only scored 15 goals in their last eight games. They aren’t a threat to do much of anything in the opponents’ zone.
That puts all kinds of pressure on Newell and coach Jim Hiller to figure out how to unlock L.A.’s offense and keep up with teams in the comparatively weak Pacific Division.
You likely won’t see an assistant coach replaced mid-season, but the Kings are only three points ahead of the Seattle Kraken, which sit one place out of a wild-card spot. So the pressure is on Hiller and Newell to ratchet up the Kings’ offensive performance, because if they can’t, a new coaching group may need to solve the issue.
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