The Edmonton Oilers are a month away from the start of the 2024-25 NHL season, and it’s been a rocky road so far: after losing 4-2 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday 6 November, the Oilers occupy fifth place in the Pacific Division with 13 points.

Related: 3 takeaways from Oilers’ 4-2 loss to Golden Knights

Edmonton is 6-7-1 in its first 14 games, but even that mediocre record flatters the Oilers, who have scored just 33 goals, tied for second in the NHL, and have a goal differential of minus-12, one of the worst in the league.

Except for a few very good performances, the Oilers are nothing like the team that went 44-15-5 over its last 64 games in 2023-24 and then made the playoffs playoffs until Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. Here are three reasons why they are underperforming so far this season:

Oilers have big problems on special teams

The biggest and most obvious problem – make those two problems – affecting the Oilers so far is their horrible play on both aspects of special teams.

Edmonton only scored five times with the power play. This meager total stems from a lack of production compounded by a lack of opportunities: the Oilers average 2.5 power plays per game, the second lowest conversion rate in the league, and a conversion rate of 14 .3%, second lowest in the Western Conference.

But Edmonton’s power play looks like a high-performing unit when compared to its penalty kill, which ranks dead last in the league with a horrible 59.5% rate.

In just 14 games, Edmonton has allowed 15 power play goals, and many of them came at the worst possible time. On Wednesday, for example, the Oilers were leading 2-1 and less than 10 minutes away from an important victory. But when they absolutely needed to save the penalty, they couldn’t do it. Golden Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin scored a power play goal at 10:05 of the third period, tying the score and completely turning the game in his team’s favor.

Special teams are arguably the biggest reason Edmonton was able to get so close to the Stanley Cup in June: During the 2024 NHL playoffs, the Oilers’ goal differential was plus-1 at 5-on-5 and plus-21. on special teams. So far this season, their goal differential at 5-on-5 is minus-3, which is comparable to the 2024 playoffs, but on special teams they have a goal differential of minus-10.

Edmonton eliminated penalties at a record 94.3% rate during the playoffs, allowing just four power play goals on 70 opportunities. So what happened?

Oilers newcomers have no impact

The sudden and dramatic decline in Edmonton’s shorthanded ability may have something to do with the Oilers’ offseason loss of forwards Warren Foegele (signed by the Los Angeles Kings) and Ryan McLeod (traded to Buffalo Sabers), as well as defensemen Philip Broberg (signed by the St. Louis Blues), Cody Ceci (traded to the San Jose Sharks) and Vincent Desharnais (signed by the Vancouver Canucks), all regular shorthanded players.

Meanwhile, Edmonton’s biggest offseason additions Viktor Arvidsson (signed as a free agent), Jeff Skinner (signed as a free agent) and Vasily Podkolzin (traded from Canucks), almost never played shorthanded last season. All are known more for producing offensively. The problem is, they don’t even do that.

In 14 games, Skinner has three goals and three assists, Arvidsson has one goal and three assists and Podkolzin has zero goals and three assists. Add it all up, and the three combined don’t even average a point per game.

Literally everyone under-produces

It’s only fair to give Edmonton’s newcomers a little breathing room while they get used to a new team and new teammates. But that excuse doesn’t sit well with returning Oilers players, many of whom have been with the team for several seasons now.

Of the 10 forwards on Edmonton’s current roster who have played for the Oilers in 2023-24, each is averaging fewer points than last season. Even the best player on the planet, Connor McDavidhas just three goals and seven assists in 11 games. Consider it all, and it’s easy to see how the team that has scored the fourth-most goals in the league in 2023-24 now has one of the lowest totals in the NHL so far this season.

The story is no better in front of the post either, where the goalkeepers Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard each have a higher goals-against average and lower save percentage than a season ago.

Despite all that, Edmonton is just six points out of first place in the Pacific Division, currently held by the Golden Knights with a 9-3-1 record for 19 points. And the good news is that the Oilers had an even worse start to the season last season and still managed to completely turn things around.

With over 80% of the program remaining, there is plenty of time. But the sooner the Oilers get out of their bad patch, the better. Their next game is Saturday (November 9), against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena.