Oilers plagued by familiar issues in Round 1 loss. What does it mean for the future?

The Edmonton Oilers have tried time and again to build a skill line capable of competing against elite teams that doesn’t include Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. Based on a mountain of evidence over more than a decade, it doesn’t work.Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch found a short-term fix in Game 5 of the series against the Anaheim Ducks. He placed centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the defensive conscience of the McDavid line, with veteran wingers Zach Hyman and Vasily Podkolzin in an effort to find a No. 2 outscoring line.Advertisement