Scenes Morning Skate: At least the Edmonton Oilers aren’t the Vancouver Canucks

Life’s tough right now for the Edmonton Oilers. Connor McDavid’s historic point streak ended on Thursday, the team still hasn’t won three consecutive games, and it’s cold in Edmonton. But at least they aren’t those guys.

The Vancouver Canucks are fully embracing the rebuild at this point. #EmbracetheTank is trending on Instagram among Canucks fans, and we can all be sure the Oilers will hear “Tank For McKenna” chanted throughout Rogers Arena tonight. It’s that kind of season in Vancouver.

Normally, I’d tell you that it doesn’t matter how bad the other team is doing — the Oilers should always be ready. And that’s still partly true, but in a more lax version. This time, I’m saying the Oilers should play a good game, but we can all chill a little.

Vancouver is bad. They’re not just struggling — they’re actively tanking. The front office has essentially told fans that this season is about the future, not the present. The roster is a mix of young players getting development time and veterans who know they’re playing out the string. The energy in Rogers Arena reflects that. Fans aren’t expecting wins. They’re expecting high draft picks.

For the Oilers, this should be a straightforward two points. Vancouver doesn’t have the depth to match up with Edmonton’s top lines. They don’t have the goaltending to stop McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins, and Hyman. They’re icing lineups designed to lose games, not win them.

That doesn’t mean the Oilers can coast. Vancouver still has NHL players who can capitalize if Edmonton gets sloppy. Tanking teams can still win games — they just don’t win consistently, or a lot. The Oilers need to play smart, avoid turnovers, and not give Vancouver free chances. But the urgency level doesn’t need to be through the roof.

This is the kind of game where the Oilers should be able to control the pace, get their top players going, and build some confidence. McDavid’s point streak may be over, but he’s still playing at an absurd level. Draisaitl is heating up. Hyman’s scoring from eight inches away. The pieces are there for Edmonton to dominate.

The bigger concern is complacency. When you’re facing a team openly tanking, it’s easy to assume the win will come without effort. That’s when bad habits creep in. Lazy turnovers. Half-hearted backchecks. Assuming the other team will just roll over. Vancouver may be bad, but they’re still professional hockey players. If the Oilers give them opportunities, they’ll take them.

The good news is that Edmonton’s been playing well lately, even if the results haven’t always gone their way. They got goalied by Sorokin. They lost tight games they could have won. They’re not a team struggling with effort or structure — they’re a team dealing with bad bounces and tough matchups. Vancouver is neither of those things.

So yeah, the Oilers should play a good game tonight. They should be sharp, disciplined, and focused. But we can all relax a little too. This isn’t a must-win against a playoff contender. This is a game against a team actively trying to lose for draft positioning.

The Oilers are in second place. McDavid will start another point streak. Life’s not that bad. And at least you’re not the ones chanting “Tank For McKenna” in your own building.

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*Leon Draisaitl has taken a personal leave to attend to a family illness in Germany and is expected to return sometime next week, per the Edmonton Oilers.