Solutions to the Edmonton Oilers Problems Early in the 2013-14 Season

It is becoming increasingly apparent that the current mix of talent in Edmonton is just not good enough to compete in the newly formed Pacific Division.

The Oilers have an abundance of talented young forwards, but unfortunately for the club all of those players—Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov, are of a similar style on the ice and present the Oilers with a lack of diversity up front.

The Oilers are treading on dangerous territory this season in being tied for the longest playoff drought in NHL history with the Florida Panthers. They have been the laughing stock of the league during this seemingly failed rebuilding effort.

There is no easy answer to fix the problems in Edmonton, and the likeliest of scenarios will be one that fans will not want to hear but will be necessary in order to shift the culture.

Here are some possible solutions to the Edmonton Oilers problems early on in the 2013-14 season.

Trade One of the Kids

A player like Nail Yakupov could fetch a piece in a trade that could go a long way in improving the Edmonton Oilers.

This choice comes first for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, it is clear that the Edmonton Oilers need help in several areas on the ice. In goal, Devan Dubnyk has been miserable, and the Oilers best blue liner (Justin Schultz) is unreliable in his own end.

The Oilers need to acquire some help for their defensive group. Adding Andrew Ference was a good depth addition but Ference would be, at best, a third or fourth defender on any other team in the league, he is not a No. 1 guy, and that is exactly what the Oilers need.

When Edmonton added Chris Pronger, they didn't have anywhere near the talented group of forwards that the team has now, but with Pronger anchoring the defense, the team completely changed and played above their skill level.

Secondly, the Oilers need to change the dynamic of their forward groups. As previously mentioned, all of the Oilers skilled forwards are very much of the same ilk—small, skilled forwards with speed. The team needs to add a skilled forward with size and one who plays the game with grit and tenacity.

This player needs to be able to skate and keep pace with guys like Hall and Eberle, or the addition would merely be an anchor and pull the skill level of those around him down.

Devan Dubnyk may or may not be the answer for the Oilers going forward. If opinions were to be based on his performance thus far into the 2013-14 season then the answer would be that he is not good enough to get the Oilers over the top.

However, Dubnyk currently plays with one of the worst defensive groups in the entire NHL. If the Oilers were to acquire some talent on the blue-line, his performance could take a big step forward. If it doesn't, then Dubnyk, the unrestricted free agent, will be gone at the end of the season.

Any one of the Oilers young forwards could command either a top-end, physical forward or a legitimate No. 1 defenseman. Both of which would go a long way to improving the club.

Time to Go for Kevin Lowe?

Edmonton may need a new direction at the very top of the organization in order to turn things around.

Kevin Lowe has had a long, illustrious career for the Edmonton Oilers, but unfortunately for both the Oilers and for Lowe, it appears that relationship just isn’t getting it done.

Lowe was relieved of his duty as General Manager only to be promoted to the President of Hockey Operations, and during his tenure in upper management, the Oilers have floundered.

It is nice that the Oilers are so loyal to former players from their glory days, but those days are long behind. The team is struggling to establish a new identity and winning culture.

It is becoming clear that a new direction is needed, and armed with a new coach and a returning Craig MacTavish as GM, perhaps Daryl Katz should look to bring in a new voice as the President of Hockey Operations.

Stay Healthy

The Oilers need their full compliment of players to help turn around the season.

The Oilers have had a very tough time staying healthy over the past few seasons. It’s not only that the injuries have mounted, but the injuries to significant stars have also cost the team in the standings.

According to NHL.com, the Oilers have currently lost 72 man games due to injury. While some of these have been to borderline roster players, the bulk have to been to significant contributors such as Taylor Hall, Sam Gagner and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Injuries are unavoidable in professional sports, and the Oilers have seen their share of freak injuries (such as the recent injury to Gagner). But the team needs to find a way to keep star players on the ice.

Perhaps with someone as notorious about fitness as Dallas Eakins behind the bench, the Oilers may be able to turn things around.

Sort out the Goaltending Situation

Based on one performance alone, Richard Bachman deserves to continue to show if he's the answer in net for the Oilers this season.

If the Oilers are to even compete for a playoff position this season, and it seems unlikely that they will be able to at this point, the club will need to sort out the goaltending situation immediately.

The Oilers can’t afford to wait for Devan Dubnyk to sort it out, and it is also becoming clear that Jason LaBarbera isn't going to cut it in Edmonton either.

Richard Bachman has thrown his name into consideration for the team after an amazing 47 save performance against the Los Angeles Kings on October 27.

This was the best game for any Oilers goaltender this season. Based on the one performance alone, Bachman deserves to continue to get starts in net to either prove that he is indeed a diamond in the rough or that his game against the Kings was a one-time performance.

If the in-house options of Dubnyk, Bachman and LaBarbera don’t pan out, the Oilers should look to acquire a goaltender.

This is not saying that the Oilers have to go out and acquire a goalie that has already established himself as a star, rather someone whose price would be a little cheaper and has demonstrated the potential to blossom into a star.