Since arriving as general manager in the spring of 2019, Ken Holland has been charged with the dual tasks of building a Stanley Cup winner on the NHL roster and ...
[Stuart Skinner](https://theathletic.com/nhl/player/stuart-skinner-KlvXBG0WO4nYVVkG/) has emerged as a strong No. [Darnell Nurse](https://theathletic.com/nhl/player/darnell-nurse-LyyaLWHh8lXfwXLg/) has had a tough time this season defensively, and [Brett Kulak](https://theathletic.com/nhl/player/brett-kulak-zCwY6hQOpC4KTrw7/) has picked up the slack in recent weeks. His performances have been key to the team’s success, considering [Jack Campbell](https://theathletic.com/nhl/player/jack-campbell-CprTBPjBmTyVcbxn/)’s early starts have been less than stellar. [Cody Ceci](https://theathletic.com/nhl/player/cody-ceci-u6FbXiySpz7ihCVO/) on the top pairing was money last season after Jay Woodcroft took over as coach. [Kailer Yamamoto](https://theathletic.com/nhl/player/kailer-yamamoto-oL8PhHVG2Oj93WTa/) is recovering offensively after a slow start and injury issues, and [Jesse Puljujarvi](https://theathletic.com/nhl/player/jesse-puljujarvi-HpqvGpWajKzN265r/) is only recently showing signs of offensive output. [Philip Broberg](https://theathletic.com/nhl/player/philip-broberg-HYP6IJv1gBX2YKKM/)’s injury at rookie camp) and it’s been chaos since. [Evan Bouchard](https://theathletic.com/nhl/player/evan-bouchard-GGaHfCqlxqRJa7OB/)’s season has been nothing close to expected, and miles from the campaign hoped for by many fans. [Connor McDavid](https://theathletic.com/nhl/player/connor-mcdavid-YjAiBpZTVfUGkPFn/) (30 goals), [Leon Draisaitl](https://theathletic.com/nhl/player/leon-draisaitl-XwZ93jCIukNyeI24/) (21) and [Ryan Nugent-Hopkins](https://theathletic.com/nhl/player/ryan-nugent-hopkins-jF91xJ66C7OFNw92/) (18) are especially impressive. [Mattias Janmark](https://theathletic.com/nhl/player/mattias-janmark-tLBoSV1McPXQ2sIx/) has been a fine utility player for the team since his recall from the Bakersfield Condors. It’s likely the club will insert Broberg into the lineup once healthy, with an eye to seeing if he can do the job (third pairing at this point) and be a productive player. Xavier Bourgault is having a solid rookie season in the AHL with the Condors (8-7-15 in 26 games) and he could push for an NHL job as early as next fall. [Dylan Holloway](https://theathletic.com/nhl/player/dylan-holloway-2aiGGP6a78Xtt8Xt/) has shown flashes of brilliance this season in the AHL and NHL.
Edmonton is the only team in the league with three players in the top ten in total points. McDavid and Draisaitl rank 1st and 2nd respectively, as usual, but ...
Wishing you and your families a happy holiday season. Merry Christmas to all of you amazing people in OilersNation! While McLeod does several things the right way, McLeod’s major areas of improvement moving forward are shooting and passing, some pretty significant aspects of the game. These transition results are quite reflective of how good a skater he is. McLeod is a superb defensive forward, as his impact on suppressing scoring chances in the past 2 seasons ranks in the 87th percentile; put differently, he’s superior to 87% of the league’s forwards in 5v5 defensive impact. The subsequent year, it was the opposite; RNH broke even in goals without McDavid and Draisaitl, although he struggled at driving play. McDavid and Draisaitl end up having the best wingers, meaning RNH plays with inferior linemates. McDavid has had some poor luck at 5v5 and still grades out as a strong 52 xGF% without Draisaitl, but it’s nowhere near the levels that it previously was. McDavid and Draisaitl were quite good together again, but McDavid was even better at centering his own line, with an exceptional 60% goal share and 59% expected goal share. With all of this in mind, a question remains; how should the Oilers deploy their centers? While Ken Holland should certainly pursue defencemen to add at the deadline, finishing and 5v5 offence seem to be major areas for improvement as well. The Oilers also have Ryan McLeod, a reliable defensively-minded bottom-six center.