Oilers Hit the Olympic Break with More Sunscreen Than Skates-Is That a Bad Thing?
While some NHL teams are sending nearly half their roster to Italy for the Winter Olympics, the Edmonton Oilers are doing something a little different: packing for the beach.
Only three Oilers are representing their countries at the Games-Connor McDavid for Canada, Leon Draisaitl for Germany, and Josh Samanski, also with Germany, who’s only logged five NHL games in his career. That’s it.
Meanwhile, Western Conference rivals like the Minnesota Wild (nine players), Colorado Avalanche (eight), and both the Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights (seven each) are making Olympic hockey look like a reunion tour. Even the struggling Vancouver Canucks are sending five.
So what does it mean that most of Edmonton’s roster is watching the Olympics from a lounge chair instead of the bench?
Well, it depends on how you look at it.
From one angle, it’s a reflection of where the Oilers are right now. They limped into the break with three straight losses that were, frankly, hard to watch.
Defensive breakdowns, sloppy special teams play, and a general lack of energy have plagued them lately. So maybe a reset is exactly what they need.
A little sun, a little rest, and a little distance from a rough stretch of hockey might be the best medicine.
Zach Hyman seems to think so.
“We’ve played a lot of hockey so it will be nice for the guys,” Hyman said. “It’s not often that you get that.
We have a 12-day break and then we come back, so it’s not like we’re off for three weeks. You’re off for a good amount of time and then you have a good amount of time to have a little mini training camp and get ramped up and get ready for the last 24 games, plus playoffs.”
That “mini camp” Hyman’s talking about? It’s going to be huge.
The Oilers are back on the ice February 17, and they’ll need to get right to work. Their goals-against rank 26th in the league.
Same goes for their penalty kill. Those aren’t just numbers-they’re red flags, especially with the playoff race tightening.
But while the Oilers are recharging, other teams are sharpening their edge.
Minnesota head coach John Hynes sees the Olympic experience as a major developmental tool. His Wild squad is sending nine players to Italy, and he’s already seen the benefits of international competition from the 4 Nations Face-Off earlier this season.
“You’ve got your guys playing in high-stakes games, high-stakes environments with other great players,” Hynes said. “It’s another learning experience for them and an opportunity to compete at a high level and stay ready versus going to Cancun or wherever for 13 days and coming back and trying to get ramped up.”
He pointed specifically to younger players like Matt Boldy and Brock Faber, who’ve shown noticeable growth from playing in elite company.
“You’re around other coaches, you’re playing against top players on every single line and just being around other top players-getting a chance to see how they prepare, their focus level, what they do, what they’re saying on the bench, how they act. All those things are beneficial for our guys.”
So here’s the trade-off: rest vs. reps. The Oilers are banking on the former, hoping the downtime helps them reset, refocus, and come back stronger.
Their rivals? They’re betting on the latter-letting their players stay sharp by skating against the best in the world.
We’ll find out soon enough which approach pays off. But one thing’s for sure: when the puck drops again, the Oilers won’t have time to ease back in.
With just 24 games left and the playoffs looming, it’s go time. Whether the break proves to be a blessing or a missed opportunity will depend on how quickly they can clean up their game and find their form.
The beach might be nice-but the real heat is waiting when they get back.