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TSN's Craig Button rips the Oilers apart on national TV with some very harsh words

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Daniel Lucente
November 21, 2024  (11:02)
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Craig Button speaks during an interview
Photo credit: YouTube

TSN's Craig Button isn't a big believer in the Edmonton Oilers this year, and he didn't hold back his words on national TV, saying the team doesn't have talent.

A few nights ago, the Edmonton Oilers lost a hard 3-0 to the Montreal Canadiens.

It was their second shutout in two weeks.

Following that game, the Oilers had not found consistency, with only a modest 9-8-2 record, which has garnered the negative attention of many NHL reporters.

They did play the Ottawa Senators the following night, and while they did look a lot better and improve to 10-8-2, it was hard to forget some of the struggles the team has gone through so far.

Obviously, a lot of their problems have to do with offense, but it goes deeper than that.

Defensive lapses and inconsistent goaltending have put this team in a hole, and Craig Button didn't mince words the morning after the loss to the Habs, stating that the Oilers lack depth and aren't talented enough across their lineup to compete consistently at an NHL level.

«The reason their expected goals are so high and their actual goals are so low is because they don't have enough talent,» Button said. «They rely on obviously [Connor] McDavid and [Leon] Draisaitl to carry a big significant part of it, and they do, but after that, they have real struggles. On the blue line, when they make a mistake, it becomes something that goes in their net, and the goaltending hasn't been very good.»


While Button stopped short of ruling out their chances at a Stanley Cup run, he highlighted that something needs to be done from the front office.

«Now you look at a team that went to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last year, had so much going for themselves. They're a weaker team. They're a lesser team. Now, it's incumbent. It's all on management here to go and make significant moves to improve this team. We know the top end is outstanding, but after that, real problems.»

- Craig Button


It seems the management of the Oilers is thinking along the same lines, as they moved to claim forward Kasperi Kapanen off waivers from the St. Louis Blues, possibly as a payback for the offer sheets they received this summer for Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway.

While Kapanen alone isn't a cure-all, his addition could bring in some much-needed secondary scoring, especially with key players like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman struggling to find their form.

It will be interesting to see if the Oilers are able to prove Craig Button wrong and turn their season around.

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TSN's Craig Button rips the Oilers apart on national TV with some very harsh words

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