Former Oilers Player Thinks Edmonton Has Locker Room Issue
After TSN’s Jeff O’Neill suggested the team’s flat performances looked like the product of internal friction, the Oilers answered with two of their most energized efforts of the season, first in an overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning and then in an emotional win over the Florida Panthers.
Still, former Oiler Ryan Whitney believes the real problem is brewing below the surface. In his view, the goaltending uncertainty has started to seep into the bench and may be weighing on the group mentally every night.
Whitney thinks goaltending doubt is draining the room
On Spittin’ Chiclets, Whitney did not dance around what he sees from afar. He pointed to Kris Knoblauch’s long pause when asked if he trusted his goaltending, and said that silence told its own story.
Whitney argued that when a team feels it can never get a timely save, the bench deflates, shift by shift. He compared it to being on a team where weak goals go in too often and players feel the “balloon going out” of the group.
There are some MAJOR problems going on with Whit’s Oilers 😬 pic.twitter.com/x9kIUF4pRV
— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) November 22, 2025
That perspective lines up with the numbers. The Oilers sit near the bottom of the league in save percentage, and everyone inside that room knows it.
Even when the team plays well structurally, one bad goal can flip the mood instantly. From Whitney's vantage point, the Oilers are carrying that tension into games, and it obviously will affect how free and confident they play.
Effort in Tampa and Florida complicates the narrative
At the same time, the last two games show a team that has not quit on each other or on its coach. Against the Lightning, the Oilers dragged themselves into a road back to back on brutal travel and still delivered one of their hardest working performances of the year.
Calvin Pickard made 33 saves, the defense played connected in front of him, and the group battled to an overtime loss. Two nights later in Florida, Jack Roslovic scored twice, Stuart Skinner turned aside 35 shots, and Edmonton finally earned a statement win in a Stanley Cup Final rematch many circled on the calendar.
Knoblauch paused for like 10 seconds before answering “does the team still have belief in the goaltending”
— Oilers All Day (@OilersEvery_Day) November 9, 2025
The emotional edge was obvious. Trent Frederic dropped the gloves, teammates blocked shots, and the Oilers leaned into what looked like an all-in effort that usually shows a room that is pulling in the same direction.
That leaves a complicated picture. On one hand, Whitney’s read that the team has a goaltending fueled confidence issue for sure feels fair. How could they not? On the other hand, their recent pushback suggests the core still believes in each other.
If management does not address the crease and the save problem doesn't go away, Whitney’s take about a slow burn inside the room might start to carry more weight.
Photo Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
