Forward secondary scoring numbers

So the hot-topic of the day is secondary scoring and the Oilers total lack of it. The common issue being that with Drake gone the pool has dried up. So the big question is, outside of McDavid, Draisaitl, RNH, Chias-son how come the Oilers suck? Why hasn't Chia provided adequate secondary scoring for the team? And all around a general idea that this is all his fault.

Now I certainly share in the opinion that there are issues with the team. But player accountability has to come into play as well. Clearly the coaches aren't all to blame and Chiarelli certainly isn't going out there and forcing each guy to not put the puck in the net. Which is why through his interview he has a general frustration with his roster. Because outside of the big four...they suck.

The following players are having career poor performances and in a few cases career lows:

Player	18/19 PPG	Previous Low PPG	Career PPG
Rieder	0.28	0.3	0.37
Brodziak	0.138	0.144	0.37
Puljujarvi	0.185	0.286	0.28
Lucic	0.211	0.414	0.58
Kassian	0.086	0.222	0.28
Spooner	0.176	0.478	0.53
Yamms	0.118	0.333	0.23
Rattie	0.318	0.182	0.37

Each of these players are playing below or well below their career average points per game. In some cases by a large margin. Now we can't expect them all to be pulling those numbers, Lucic isn't his young self and Brodziak is an older vet. But the rest of these players are in the prime of their careers.

I don't think any GM could field a winning team or for that matter make adequate moves to fix depth scoring when you have most of your depth playing career poor seasons. No one predicts that and certainly you'd hope that a coaching change would boost that up. I'm not saying that Chiarelli shouldn't be doing something to improve the depth scoring on the team. But frankly these players should be embarrassed with the performances they've been having all season and their overall lack of give a shit.

I personally thought that Puljujarvi would have broken out by now, and for a pick as high as he was he should be producing. I don't think TMac helped his development at all, but he also hasn't helped his own development by doing something on the ice about it.

Yams is in his second year and I want to give him the benefit of the doubt, but he was a night and day change from the pre-season to the regular season. Likewise for Rattie, two players who had the confidence and the performances showing of a good year ahead then they just died right off and got back to playing scared hockey.

Kassian has been invisible in every sense of the word. His only contribution is in the form of PIMs where he has removed himself from the game...which has been a positive because he's been steaming hot garbage...for 14mins/game.

Spooner has looked almost the exact same, might as well be a ghost because outside of doing nothing for his 7-9mins/game he is a waste of a roster spot most nights.

Rieder apparently plays 12-14mins/game but honestly if he's doing anything out there it's dumping and changing and certainly not putting the puck in the night or producing in any way.

Brodziak is an aging vet who has still put up decent numbers in his last several seasons. But this year he's been doing nothing for the team.

Lucic....just....ugh.

At the end of the day it's up to a coach to get the most out of the players in front of him and I don't think TMac did that at all, but at the same time some of these players are playing a confusing game of hockey where they seem to provide nothing but a shift of wasted time. Which is fine if they were also keeping the puck out of the net at a high level, but they're not even doing that.

The most embarrassing thing is how many of the Oilers defense are above large swaths of the Oilers forwards in point production. Nurse/Klefbom/Larsson/Benning/Russell are ahead of every player on this list except Lucic..who has squeaked in a raw 8 points tying him with Russell and Benning.

I'm sorry this doesn't entirely play into the narrative of Chiarelli being the blame and Chiarelli being the reason these players aren't scoring. But to me, I have a hard time looking at the career seasons for Khaira/RNH/Chiasson/McD/Draisaitl and thinking that there isn't more to be given from the rest of the guys. If they were all playing career averages and the team was still sucking I'd agree that Chiarelli has the wrong guys for the job. But he has guys who statistically should be producing at least a bit more but aren't.

End of the day....winning is what matters and this group isn't winning.