NHL scores 2016: Oilers barely show up to lose after their GM calls them out

Plenty of Oilers are making their coach want to trade them.

Literally. That's what he said.

McLellan, asked about changing the commitment level of some players: "Maybe we have to get rid of some."

— Mark Spector (@SportsnetSpec) February 24, 2016

And can you really blame him? Edmonton has looked lifeless for weeks. Earlier on Tuesday, general manager Peter Chiarelli put his players on notice by saying some players "need a different venue" and that the team would be sellers at the trade deadline.That should've lit a fire under the Oilers.

Instead, Edmonton came out and played with as little effort as any NHL team has this year in a loss to the Senators. I realize Connor McDavid is an amazing player, but when a rookie is the hardest-working player on your team any given night, you have a problem.

It certainly sounds like the Oilers are ready to make moves and shake up the roster. Which would be encouraging if they didn't do that every year around this time. They're stuck in a vicious cycle of their own making: play terrible hockey, make noise about "shaking up the roster" and trade bad contracts or expiring UFAs at the deadline. Then when the next season rolls around, they're stuck playing terrible hockey again.

There's a solution there. If they're really committed to making big changes, like they promise every season, then they'll trade one of their core. That means Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Or Jordan Eberle. Or Taylor Hall. Or Nail Yakupov. Either find a trade partner willing to give up a top defenseman for them, or get a high enough draft pick that you can draft and develop some yourself.

McLellan and Chiarelli might be new voices. But they're spouting the same tired refrain. If you're going to shake things up, then bite the bullet and actually shake things up. The franchise literally has nothing else to lose at this point.

Scores

Devils 5, Rangers 2
Hurricanes 3, Flyers 1
Predators 3, Maple Leafs 2
Red Wings 2, Blue Jackets 1 (SO)
Lightning 2, Coyotes 1
Islanders 4, Wild 1
Stars 5, Jets 3
Senators 4, Oilers 1
Kings 2, Flames 1

3 things we learned

1. Automated tweets are ALWAYS a bad idea

Always, Canadiens.

2. The Jets are a penalty juggernaut

Winnipeg leads the league in times shorthanded with 217. Combine that with the No. 27 penalty kill in the league and you have a great reason why the Jets will be sitting at home come playoff time. It bit them again, as they gave the Dallas Stars' No. 7 power play five opportunities to work magic. The Jets have a lot of things to figure out in the coming months, but discipline has to be chief among them.

3. The Internet is everywhere

Sergey Kalinin says he knows what a Gordie Howe hat trick is: "I'm from Siberia but we have the Internet."

— Rich Chere (@Ledger_NJDevils) February 24, 2016

Impact Moment

Filip Forsberg is still the hockey trade steal of the last five years.

Stat of the Night

Filip Forsberg has a hat trick tonight. That's one more goal than Martin Erat had in his entire Capitals career.

— SB Nation NHL (@SBNationNHL) February 24, 2016