The Edmonton Oilers are facing tough questions once again after another early playoff exit—and this time, the conversation has turned to a familiar championship blueprint: the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Following Edmonton’s first-round elimination at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks, former NHL defenseman Ryan Whitney didn’t hold back during a segment on the “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast. His message was clear—it’s not about the superstars; it’s about what’s around them.

“It’s the depth, right?” Whitney said. “You look at how this roster was built, and just the mistakes. Kunitz, Kessel, Hagelin, Bonino, Conor Sheary, Rust, and then the D. That one Cup, Trevor Daley, Ian Cole. They just never were built the same way, another similar team with two generational superstar talents were.”

Whitney’s point strikes at the heart of Edmonton’s biggest challenge. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl remain the most dangerous offensive duo in the NHL, but the Oilers still haven’t built the layered support system that turned Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin into champions.

Let’s rewind to Pittsburgh’s back-to-back Stanley Cup wins in 2016 and 2017. Those teams weren’t just about two stars. The Penguins surrounded their elite core with relentless speed, scoring from the third line, mobile defensemen, and clutch goaltending. The famous “HBK Line”—Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino, and Phil Kessel—became a playoff nightmare for opponents. Bryan Rust and Conor Sheary added speed and pressure from lower in the lineup. Trevor Daley and Ian Cole brought stability to the blue line with smart puck movement and defensive structure.

Whitney also highlighted the stark contrast in roster balance between the two franchises.

“I’m looking at Crosby, Malkin, and Letang,” Whitney said. “You can’t tell me that on paper it’s that different, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard.”

And he’s right—on paper, Edmonton’s top-end talent is just as impressive. In the 2025-26 season, McDavid posted his ninth 100-point campaign with 138 points, Draisaitl had 97 points despite missing games, and Bouchard managed 95 points from the blue line. The numbers are elite. The problem? What comes after them.

Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins continue to provide solid support, and Vasily Podkolzin showed major progress this season. But when the playoffs arrived, Edmonton’s depth disappeared. The bottom six struggled to generate offense, and the defense lost its mobility once injuries mounted.

The Oilers’ first-round exit exposed problems that have quietly lingered beneath their deep playoff runs in 2024 and 2025. Edmonton allowed 26 goals in just five games—a number that tells you everything about the gap between having superstars and having a championship team.

For Oilers fans, the message is simple: McDavid and Draisaitl can’t do it alone. If Edmonton wants to follow the Penguins’ path to glory, it starts with building a roster that can win when the stars aren’t on the ice.