Draisaitl says Oilers not quitting on Tippett

The last month has been a complete disaster for the Edmonton Oilers, as they have not only lost five straight but 11 of their last 13.

Due to their struggles given the high expectations they had entering the 2021-22 season, many fans are calling for the firing of head coach Dave Tippett. Some have went as far as to suggest that his team has quit on him, resulting in the current play we have all been witnessing. One of the team's best players in Leon Draisaitl denied that when speaking with media after Wednesday night loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

«We're not quitting on anyone,» Draisaitl said. «We're not quitting on our coach, we're not quitting on ourselves as players, our team, our goalies, nobody. We're not quitting"

«Still lots of season left, right, but it's frustrating. Eventually you have to find a way to turn it around. And obviously we're hurting right now with key players out. That never helps. But every team's going through it so we've got to figure it out eventually.»

The key players Draisaitl is referring to are Connor McDavid and Tyson Barrie, both of whom were forced to miss Wednesday's game due to being placed on the NHL's COVID protocol list. However, those two have been around for the rest of the skid, which is why many are calling for Tippett's firing. As of now, his job still appears safe, but if this poor stretch continues for much longer general manager Ken Holland may not have a choice but to pull the plug on his bench boss.

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