End of Season Interviews

[Little Fury]

Lucic in the past has even talked about how hard it is for him to get engaged and activated in games. How is it possible to be acceptable to not do that for a 40 game stretch?

Has he really said that? If so...woof. That's much worse than "I didn't want to dialogue with my idiot coaches."

 

[SomeDudeOTI]

My interview. .

Sorry guys, last year I made and wore a playoffs avatar for the whole year but this year I wasn't feeling so creative so I picked the 'taking a dump but that's ok' avatar. I probably should have put more effort in or at least changed it up before Halloween but by that point it seemed fitting.

In the offseason I'll put the work in and step up my game and come back for next season with a fresh positive avatar and we'll have a better year.

 

[cpsman]

Another thing to consider is that our team GF only dropped by 13 this year but our GA skyrocketed by 51 goals. That alone should make adding defense the default conversation, assuming we're sticking with Talbs.

Even without changing our forwards, I'd assume our GF would recover next year or increase even more, given further development of McDavid and Draisaitl, plus I'm pretty sure Lucic won't be as snake bitten next year and I hope JP and Khaira can improve too. Too many forwards had off seasons this year simultaneously.

 

[Trafalgar Sadge Law]

Oh hey look who there's NO interview for.

 

[ohheyhemsky]

What was with the Sekera part though? Anyone figure out what is being said?

 

[Digger12]

Another thing to consider is that our team GF only dropped by 13 this year but our GA skyrocketed by 51 goals. That alone should make adding defense the default conversation, assuming we're sticking with Talbs.

True, but when you consider that scoring was up league-wide this year the fact that the Oilers actually scored less puts the 'only dropped by 13' thing in a worse light than you'd think at first glance.

The big problem with our offense, no surprise, is that if McDavid isn't putting up points than this team absolutely does not win. Yes we need better offensive support from the dmen and better puck movers would definitely help, but without better wingers we simply cannot make this team a 2 line threat.

 

[FlameChampion]

True, but when you consider that scoring was up league-wide this year the fact that the Oilers actually scored less puts the 'only dropped by 13' thing in a worse light than you'd think at first glance.

The big problem with our offense, no surprise, is that if McDavid isn't putting up points than this team absolutely does not win. Yes we need better offensive support from the dmen and better puck movers would definitely help, but without better wingers we simply cannot make this team a 2 line threat.

The other problem is that theres a chance that defense and goaltending could be better next year. If Klefbom and Sekera bounce back the defense should be solid. If Talbot bounces back, the goaltending should be solid. I am not saying that they shouldnt do anything. I think they should be trying to improve their defense and they should sign another goalie who can play some games.

They didnt have enough production from the wingers this year. Its as simple as that. I personally dont see how the wingers are going to miraculously better next year. Puljujarvi could be better next year but he might not. Slepshev could improve under a different coach who believes him (if theres a coaching change and if hes still on the team). Personally I am not high on Cagguila. Lucic, meh. Kassian, who knows, poor season this year. Aberg, who knows. Foolish to pencil Yamamoto into the lineup. Theres a ton of question marks on the wings. I think they need to improve the wingers on this team. I think they can do it relatively cheaply but they need to pick the right players to take a chance on.

 

[Ritchie Valens]

What was with the Sekera part though? Anyone figure out what is being said?

I wonder if a reporter asked if he would consider waiving his no trade clause. It's a question that would cause some uncomfortable body language.

It wasn't Rishaug, I believe he's in Humboldt. He did a report from there last night.

 

[YakDavid]

I wonder if a reporter asked if he would consider waiving his no trade clause. It's a question that would cause some uncomfortable body language.

It wasn't Rishaug, I believe he's in Humboldt. He did a report from there last night.

That would make sense.

 

[MessierII]

Honestly the common theme I’m hearing from them all is they 100% bought into their own hype this year and thought it was just going to happen for them. I’ve suspected this all year from the complete lack of effort early in the year and when it was dire.

 

[ohheyhemsky]

I wonder if a reporter asked if he would consider waiving his no trade clause. It's a question that would cause some uncomfortable body language.

It wasn't Rishaug, I believe he's in Humboldt. He did a report from there last night.

This seems to be spot on. Nice work!

 

[AddyTheWrath]

Honestly the common theme I’m hearing from them all is they 100% bought into their own hype this year and thought it was just going to happen for them. I’ve suspected this all year from the complete lack of effort early in the year and when it was dire.

To be fair, the reporting always puts a bias on it so that rather than actually answering the question the players just sort of reaffirm what the reporters say. It's kinda dumb and I hate that they always do this - it makes it hard for a player to disagree.

For example, they ask: "You get the sense that maybe the team was feeling overconfident heading into the season and that's why you guys didn't get the start you needed; do you agree?" What they should be asking is: "Why do you feel the team struggled at the beginning of the season?"

I get why they do it though. If they didn't, all the players would just be saying " I dunno" to every question. It's still dumb regardless.

 

[Ritchie Valens]

That would make sense.

This seems to be spot on. Nice work!

I haven't seen the interiews yet...it just seemed like it could be a question that would cause that kind of reaction.

If that was the question, promote that reporter...finally someone with enough balls to ask the hard questions instead of the easy lay-ups.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Maybe there was no Chia interview because that will be coming when he gives McLellan his walking papers? Or maybe he's getting his walking papers?

 

[SomeDudeOTI]

Have they even done the management side player exit interviews or just the one last media availability interviews?

Wouldn't surprise me in the least if they were waiting for Todd to get back.

 

[Digger12]

Well it sounds like McLellan will be doing his media avail tomorrow, so anyone expecting him to be fired should probably just come to terms with him very likely being here next season, at least to start.

I wouldn't be surprised if Chiarelli comes out of whatever bunker he's holed up in to give a quick word or two, before scampering back to safety.

 

[Tyrolean]

Yeah, you're not gonna turn Russell into some guy making 50ft+ passes to forwards on the fly. That's just not in line with his skill set. That is where coaches need to come in. Sullivan has had some weak puck movers on the Pens D, and his solution was keeping his forwards way more engaged inside their own zone, and having lots of plays for breaking out and up the ice. Pens forwards are always giving their D easy options, and it makes like a hell of a lot easier. Ben Lovejoy looked like a a puck moving master 2 playoffs ago thanks to the game plan he was playing under.

Us though, our guys are camping out at center all the time, waiting for a lame 100ft pass to just tip into the offensive end for a chase, or standing still on the boards just inside our blue line. D are told to make safe plays, ringing stuff around the boards without even looking for another option. We do very little here to try to improve our transition with possession game plan aside from just waiting for McDavid to come out and do all the work.

They never do the safe drop passes coming out of the zone or pass into the middle with the wings are covered. It's a low IQ defence.

 

[nexttothemoon]

Well the rumour was that either McLellan or Chiarelli would be gone April 9th... so we'll soon see if that's just all hot air.

 

[Throttlehead]

McDavid isn’t wrong though. Lucic on this teams allows McDavid to take the least amount of abuse possible.

Gazdic can do it for 5 million less, and BTW many others on the team protected McDavid much more than Lucic.

Lucic has to bounce back and play much better, you cant pay a guy 6 mil for what he brought.

 

[Throttlehead]

Well the rumour was that either McLellan or Chiarelli would be gone April 9th... so we'll soon see if that's just all hot air.

I honestly hope it McLellan, he has this strange ability to kill confidence in players, among other things.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Gazdic can do it for 5 million less, and BTW many others on the team protected McDavid much more than Lucic.

Lucic has to bounce back and play much better, you cant pay a guy 6 mil for what he brought.

Gazdic? The guy that would never hit anyone or jump anyone? Yeah he is a damn good fighter but that's all that he ever way.

 

[Drivesaitl]

McD cited Chia a couple times in the exit interview on what went wrong with the season. This has me believe Chia isn't dead man walking and isn't going anywhere.

As for McLellan would you fire somebody in the middle of him being in the Humboldt aftermath? C'mon people, that would be worse than the Skype firing. It will occur at a different time, not now.

 

[cpsman]

McD cited Chia a couple times in the exit interview on what went wrong with the season. This has me believe Chia isn't dead man walking and isn't going anywhere.

As for McLellan would you fire somebody in the middle of him being in the Humboldt aftermath? C'mon people, that would be worse than the Skype firing. It will occur at a different time, not now.

Good point. Even if the rumor was change to occur April 9, it doesn't have to be now, especially when there are more important things.

 

[oobga]

CHia was probably there yesterday, just no one wanted to go near him while he was acting so creepy hiding.

 

[Little Fury]

McDavid isn’t wrong though. Lucic on this teams allows McDavid to take the least amount of abuse possible.

Given how much abuse McDavid does take, I'm pretty skeptical about this.