"If We Don't Make the Playoffs"

[NeverForget06]

I still am clinging on to a hair-thin hope of us making it, but I thought this would be a good way to enjoy games if we end up being too far behind.

The premise is "if we don't make the playoffs" what do you want to see from this team going into next year?

I would prefer that this doesn't turn into another fire Chia/TMac thread, but I realize that many of you have that opinion. The responses I would like are those related to player growth on this team, however, I am open to discussion of improvement of our roster, and especially our special teams !

Mine would be

1. McDavid wins the scoring title

2. Drai silences his new haters

3. Nurse continues to show that he just might be the best defenceman on this team

4. Klefbom finds his game

5. Return of Dadbot

6. Puljujarvi and Nurse on the PP

Click to read more...

 

[CycloneSweep]

If we do not make playoffs I would Dahlin.

 

[snipes]

All of the above with Woodcroft's head rolling followed by McLellan and Chia's. Not the intent of the thread as you mentioned but that's my answer.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

A bonafide NHL backup brought in.
Letestu taken off the power play.
Maroon traded for future assets.
McDavid winning the scoring title but man that would ring hollow if we don't get in the playoffs which looks like a mirage now.
PJ, Nurse continuing growing his game.
Any of Nurse, Kassian, or Lucic pounding the living f*** out of Tkachuk.
Beating Calgary in our remaining games.
Finishing ahead of Calgary.
Winning the draft lottery and picking Dahlin.

 

[McBaevid]

1) Get rid of Woodcroft, if TMac doesn't want that to happen, tell him to take a hike too

2) Fire Chiarelli before he ruins the cap and guts this team even more.

3) Win the draft lottery

 

[McDrai]

1. More skill on the wings
2. Chiarelli gone
3. 1B/2A goalie acquired

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

If they don't make the playoffs, they won't make the playoffs.

 

[Todd from Leduc]

Let's be honest we deserve to get Dahlin the way the League and Reffing has treated us this year with the unfair schedule and malicious reffing. Not to mention the insane amount of injuries no other team has been handed (top goalie out, top D out, top player dealing with diarrhea/malaise for 25 games). Come on hockey Gods make it right and give us Dahlin!

 

[CupofOil]

I gave up on the playoffs since the Buffalo loss so I've been in "focus on any positives" mode for a while but what I want more than anything is for Draisaitl to have a big season to shut down the unbelievable amount of idiotic hate posts directed at him.

Besides that, I want to see the young guys develop with Pulju and Nurse being the obvious ones. I want to see Khaira continue to improve, Klefbom to get out of his funk (he has played better lately), Benning to show some consistency and a young goalie to emerge, give Ellis some starts please.

Oh and to the above poster, the Oilers are the least deserving franchise to get Dahlin. It would be great if they get him but the Oilers are probably the least deserving franchise to get another 1st overall.
The Oilers haven't had an insane amount of injuries either. Sekera has been the only key injury most of the season.

 

[MoneyGuy]

This team doesn't deserve Dahlin. I'd love to get him but the Oilers are not deserving of the premiere player in this draft.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

What do you mean "If"?

 

[mouz135]

Let's be honest we deserve to get Dahlin the way the League and Reffing has treated us this year with the unfair schedule and malicious reffing. Not to mention the insane amount of injuries no other team has been handed (top goalie out, top D out, top player dealing with diarrhea/malaise for 25 games). Come on hockey Gods make it right and give us Dahlin!

Yeah, no. The Oilers are the last team deserving of another 1st OA. Maybe in 10 years.

 

[Chet Manley]

I don't even care if they make the playoffs this year, just make a run at them and have meaningful games going into the last couple of weeks. A reason to watch besides a handful of entertaining players.

Don't care about draft position at all. Teams belly overfloweth with top 7 picks.

 

[McJadeddog]

If we do not make playoffs I would Dahlin.

This is the only answer that matters to be honest (outside of the obvious of firing Chia and TMac, both of which should have been done over a month ago). If we aren't going to make the playoffs, we might as well finish last and get a top-end player. Having a good last half of the season, and finishing in 20th place in the league accomplishes nothing.

 

[McJadeddog]

I don't even care if they make the playoffs this year, just make a run at them and have meaningful games going into the last couple of weeks. A reason to watch besides a handful of entertaining players.

Don't care about draft position at all. Teams belly overfloweth with top 7 picks.

The games are *already* meaningless though, unless you believe we're about to go on a 12-3 run here over the next 15 games. But if you believe that, I have some really good investment options I'd like to talk to you about.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

I gave up on the playoffs since the Buffalo loss

me too, and since then they've been a .500 team which is expected

for me, I want to see how the team performs when healthy
-Draisaitl needs to get going
-Puljujarvi continue to progress
-Nurse continue his upward trend
-Khaira establish himself
-sell off Maroon and Letestu at the deadline for futures
-hope Calgary misses the playoffs too
-won the lottery for the lolz

 

[Jumptheshark]

If we do not make the playoffs I hope we win the lotto for all the abuse we will put up with

 

[Porkleaker]

Luckily winning the draft lottery has nothing to do with deserving it. I think we do after getting shafted by the refs in the playoffs and again all season f them

 

[Chet Manley]

The games are *already* meaningless though, unless you believe we're about to go on a 12-3 run here over the next 15 games. But if you believe that, I have some really good investment options I'd like to talk to you about.

Shhh... let me be fanatical. The last few games have given a little hope that a 3:1 or so run is possible sometime in the next while. Big if being the team stops turning backups into Vezina candidates for one night. Guess the point is I'd rather see a fight to the finish over another tank. So many tanks... just want to wear an Oilers toque in public again.

 

[FlameChampion]

I havent been impressed with the coaching staff this year. Mainly the special teams and also TM's stubbornness to make changes. That being said I dont mind TM, but I think JW and JJ have done a poor job.

Chiarelli has made some mistakes. The biggest thing I can pinpoint on him is not having a plan for a backup. Replacing Sekera would of been nice, but I am not sure what deal there was out there. Glad he didnt trade for Hamonic. Last year we had a team of players that played for each other. The last few games, the way they have played, shows to me, that he at least put together a roster that should be a playoff team. I am not going to hate him for the Eberle - Strome trade because I think Eberle needed a change, but not using the capspace for some NHL wingers was a mistake in hindsight.

This team has had so much turnover in GM's, coaching staffs etc. that I dont know if its beneficial to flat out start firing people. I know we (myself included) ask for it all the time but I am not sure it really solves anything. In an ideal world I guess I would like to see some changes in the assistant coaches and give TM and Chia another year.

I would probably trade Maroon, Letestu at the trade deadline if they have no future with the team. I think they need to get some more speed and skill on the wings. Should be looking for an offensive RH defenseman.

I think we have a good team, just hasnt been our year. I think we need some tweaks but I dont think blowing it up is the solution.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

I still am clinging on to a hair-thin hope of us making it, but I thought this would be a good way to enjoy games if we end up being too far behind.

The premise is "if we don't make the playoffs" what do you want to see from this team going into next year?

I would prefer that this doesn't turn into another fire Chia/TMac thread, but I realize that many of you have that opinion. The responses I would like are those related to player growth on this team, however, I am open to discussion of improvement of our roster, and especially our special teams !

Mine would be

1. McDavid wins the scoring title

2. Drai silences his new haters

3. Nurse continues to show that he just might be the best defenceman on this team

4. Klefbom finds his game

5. Return of Dadbot

6. Puljujarvi and Nurse on the PP

If all 6 of those happen, we make the playoffs

 

[McGhostbuster]

me too, and since then they've been a .500 team which is expected

for me, I want to see how the team performs when healthy
-Draisaitl needs to get going
-Puljujarvi continue to progress
-Nurse continue his upward trend
-Khaira establish himself
-sell off Maroon and Letestu at the deadline for futures
-hope Calgary misses the playoffs too
-won the lottery for the lolz

-Calgary misses and wins 2nd in the lottery for extra lolz.

 

[Canovin]

If we miss the playoffs, the same people who said we don't deserve McDavid in 2015 will say we don't deserve Dahlin.

 

[La Bamba]

Klefbom to return to last year's form.

He was trending towards being Roman Josi 2.0 then he decided to become Oilers Justin Schultz 2.0

 

[nexttothemoon]

The team is 9 points out of a playoff spot with 50 games to play.

It's an enormous hole... absolutely. Impossible to dig themselves out of though... no.

Obviously if they can't put the puck in the net at a higher rate and keep it out at a higher rate as well... they are going nowhere. Offense has been improving slowly over the last 10+ games... goaltending and GA... not so much.

Special teams are not special at all. PK especially is abysmal.

They'll go nowhere with the worst save pct in the NHL so either a better goalie needs to be brought in or we have to hope that Talbot/Brossoit/Ellis/The Ghost of Christmas Past somehow can provide better goaltending in the 2nd half.

I still have a confidence that McDavid can help propel this team to a strong push for a playoff spot over the next 50 games. It's certainly a hard journey to get there as games don't get easier in the 2nd half but I still think this team has the ability to gel together and make a hard push for a playoff spot.