Player Discussion Jay Woodcroft

[McJadeddog]

Why for the love of God won't they change up the pp personnel even a little?

In a year that has been VERY frustrating, this might be the most frustrating part of it. There is literally ZERO downside to changing up the PP, and would be exceptionally easy to do, yet Woodcroft simply REFUSES to do so. It's one of the most maddening things I've ever seen in any sport in my entire life.

 

[oobga]

So, it seems like our PP is best when there is a crazy confused scramble, or on the rush. So, I would recommend that we stop trying to set up in the zone first. Just try rushes over and over, and if we get control inside the zone, just toss it back to our own blue line and try another rush. And if that's not working, just flip the puck up 50ft into the hair so it lands in the middle of the offensive zone and hope to cash in off some chaos.

I think the whole setting up in the zone thing is a lost cause with old Woodcroft at this point. Let's try to work around it.

 

[McJadeddog]

Can somebody, anybody, give me even a half-hearted excuse as to why this f***ing idiot still has a job? Our atrocious PP and PK have been the reason for half, if not more, of our losses this year.

The guy is a complete joke, and it's a travesty that he is still employed.

 

[oobga]

Pulju had pretty good english speaking skills on the PP tonight. However, not quite Letestu good still IMO. Not many speak english at a Letestu level.

 

[BudBundy]

Fire him. Just fire him. Simply fire him.

 

[Belieber]

I just sit there shaking my head at Letestu out there with so much talent sitting on the bench.

I know he has the one timer and everything but to anchor your first PP unit with a guy that unskilled is craziness.

 

[Burnt Biscuits]

Letestu was tied for 12th in the NHL in PP goals last season. This season he is tied for 2nd on the team in PP points (Lucic and RNH are tied with him and did it in less time). He leads the team in shots on the PP with 29 only Klefbom is close to him with 28, McDavid is the next closest at 19 followed by RNH & Draisaitl at 18. Our PP seems to lack in terms of willing shooters and Letestu seems quite willing and he has the added utility of being able to win a draw.

I understand the sentiment of our PP isn't good enough yell at the 4th liner cause he shouldn't be out there, but if you are making your judgement purely based on results based evidence, Letestu isn't the weak link on the PP, oddly enough this season it is Draisaitl. If you want goat horns for the 2nd unit, they seem most fitting on Maroon of the regular 2nd unit PP guys.

Our PP looks good when we are in constant movement and getting the PKers moving with us, but we have a tendency to being stagnant and overpassing on the perimeter and that blame should fall on Woodcroft. Though one good thing to say about the Woodcroft PP is we seem to gain zone entry with possession really often, it's the decisions, plays, and execution afterwards that are frustrating.

I also don't know how many times I've said this, but my understanding is Woodcroft is responsible for the PP and Johnson is responsible for running the defense and the PK, does anyone have an article stating that Woodcroft is the main culprit responsible for the PK. I'm also not sure why McLellan and Woodcroft always shoulder the blame and no one ever discusses Johnson or Herbers.

 

[Fourier]

Letestu was tied for 12th in the NHL in PP goals last season. This season he is tied for 2nd on the team in PP points (Lucic and RNH are tied with him and did it in less time). He leads the team in shots on the PP with 29 only Klefbom is close to him with 28, McDavid is the next closest at 19 followed by RNH & Draisaitl at 18. Our PP seems to lack in terms of willing shooters and Letestu seems quite willing and he has the added utility of being able to win a draw.

I understand the sentiment of our PP isn't good enough yell at the 4th liner cause he shouldn't be out there, but if you are making your judgement purely based on results based evidence, Letestu isn't the weak link on the PP, oddly enough this season it is Draisaitl. If you want goat horns for the 2nd unit, they seem most fitting on Maroon of the regular 2nd unit PP guys.

Our PP looks good when we are in constant movement and getting the PKers moving with us, but we have a tendency to being stagnant and overpassing on the perimeter and that blame should fall on Woodcroft. Though one good thing to say about the Woodcroft PP is we seem to gain zone entry with possession really often, it's the decisions, plays, and execution afterwards that are frustrating.

I also don't know how many times I've said this, but my understanding is Woodcroft is responsible for the PP and Johnson is responsible for running the defense and the PK, does anyone have an article stating that Woodcroft is the main culprit responsible for the PK. I'm also not sure why McLellan and Woodcroft always shoulder the blame and no one ever discusses Johnson or Herbers.

The pp seems to be designed around getting Letestu a shot. Or at least it feels that way.

McDavid is tied for 57th in pp points. Letestu is tied for 122 nd with 6. But what is most telling is that he is only 7 minutes behind McDavid in pp toi at 108. The next highest forward is Lucic at 95.

Draisatl has 3 pp points in 94 minutes. How does this happen with a guy who is one of the League leaders in ES points per game unless he is not really getting many touches.

 

[tsnTpoint]

You have Marc Letestu playing in the 5 on 3 power play unit. Let that sink in for a second.

Marc Letestu does not belong on any sort of power play. He struck lightning last year filling in for Eberle, but the tenure should be over.

How can you still have a job when your power play is ranked where it is with Mcdavid, Draisatl, RNH etc... Complete joke.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

The team lacks a good sniper. Everyone wants to pass. You know you've got issues when Strome passed up an empty net.

 

[shoop]

PK is ~57 or 58% at home. Since the Oilers have been in the league that's 10% worse than a team has gone a full-season at home.

How, how, how is Woodcock still employed?

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

He doesn't run the PK.

 

[LJellySlam]

It's becoming painfully clear Mcdavid is merely average at being the set play QB. One of our PP options should be the "roving Mcdavid". When he dances around the o-zone with the puck, the box collapses and the seams open up. This is Mcdavid at his best.. not the half-board QB.

 

[missinthejets]

The pp seems to be designed around getting Letestu a shot. Or at least it feels that way. Orr at least it seems that way far too often. McDavidis tied for 57th in pp points. Letestu is tied for 122 nd with 6. But what is most telling is that he is only 7 minutes behind McDavid in pp toi at 108. The next highest forward is Lucic at 95.

Draisatl has 3 pp points in 94 minutes. How does this happen with a guy who is one of the League leaders in ES points per game unless he is not really getting many touches.

It really is designed that way. The PP sucked last year but it got a spark with Letestu and Klefbom being put on there and having success shooting... so they're sticking with it regardless of how shit both players have been for the bulk of the season. Time to change it up cause it's not working. Letestu has lost that magic he had, a guy like Puljujarvi should get a chance because he's just got so much more skill than Letestu. Stop handicapping your PP just cause it worked for a half a season last year.

 

[bobbythebrain]

 

[Fourier]

It's becoming painfully clear Mcdavid is merely average at being the set play QB. One of our PP options should be the "roving Mcdavid". When he dances around the o-zone with the puck, the box collapses and the seams open up. This is Mcdavid at his best.. not the half-board QB.

I fully agree. McDavid on the move is the most dangerous player in the NHL. But standing still takes away so much of his advantage. The whole pp is way too static.

 

[LTIR]

Just start with 2nd PP unit .. they are clearly more productive and only getting 30secs of PP time may light a fire under top unit.

 

[McShogun99]

JP-Draisaitl-RNH
Klefbom-Mcdavid

RNH is the PP quarterback, Draj sets up in front, JP is the shooter and Mcdavid is the rover.

Letestu-Maroon-Lucic
Strome-Sekera

This is more of a crash the net setup. Letestu takes the draws, Maroon and Lucic cause havoc in front. Sekera is the QB with 2 shooting options from the right side.

 

[oobga]

The pp seems to be designed around getting Letestu a shot. Or at least it feels that way.

McDavid is tied for 57th in pp points. Letestu is tied for 122 nd with 6. But what is most telling is that he is only 7 minutes behind McDavid in pp toi at 108. The next highest forward is Lucic at 95.

Draisatl has 3 pp points in 94 minutes. How does this happen with a guy who is one of the League leaders in ES points per game unless he is not really getting many touches.

Well said. We are still obsessed with trying to set up Letestu, only Letestu's shot isn't good enough to score from far away. So many PP's just end up a big ball of nothing because we can never get the puck to him in a spot he can score. And if we're unfortunate enough to get it to him in a place he can't score and he tries to hold the puck and make a play with it, be ready to be skating that puck from your own end again. Teams have us figured out, we can't go back to Letestu being ignored and taking teams by surprise. And he's not nearly good enough to handle the extra attention he gets. Maybe next year some time we he can shock the hockey world again.

Letestu is 172nd in the NHL in powerplay points/60 (guys with >60 mins of PP time). Our PP is made for him, and we have arguably the best player in the league on our 1st unit. We also have a great playmaker in Drai when the coaches decide to have him on the 1st unit. It's more than clear what we are doing is not working. Give someone else a chance. I'd even be happy with Pulju replacing stone hands Lucic at the net front guy. Just stop gluing Lucic and Letestu to that 1st unit! They are probably #1 and #2 in the NHL in killing PP offensive zone possessions.

 

[Stoneman89]

PK is ~57 or 58% at home. Since the Oilers have been in the league that's 10% worse than a team has gone a full-season at home.

How, how, how is Woodcock still employed?

I thought Johnson runs the PK?

 

[ujju2]

Unpopular opinion: If Drai isn't the primary passer on the powerplay unit (which he's not), or the primary shooter (which he also is not), then we're probably better off putting him on the other unit.

McDavid-Puljujarvi-Lucic-Strome-Sekera
RNH-Draisaitl-Maroon-Cammalleri-Klefbom

Something like that could work. Keep the first line together on the top unit. Strome and Cammalleri are interchangeable with whoever due to our shortage of scoring wingers.

Edit: I realized that the second unit has no right shots, so maybe switch Strome and Cammalleri. And if Cammalleri doesn't work, try Khaira.

 

[shoop]

I thought Johnson runs the PK?

People keep saying that. But why?

I have no problem admitting I'm wrong but a link or something would be nice.

It would also be nice to know exactly what Woodcroft's responsibilities are. The PP has turned around a little so if that's the only thing he's doing sure I guess keep his job.

 

[GameChanger]

Why is TM not taking charge of the PP when it's been obvious for several months that it doesn't work? In the FEL the best head coaches usually set up the best PPs and in fact some even say the PP is the best way to show the quality of the coach. I know it's another league but it still seems to me that powerplay isn't taken too seriously in the Oilers.

To be honest the fans of some other teams have been laughing at the Oilers PP already a while ago. They've e.g. downplayed the team's succesful PK effort by saying things like the Oilers PP is the worst they've seen for ages.

 

[Stoneman89]

People keep saying that. But why?

I have no problem admitting I'm wrong but a link or something would be nice.

It would also be nice to know exactly what Woodcroft's responsibilities are. The PP has turned around a little so if that's the only thing he's doing sure I guess keep his job.

I don't have a link, but I recall hearing this many times. I think it's pretty common for teams to assign assistant coaches to different areas that are their forte and work on them, rather than pile it all on one guy. You consistently say Woodcroft is to blame for the PK. Where are you getting that info from?

 

[shoop]

I don't have a link, but I recall hearing this many times. You consistently say Woodcroft is to blame for the PK. Where are you getting that info from?

Wow you got me with that one. I thought special teams coached both. But good on you for correcting me then turning the question back on me instead of provding evidence for your statement.

Thanks for correcting me. As I said, I have no problem admitting a mistake when proven wrong. Hopefully you can do the same.