GDT: Preseason Game #5 - Hump Day! Edm @ Van - 7 PM MST on SN

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Oilers are among the oldest teams in the league. Depending who we trot out in first game right up there. Unlike other clubs we have virtually no prospects coming up. We don't have a youth movement of any kind coming in to provide energy and jump and on ELC digestible contracts. We have Holloway and thats about it. I would have thought Bourgault but he's disappeared.

In anycase the other contending teams have already won their cups. We haven't got any. It’s sobering, maybe just to me, that we're at this stage and the team has a high point of 8 playoff wins in a season. Thats the highwater mark of the McDrai arch thus far.

Are most contending teams older or not? That’s all I asked.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Are most contending teams older or not? That’s all I asked.

Vegas wasn’t exactly young.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Are most contending teams older or not? That’s all I asked.

Which teams do you see as contenders? Hard to answer really and depends on which clubs considered.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Vegas wasn’t exactly young.

They won in a one off and being a team that would have won no other year. They were always found lacking each spring. They had an easy path last spring. Made easy frankly due to Skinner shitting the bed and Woody starting him every game. Game 1 should have given every reason not to.

Vegas had the immense fortune of other cup winners like Tampa and Colorado having off playoffs. Or Boston disappearing in playoffs, Carolina, etc. Getting Florida in a final was the biggest joke since the last time Florida found themselves in a final. A cakewalk.

Even at that in average Age Vegas are now middle of the pack, and younger than we are.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Which teams do you see as contenders? Hard to answer really and depends on which clubs considered.

Tell you what let’s just go playoffs teams last year because you keep dancing around the question

 

[CycloneSweep]

I said we had most of our starting lineup out there. Nuge, Kane, Brown, Janmark, Holloway(I expect to make the club)Ryan, Bouchard/Nurse. Skinner. Thats nine players already.

Some of the rest will end up making the club. Basically a choice of Bro or Nemo or Desharnais all of whom played. At forward looks to be one or more spots available as well that could be filled by a Lavoie or Peterson or whoever that was out there. I even worry Woody is pencilling in Malone again, but thats me. lol

In anycase minimally 10 starters were out there yesterday, possibly 11 or 12..

Here is what played yesterday (Holloway) didn’t.

Kane - No - Brown
RNH - No - No
No - No - No
Someone - Ryan - Janmark

Nurse - Bouchard
No - No
No - Desharnais/broberg

Skinner

So we missed our top 9 centers, entire third line and half of our dcore

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Here is what played yesterday (Holloway) didn’t.

Kane - No - Brown
RNH - No - No
No - No - No
Someone - Ryan - Janmark

Nurse - Bouchard
No - No
No - Desharnais/broberg

Skinner

So we missed our top 9 centers, entire third line and half of our dcore

It's always funny, people are like "but they dressed half their top-6" and that's true, however the players from that top-6 that were missing might be "slightly better" than the guys that were dressed.

Also good to see abject panic, seems like a reasonable response around here (obviously not you Cy)

 

[CycloneSweep]

Oilers are among the oldest teams in the league. Depending who we trot out in first game right up there. Unlike other clubs we have virtually no prospects coming up. We don't have a youth movement of any kind coming in to provide energy and jump and on ELC digestible contracts. We have Holloway and thats about it. I would have thought Bourgault but he's disappeared.

In anycase the other contending teams have already won their cups. We haven't got any. Its sobering, maybe just to me, that we're at this stage and the team has a high point of 8 playoff wins in a season. Thats the highwater mark of the McDrai arch thus far.

One of the oldest?
Where do you get that from?
At the end of last season we were the 18th oldest team. We lost Kostin and Yamamoto and replaced them with potentially Lavoie and Holloway.
How is that exactly getting older?
Don’t make stuff up that’s easy to find

Average Age Of Each NHL Roster At End Of 2022-23 Season

With the 2022-23 regular season now in the books, we can take our annual look at the average roster ages as they sit at the end of the season. We can also compare to the opening night roster ages w…

novacapsfans.com

Out of the teams younger than us last year, only 2 made playoffs. One team equal in age made the playoffs, the remaining 12 playoff teams were older.

ALL of the final 4 teams were older than us as well. Huh, seems like we are right around the age of the contenders.
Come on dude.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

One of the oldest?
Where do you get that from?
At the end of last season we were the 18th oldest team. We lost Kostin and Yamamoto and replaced them with potentially Lavoie and Holloway.
How is that exactly getting older?
Don’t make stuff up that’s easy to find

Look Cy, he's long past the age where he verifies things, replacement says statement that he feels are true there for he feels that they are.

 

[Drivesaitl]

One of the oldest?
Where do you get that from?
At the end of last season we were the 18th oldest team. We lost Kostin and Yamamoto and replaced them with potentially Lavoie and Holloway.
How is that exactly getting older?
Don’t make stuff up that’s easy to find

Average Age Of Each NHL Roster At End Of 2022-23 Season

With the 2022-23 regular season now in the books, we can take our annual look at the average roster ages as they sit at the end of the season. We can also compare to the opening night roster ages w…

novacapsfans.com

Out of the teams younger than us last year, only 2 made playoffs. One team equal in age made the playoffs, the remaining 12 playoff teams were older.

ALL of the final 4 teams were older than us as well. Huh, seems like we are right around the age of the contenders.
Come on dude.

This isn't the end of last season is it. The Oilers could be icing a lineup anywhere over 28.5yrs of age by the time starting lineup is announced. This here is an approximation of where the clubs stand right now:

https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/pens-talk/pittsburgh-penguins-veterans-hope-fend-aging

Now for sure Pitts or Wash is most definitely NOT where you want to be and both those clubs missed playoffs showing how inexorable the effects of aging is. You shouldn't want to be anywhere near 30 age average.

Not making stuff up. I will update average age of club when starting lineup is announced. I can't see it being lower than the 28.5 cited figure.

 

[Drivesaitl]

It's not about doom or gloom, the team should be fine (though they can't afford to take things for granted either ... they are not some powerhouse like Tampa has been) in the regular season.

But the goaltending and D are not getting any leash this year. If they are showing the same kinds of problems that manifested very clearly in the playoffs, they are going to get called out for it.

Just all there is to it.

Skinner and Campbell are not going to have the benefit of being given a pass for poor games and poor habits on the ice this year.

Situations where Nurse has his thumb up his ass not covering any one in front of the net ... that also isn't gonna fly this year and be given a pass either.

Just how it goes.

The lineup was better that we iced in the playoffs or ended season with than the one now. We also had some fortune getting some players that perhaps should not have been available. For instance Ekholm, but getting Bjugstad also a plus and that we had a year of Kostin. This offseason was really light. Cagg already a complete bust. Gagner with two hip surgeries. Because of Holland contracts he really has no room to acquire anything significant.

Gotta be said Nuge, Hyman, Kane have all given us career years but I don't know we can count on this type of thing being a constant pipeline.

Look Cy, he's long past the age where he verifies things, replacement says statement that he feels are true there for he feels that they are.

I just did cite it. I've cited it before.

I produce citations regularly, your complete bs not withstanding.

 

[Louis Cypher]

The lineup was better that we iced in the playoffs or ended season with than the one now. We also had some fortune getting some players that perhaps should not have been available. For instance Ekholm, but getting Bjugstad also a plus and that we had a year of Kostin. This offseason was really light. Cagg already a complete bust. Gagner with two hip surgeries. Because of Holland contracts he really has no room to acquire anything significant.

Gotta be said Nuge, Hyman, Kane have all given us career years but I don't know we can count on this type of thing being a constant pipeline.


I just did cite it. I've cited it before.

I produce citations regularly, your complete bs not withstanding.

Caggs is perfect for the minors. We need some vets. Gags may never play again.
I hope Sutter makes the team. Sucks about Bukstadt and Kostin but Holloway can replace Kostin and hopefully Sutter can replace Bukstadt. That's a wash if not a plus with Holoway. Brown healthy is a big upgrade on Yammo. So where did we regress?

 

[Davo Ikinzom]

Caggs is perfect for the minors. We need some vets. Gags may never play again.
I hope Sutter makes the team. Sucks about Bukstadt and Kostin but Holloway can replace Kostin and hopefully Sutter can replace Bukstadt. That's a wash if not a plus with Holoway. Brown healthy is a big upgrade on Yammo. So where did we regress?

Sutter retired today by the way.

 

[Soundwave]

To bad about Sutter. Long term COVID must be something seriously awful for those that get hit hard by it. Think we should just ride Lavoie and let him have a shot, Erne and Pedersen can go to the AHL without worry of being picked off and then brought up later.

There's nothing that great on our bottom 6 going anyway as is, we spent a pretty high pick to get Lavoie, unless he bombs the rest of camp I would lean towards just having him on the roster, but he has to show that he can at least be competent.

Janmark Ryan Foegele (vet checking line)
Holloway McLeod Lavoie (kid/energy line)

Is what I'd roll with based on what we have.

 

[Stoneman89]

Season hasn't even started, and we have some people on here already panicking. This site kills me sometimes.

 

[Nostradumbass]

Season hasn't even started, and we have some people on here already panicking. This site kills me sometimes.

Breaking News: Complainers like to complain. More at 11.

 

[CycloneSweep]

This isn't the end of last season is it. The Oilers could be icing a lineup anywhere over 28.5yrs of age by the time starting lineup is announced. This here is an approximation of where the clubs stand right now:

https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/pens-talk/pittsburgh-penguins-veterans-hope-fend-aging

Now for sure Pitts or Wash is most definitely NOT where you want to be and both those clubs missed playoffs showing how inexorable the effects of aging is. You shouldn't want to be anywhere near 30 age average.

Not making stuff up. I will update average age of club when starting lineup is announced. I can't see it being lower than the 28.5 cited figure.

So we are tied for 8th oldest with 3 other contending teams. This list has a few teams that just missed the playoffs, SanJose and a bunch of playoff/contending teams. I’d argue one of the oldest teams would be like top 3-5.
At the end of the day the important part is your core which for a contending team is still relatively young.

Let’s look at the actual age of our predicted team.

Kane 32 - McDavid 26 - Brown 29
RNH 30 - Drai 27 - Hyman 31
Holloway 22 - McLeod 24 - Foegele 27
Janmark 30 - Ryan 36 - Pedersen 26

Nurse 28 - Ceci 29
Ekholm 33 - Bouchard 23
Kulak 29 - Broberg 22

Skinner 24

So if Skinner starts 27.78 if it’s Campbell 28.15

 

[Mr Positive]

So we are tied for 8th oldest with 3 other contending teams. This list has a few teams that just missed the playoffs, SanJose and a bunch of playoff/contending teams. I’d argue one of the oldest teams would be like top 3-5.
At the end of the day the important part is your core which for a contending team is still relatively young.

Let’s look at the actual age of our predicted team.

Kane 32 - McDavid 26 - Brown 29
RNH 30 - Drai 27 - Hyman 31
Holloway 22 - McLeod 24 - Foegele 27
Janmark 30 - Ryan 36 - Pedersen 26

Nurse 28 - Ceci 29
Ekholm 33 - Bouchard 23
Kulak 29 - Broberg 22

Skinner 24

So if Skinner starts 27.78 if it’s Campbell 28.15

there is a real age concern but it's with a certain set of players. It's RNH, Hyman, and Kane. I'd add Ekholm there. In even 2-3 years it will be a problem. That's why I think that we need to have some emphasis on youth. Try to maximize Holloway's potential as much as possible so he might approach to replace what RNH gives. And you never know with a guy like Bourgault or Lavoie even. I bet there is a whiteboard somewhere in the org where it shows the plan to have Broberg learn from Ekholm and eventually replace him. There are also some older players in the bottom six who will of course be gone and replaced just as easily so our ranking is a bit inflated

The core of the team is fine. McDavid, Draisaitl, Nurse, McLeod and Skinner will have long careers still. We just have to manage that older middle tier

 

[CycloneSweep]

Oh for sure. I think our window closes pretty shut in 2-3 seasons honestly. We have wasted our last bunch of first round picks honestly so I think we are in trouble there. But till then age wise we are fine. I don’t see Broberg, Holloway, Bourgault, Lavoie or really any other prospect we have being an impact or top 6/top 4 player so that’ll be a problem as guys like Kane/RNH/Hyman age.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

This isn't the end of last season is it. The Oilers could be icing a lineup anywhere over 28.5yrs of age by the time starting lineup is announced. This here is an approximation of where the clubs stand right now:

https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/pens-talk/pittsburgh-penguins-veterans-hope-fend-aging

Now for sure Pitts or Wash is most definitely NOT where you want to be and both those clubs missed playoffs showing how inexorable the effects of aging is. You shouldn't want to be anywhere near 30 age average.

Not making stuff up. I will update average age of club when starting lineup is announced. I can't see it being lower than the 28.5 cited figure.

Your core being old is a lot different than complimentary players and Derek Ryan.

 

[Mr Positive]

Oh for sure. I think our window closes pretty shut in 2-3 seasons honestly. We have wasted our last bunch of first round picks honestly so I think we are in trouble there. But till then age wise we are fine. I don’t see Broberg, Holloway, Bourgault, Lavoie or really any other prospect we have being an impact or top 6/top 4 player so that’ll be a problem as guys like Kane/RNH/Hyman age.

imo there are two elements to a prospects succeeding. The biggest is of course the talent and dedication they bring. But, secondly and perhaps underratedly, there's the development aparatus of the team and the playing environment. I'd argue that the Oilers have an ideal environment for a player to hit their potential. Maybe someone like Yakupov could have been better despite his faults if he didn't have a coach like Eakins, and wasn't on a team that was always being caved in on the ice.

Having said that, on a good team there is a new problem for prospects: ice time is harder to come by. I still say that this trade is worth it, as guys like Broberg and Lavoie do get some NHL time on this great team, and get to train and practice with elite players. If there's anything great in Holloway for instance, I bet we find it.

 

[Drivesaitl]

So we are tied for 8th oldest with 3 other contending teams. This list has a few teams that just missed the playoffs, SanJose and a bunch of playoff/contending teams. I’d argue one of the oldest teams would be like top 3-5.
At the end of the day the important part is your core which for a contending team is still relatively young.

Let’s look at the actual age of our predicted team.

Kane 32 - McDavid 26 - Brown 29
RNH 30 - Drai 27 - Hyman 31
Holloway 22 - McLeod 24 - Foegele 27
Janmark 30 - Ryan 36 - Pedersen 26

Nurse 28 - Ceci 29
Ekholm 33 - Bouchard 23
Kulak 29 - Broberg 22

Skinner 24

So if Skinner starts 27.78 if it’s Campbell 28.15

Well you picked the youngest players possible to be in the lineup, who we're not positive will be in the lineup, for instance Pedersen, Broberg. For all we know its Gagner and Desharnais, or something like that.

Thing is, if you look at all the teams older than us their number one problem is age creeping up, players getting slower, mounting injuries and the like. Basically what happens more in hockey when you approach age 30 or more.

Given that Drai is 28 this month we're icing a topsix with an average age of over 29. Even if you take Drai at present age the team starts the year with topsix average age of just over 29. If you think thats a good thing...
The average age of our topsix Wingers, the guys expected to get on pucks, on forecheck, is close to 31. Thats starting the season. Again that isn't ideal.

Anyway just posting this because its interesting, and theres no games on today or anything else to talk about.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Well you picked the youngest players possible to be in the lineup, who we're not positive will be in the lineup, for instance Pedersen, Broberg. For all we know its Gagner and Desharnais, or something like that.

Thing is, if you look at all the teams older than us their number one problem is age creeping up, players getting slower, mounting injuries and the like. Basically what happens more in hockey when you approach age 30 or more.

Given that Drai is 28 this month we're icing a topsix with an average age of over 29. Even if you take Drai at present age the team starts the year with topsix average age of just over 29. If you think thats a good thing...
The average age of our topsix Wingers, the guys expected to get on pucks, on forecheck, is close to 31. Thats starting the season. Again that isn't ideal.

Anyway just posting this because its interesting, and theres no games on today or anything else to talk about.

We are getting up there in age and it will e a problem, just absolutely not yet and most likely not next season either. After that we will definitely have trouble

 

[Drivesaitl]

Your core being old is a lot different than complimentary players and Derek Ryan.

Not sure what you mean. Our core isn't young.

 

[CycloneSweep]

imo there are two elements to a prospects succeeding. The biggest is of course the talent and dedication they bring. But, secondly and perhaps underratedly, there's the development aparatus of the team and the playing environment. I'd argue that the Oilers have an ideal environment for a player to hit their potential. Maybe someone like Yakupov could have been better despite his faults if he didn't have a coach like Eakins, and wasn't on a team that was always being caved in on the ice.

Having said that, on a good team there is a new problem for prospects: ice time is harder to come by. I still say that this trade is worth it, as guys like Broberg and Lavoie do get some NHL time on this great team, and get to train and practice with elite players. If there's anything great in Holloway for instance, I bet we find it.

Possibly yeah, I just don’t see it with our prospects. Holloway is a hard worker but I think he is much closer to a Connor Brown in his peak than a legit top 6 threat. Broberg doesn’t have the iq to be a legit top 4 guy and I don’t think Lavoie has the overall game to be a legit impact guy either.

Lots of guys that are middle of the pack potential guys will be hard. Bad drafting still hurts us.