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

[Drivesaitl]

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

I dunno. Boston folded like a cheap tent in first round once the intensity rachets up. They had trouble maintaining pace were outskated and unceremoniously bounced. Caps and Pens are too old to even be factors. Dallas number one problem is age and not being able to play every game or period the way they have to. Carolina got bounced too. We're at the cusp right now of that. Keep in mind we have Holland as GM who loves old players, and a coach in Woody who doesn't trust young players. Bouchard being the only exception but one would have to be a dunce not to play Booch.

 

[Mr Positive]

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.

but this could be enough. Look at Hyman for instance. This is the type of complementary top six player we need, not necessarily someone expected to carry a line. Imo Holloway definitely has it in him to reach that. Look at Hyman's production. With McDrai it can be done.

 

[CycloneSweep]

I dunno. Boston folded like a cheap tent in first round once the intensity rachets up. They had trouble maintaining pace were outskated and unceremoniously bounced. Caps and Pens are too old to even be factors. Dallas number one problem is age and not being able to play every game or period the way they have to. Carolina got bounced too. We're at the cusp right now of that. Keep in mind we have Holland as GM who loves old players, and a coach in Woody who doesn't trust young players. Bouchard being the only exception but one would have to be a dunce not to play Booch.

So we need to trade guys like Kane, Hyman and Drai for guys 5-10 years younger.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

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

Really? I have to explain it?

Malkin - 37
Crosby - 36
Letang - 36
EK - 33

McDavid - 26
Drai - 27
Nurse - 28
Bouchard - 23

 

[Drivesaitl]

So we need to trade guys like Kane, Hyman and Drai for guys 5-10 years younger.

Thats not what I'm saying. But a team can't ALWAYS be adding players that are as old as Hyman, Kane, Brown, Gagner, Ekholm etc. Thats a quick way to get older as a team in a hurry and 4 of those players are to have prominent roles. Its one thing for your own players to age. But to only be adding players that are old by hockey standards is problematic and its Hollands calling card forever.

Hockey has a certain young turk component to it that is unmistakable. Right now the Oilers are OLDER than the 1990 Oilers team that needed an urgent injection of Kid Line heroics. Just food for thought.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Really? I have to explain it?

Malkin - 37
Crosby - 36
Letang - 36
EK - 33

McDavid - 26
Drai - 27
Nurse - 28
Bouchard - 23

lmfao The Penguins in 2023 are icing a disaster model. An outlier aged team that can't do a f***ing thing. They're textbook example of age being an immense issue.

"Really? I have to explain it? "

The Pens are the example that no team should be following in 2023. That team is a f***ing ancient, thats going nowhere. Maybe people will keep buying tickets...

The Pens and the Caps are lost at sea. Way too old and a core that is way too old.

Funny how you put Bouchard there too instead of Ekholm.

yep, the Oilers are young compared to the Pens. I'm young compared to somebody who is a Century old..

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

lmfao The Penguins in 2023 are icing a disaster model. An outlier aged team that can't do a f***ing thing. They're textbook example of age being an immense issue.

"Really? I have to explain it? "

The Pens are the example that no team should be following in 2023. That team is a f***ing aged disaster thats going nowhere. Maybe people will keep buying tickets...

The Pens and the Caps are lost at sea. Way too old and a core that is way too old.

Funny how you put Bouchard there too instead of Ekholm.

yep, the Oilers are young compared to the Pens. I'm young compared to somebody who is a Century old..

Oh god I give up. Sure add Ekholm the point still stands. The core isn’t old or comparable to the Pens.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Oh god I give up. Sure add Ekholm the point still stands. The core isn’t old or comparable to the Pens.

I never stated the Oilers core was comparable to the old Pens. I maintained throughout that Pens and Caps are in an aged disaster class all of their own. But there you go changing the goal posts..

I even selected my words carefully stating the Oilers Core isn't young. Thats not inaccurate.

You don't even bother to read posts.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

I never stated the Oilers core was comparable to the old Pens. I maintained throughout that Pens and Caps are in an aged disaster class all of their own. But there you go changing the goal posts..

Ok.

 

[Yuke]

Thats not what I'm saying. But a team can't ALWAYS be adding players that are as old as Hyman, Kane, Brown, Gagner, Ekholm etc. Thats a quick way to get older as a team in a hurry and 4 of those players are to have prominent roles. Its one thing for your own players to age. But to only be adding players that are old by hockey standards is problematic and its Hollands calling card forever.

Hockey has a certain young turk component to it that is unmistakable. Right now the Oilers are OLDER than the 1990 Oilers team that needed an urgent injection of Kid Line heroics. Just food for thought.

Yes, Holland does add older players. Almost every team that is a true contender go for the experienced playoff performer. Not Just Holland.
But, your point of age with this team cannot be a concern this year. I expect a 1 to 2 year run, then start trading off the Hyman, Ekholm, Kane type players for young talent. If this does not happen, then we have a real problem.

 

[Stoneman89]

Might as well get Hyman, Kane and Ekholm some walkers and multi-vitamens to start the year. We're done.

 

[FlameChampion]

Thats not what I'm saying. But a team can't ALWAYS be adding players that are as old as Hyman, Kane, Brown, Gagner, Ekholm etc. Thats a quick way to get older as a team in a hurry and 4 of those players are to have prominent roles. Its one thing for your own players to age. But to only be adding players that are old by hockey standards is problematic and its Hollands calling card forever.

Hockey has a certain young turk component to it that is unmistakable. Right now the Oilers are OLDER than the 1990 Oilers team that needed an urgent injection of Kid Line heroics. Just food for thought.

It does seem like Holland keys on players who want to be here. I am assuming thats why guys like Gagner, Cagguila, Sutter etc were targeted.

As far as age goes. I agree that I think we need to start injecting more youth in the line up. But I sometimes get the feeling that maybe its the core, that wants more veteran players added than the GM/Coach? I am not sure they have the patience to deal with rookie mistakes. Maybe I am wrong.

The core should be at the age (now) where bringing in a guys like Keith etc arent required to settle the waters.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Edmonton is actually a completely average team as far as age goes.

The average NHL team age was 27.65 at the end of last year. Edmonton's average age was...27.6.

 

[Drivesaitl]

It does seem like Holland keys on players who want to be here. I am assuming thats why guys like Gagner, Cagguila, Sutter etc were targeted.

As far as age goes. I agree that I think we need to start injecting more youth in the line up. But I sometimes get the feeling that maybe its the core, that wants more veteran players added than the GM/Coach? I am not sure they have the patience to deal with rookie mistakes. Maybe I am wrong.

The core should be at the age (now) where bringing in a guys like Keith etc arent required to settle the waters.

Yeah I wonder a bit too. Its weird that even though McDrai are the best players on Earth they get nervous in the crux and want solid vet support around them. Its like always this feeling that the club doesn't have enough experience or playoff moxy.

But look at the tales of different teams. Pittsburgh and Caps got real old. They both won cups but somehow thought that age wasn't going to be a problem. The Kings, also having won 2 cups went a completely different way and discarded a lot of age, just got rid of it and hung onto what they felt were their key players for a youth injection. So that LA, during a rebuild is at least making playoffs and having a future. Pens and Caps are going to be dead in the water for a long time.

The last thing is nobody should look at the Caps or Pens roster and think that is even a legitimate plan of competing. They're holding onto all the names there in those markets just to sell tickets. Its a winning solution only at the gate. It took balls to do what the Kings did.

You look at a player like Jeff Carter. Really loved the player. I'm sure it hurt like hell for Kings to discard players like that, and Pens adding old Carter, but the Kings knew what plan they had, and really the Pens didn't anymore.

 

[Soundwave]

Yeah I wonder a bit too. Its weird that even though McDrai are the best players on Earth they get nervous in the crux and want solid vet support around them. Its like always this feeling that the club doesn't have enough experience or playoff moxy.

But look at the tales of different teams. Pittsburgh and Caps got real old. They both won cups but somehow thought that age wasn't going to be a problem. The Kings, also having won 2 cups went a completely different way and discarded a lot of age, just got rid of it and hung onto what they felt were their key players for a youth injection. So that LA, during a rebuild is at least making playoffs and having a future. Pens and Caps are going to be dead in the water for a long time.

The last thing is nobody should look at the Caps or Pens roster and think that is even a legitimate plan of competing. They're holding onto all the names there in those markets just to sell tickets. Its a winning solution only at the gate. It took balls to do what the Kings did.

You look at a player like Jeff Carter. Really loved the player. I'm sure it hurt like hell for Kings to discard players like that, and Pens adding old Carter, but the Kings knew what plan they had, and really the Pens didn't anymore.

Isn't that how it's supposed to work? When you win Cups, you get "old" with that core as the years go on.

That's just normal stuff. You're not supposed to be perpetually young as a team, it's cyclical.

We should be so lucky as the Pens and Caps that McDavid and Draisaitl grow old here having already won a Cup or Cups and our main problem is building around that aging core some day. I'll take that any day of the week.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Isn't that how it's supposed to work? When you win Cups, you get "old" with that core as the years go on.

That's just normal stuff. You're not supposed to be perpetually young as a team, it's cyclical.

We should be so lucky as the Pens and Caps that McDavid and Draisaitl grow old here having already won a Cup or Cups and our main problem is building around that aging core some day. I'll take that any day of the week.

Wheres the cup(s)

I'm kind of a student of history and with the two best players on Earth, if the club doesn't win the SC it would be a precedent. It would be like the Boston Bruins not winning with Orr and Esposito. On that level.

I mean even Buffalo with the French Connection, they went down as being maybe the best club to never win. We're way past that level of top players with McDrai.

Should already have one cup. Last season.

 

[Soundwave]

Wheres the cup(s)

I'm kind of a student of history and with the two best players on Earth, if the club doesn't win the SC it would be a precedent. It would be like the Boston Bruins not winning with Orr and Esposito. On that level.

I mean even Buffalo with the French Connection, they went down as being maybe the best club to never win. We're way past that level of top players with McDrai.

Should already have one cup. Last season.

We should but this organization cannot for whatever reason tie it's own shoelaces when it comes to building half way competent defence + goaltending. That's the hold up, McDavid, Draisaitl are already there (at a Cup winning level), the rest of the team specifically the back end of the roster is basically the hold up.

Last year's Cup was there for the taking, our managerial incompetence is basically the reason we don't have it.

It shouldn't be this hard to build a blue line that can defend once in a while and finding a goalie who can make a big save in a playoff game now and again.