Proposal: Rumors and Proposals Thread: An Athanasiou a Day Would Keep the Flames at Bay

[Fourier]

Yeah, this season is done like dinner now anyhow. Trading assets would be monumentally stupid at this point. We were a border-line NHL team *with* McDavid healthy. Holland is pretty patient though, so (for once) I actually have faith in our GM doing the right thing and not trading our 1st rounder or higher-end prospects.

Literally yesterday I agreed with being buyers and giving McDrai a punchers chance in the playoffs, but things are obviously different now. If McDavid comes back this year (not convinced there isn't additional issues with his PCL), we're gonna be pretty far out of the playoff picture.

Calling the team a border line NHL team with McDavid healthy is ridiculous. Without McDavid they still have as much talent as a team like Ottawa or NJ for example. If they go 2-4-4 as Ottawa did in their next 10 they are probably still in a playoff spot. If they go 4-3-3 as NJ did they likely make the playoffs. Anaheim just went 6-2-2. Its a league where you can win without a star playing well. We will see if this team can put it together but at this point they are not out of it regardless of how the next three weeks go.

 

[Little Fury]

The team is in a very good spot. A spot that the vast majority of the board didnt see happening.
All the team needs to do is tighten up defensively and play .500 hockey until Connor gets back.
That is completely doable and (based on how the season has gone so far) will keep this team in a good spot.
Adversity is what builds good teams. Now its gut check time for this team and we get to see how much character they have.
I'm intrigued.

Except we know how the team fares even when he's in the lineup and not on the ice and it's, uh, not very good.

The big hit here is gonna be on the PP which has been driving a ton of the team's success this season. Without McDavid or some help, I don't see how that success continues.

 

[Little Fury]

Calling the team a border line NHL team with McDavid healthy is ridiculous.

They are a bottom 10 team at even strength with McDavid.

Without McDavid they still have as much talent as a team like Ottawa or NJ for example. If they go 2-4-4 as Ottawa did in their next 10 they are probably still in a playoff spot. If they go 4-3-3 as NJ did they likely make the playoffs. Anaheim just went 6-2-2. Its a league where you can win without a star playing well. We will see if this team can put it together but at this point they are not out of it regardless of how the next three weeks go.

It also depends on how the other teams in the fight do over the same stretch. Even if they somehow managed to hold their ground, there's four teams that could easily vault past them with a hot streak of their own.

 

[guymez]

Except we know how the team fares even when he's in the lineup and not on the ice and it's, uh, not very good.

The big hit here is gonna be on the PP which has been driving a ton of the team's success this season. Without McDavid or some help, I don't see how that success continues.

We know how the team fares?
Well...we know that the team is battling for first in the division....so by that we know that the team is pretty damn good.
Do they have spurts of inconsistency...sure but that shouldnt be a surprise to anyone because this team is still learning how to win.
All things considered I honestly dont understand how you cant be anything but impressed by the season so far.

 

[McDNicks17]

Trade some junk for Galchenyuk. I can't see Minny being overly attached to him.

He can fart around at #2C and then play LW with McDavid when he's back.

 

[SupremeTeam16]

Calling the team a border line NHL team with McDavid healthy is ridiculous. Without McDavid they still have as much talent as a team like Ottawa or NJ for example. If they go 2-4-4 as Ottawa did in their next 10 they are probably still in a playoff spot. If they go 4-3-3 as NJ did they likely make the playoffs. Anaheim just went 6-2-2. Its a league where you can win without a star playing well. We will see if this team can put it together but at this point they are not out of it regardless of how the next three weeks go.

Wouldn’t worry too much about that guys opinion.

His coffee gets cold and he heads for the roof to jump.

 

[McJC]

Trade some junk for Galchenyuk. I can't see Minny being overly attached to him.

He can fart around at #2C and then play LW with McDavid when he's back.

He's tough to fit at 4.9m

 

[3IR]

wrong thread

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Trade some junk for Galchenyuk. I can't see Minny being overly attached to him.

He can fart around at #2C and then play LW with McDavid when he's back.

He can't play center, he's struggling on the Wing right now.

 

[Fourier]

They are a bottom 10 team at even strength with McDavid.

Special teams results actually count. A team with 64 points in 55 games is not a borderline NHL team.

It also depends on how the other teams in the fight do over the same stretch. Even if they somehow managed to hold their ground, there's four teams that could easily vault past them with a hot streak of their own.

The advantage the Oilers have is that almost all of these teams would have to get hot to pass them if they went even 2-4-4 for them to be out of the playoffs. Statistically that is a very unlikely event. Minnesota would have to go 7-2-1 to pass them. Nashville would need to go 7-3. Arizona would need to get 11 points in 7 games if you factor in games in hand. Calgary and Vegas would need 9 points in 8 games. So even at 2-4-4 their chances of being in a playoff spot would be at least 50-50.

 

[Little Fury]

We know how the team fares?
Well...we know that the team is battling for first in the division....so by that we know that the team is pretty damn good.
Do they have spurts of inconsistency...sure but that shouldnt be a surprise to anyone because this team is still learning how to win.
All things considered I honestly dont understand how you cant be anything but impressed by the season so far.

You're talking about the overall results with McDavid. I'm looking at the 44% GF% with him off the ice and the poor 5v5 performance.

I can be pleased with the results without being under any illusions about what's driving them.

 

[McShogun99]

Trade some junk for Galchenyuk. I can't see Minny being overly attached to him.

He can fart around at #2C and then play LW with McDavid when he's back.

If Crosby/Malkin couldn't get him going then I doubt anyone on the Oilers can.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

I still see Holland nipping around the edges for trade deadline. Connor's injury is a massive blow which will require this team to really up its own zone play. But I might see the 3rd centre discussions intensifying (assuming their targeting this) with a player like Granlund, Tierney or Pageau.

 

[edmoil3]

I’ve seen this movie before. The oilers don’t do anything at the deadline and the GM makes a cheeky “well we just added the best player in the world” joke when 97 returns.

 

[Little Fury]

Special teams results actually count. A team with 64 points in 55 games is not a borderline NHL team.

We're talking about the team without McDavid, though.

The advantage the Oilers have is that almost all of these teams would have to get hot to pass them if they went even 2-4-4 for them to be out of the playoffs. Statistically that is a very unlikely event. Minnesota would have to go 7-2-1 to pass them. Nashville would need to go 7-3. Arizona would need to get 11 points in 7 games if you factor in games in hand. Calgary and Vegas would need 9 points in 8 games. So even at 2-4-4 their chances of being in a playoff spot would be at least 50-50.

Getting 8 points in 10 games seems like a stretch for this team given the schedule. 6 points would be a great result at this point.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

I’ve seen this movie before. The oilers don’t do anything at the deadline and the GM makes a cheeky “well we just added the best player in the world” joke when 97 returns.

Not much to suggest this, but I guess we can always hope.

 

[Jesus Take the Wheel]

Trade some junk for Galchenyuk. I can't see Minny being overly attached to him.

He can fart around at #2C and then play LW with McDavid when he's back.

If they Pens can't get anything out of Chucky with Malkin and Crosby, I can't see him been of any use to the Oilers

 

[guymez]

You're talking about the overall results with McDavid. I'm looking at the 44% GF% with him off the ice and the poor 5v5 performance.

I can be pleased with the results without being under any illusions about what's driving them.

A couple of things here...first...special teams matter.
Secondly their biggest issue 5x5 is that they have struggled maintaining the defensibve structure necessary to have good 5x5 numbers.
That really isnt all that surprising to me given how bad this team was defensively last season. They had a huge gap to overcome. They still have work to do in that regard but they have improved form the team we saw last season.
Now the team has the best reason possible to really prioritize their defenisve play.

I want to see how this plays out.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Hall on the Trade bait board

I assume to get the Oiler fans in a tizzy
Trade Bait: Arizona Coyotes could face tough call on Taylor Hall - TSN.ca

 

[Little Fury]

A couple of things here...first...special teams matter.

Yeah and McDavid has been a bit of a factor in that PP, no?

Secondly their biggest issue 5x5 is that they have struggled maintaining the defensibve structure necessary to have good 5x5 numbers.
That really isnt all that surprising to me given how bad this team was defensively last season. They had a huge gap to overcome. They still have work to do in that regard but they have improved form the team we saw last season.
Now the team has the best reason possible to really prioritize their defenisve play.

I would think that being in the thick of a playoff race would be motivation enough to tighten things up, not to mention that 2/3 of the season should be lots of time to work the kinks out of the systems. Maybe it's a personnel problem? And if it is, I don't see how loading more responsibility on the players who haven't been able to consistently execute at either end of the ice could be expected to end well.

I want to see how this plays out.

I'm not counting them out, but simply saying why it's important they get some help ASAP.

 

[The Safe Play]

Hall on the Trade bait board

I assume to get the Oiler fans in a tizzy
Trade Bait: Arizona Coyotes could face tough call on Taylor Hall - TSN.ca

DO IT HOLLAND

 

[guymez]

Yeah and McDavid has been a bit of a factor in that PP, no?



I would think that being in the thick of a playoff race would be motivation enough to tighten things up, not to mention that 2/3 of the season should be lots of time to work the kinks out of the systems. Maybe it's a personnel problem? And if it is, I don't see how loading more responsibility on the players who haven't been able to consistently execute at either end of the ice could be expected to end well.



I'm not counting them out, but simply saying why it's important they get some help ASAP.

Look...you are absolutely entitled to paint a defeatist picture if you want.
Will this be tough...yes it will...however...
I am looking at this as an opportunity for this team. An opportunity to tighten things up defenisvely. An opportunity to for Leon to lead the team. An opportunity for the team to rally around Leon.
I see opportunity here for this team...I dont see this as a fatal blow.

I do agree that they need help though. That said rallying for 2 weeks is entirely doable.

 

[Ck1]

Reason we’re in this situation is because of the lack of depth so let’s not be stupid and trade our assets for a rental. If we’re going to use any assets what ever is coming back needs to have term or don’t make the trade imo

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Reason we’re in this situation is because of the lack of depth so let’s not be stupid and trade our assets for a rental. If we’re going to use any assets what ever is coming back needs to have term or don’t make the trade imo

What situation? Our lack of depth hurt the best player in the world in the middle of a close playoff race?

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Reason we’re in this situation is because of the lack of depth so let’s not be stupid and trade our assets for a rental. If we’re going to use any assets what ever is coming back needs to have term or don’t make the trade imo

The reason the Oilers are in this situation is the inability to replace the best player on the planet because of previous rentals? I'm not sure how that tracks exactly.