I’d encourage you to look at the Penguins lineups they won with in 2017 and 2018 on defense. 2017 especially.
Our defense is no worse than those lineups. Roster commitment to team defense isn’t in the same league, however.
Blaming everything on roster construction is so lame and so old. This is not a talent issue; this is a commitment and focus issue across the lineup top to bottom.
McDavid and Drai can push the pace early in games and force the other team to scramble, but they don’t.
Skinner has the ability to be a great goalie and tighten up the range in his game, but he doesn’t.
McLeod can play a strong two way checking game, but often chooses not to.
Kane can play a simple north/south physical style focused on hitting and shooting, but often would prefer he’s playing in an all star game instead.
Ceci could play a simple, but effective game that cuts out risk, but he doesn’t.
RNH could play a fast brand of hockey with quick puck movement and plays to the middle of the ice, but he often chooses not to.
I could go on. This has absolutely nothing to do with talent on this roster. This roster has difficulty playing with consistency and to the best of their ability individually. Every player on this team finds a way to be the worst version of themselves, and often find ways to do it all at the same time. They are a mentally weak team, and that’s everyone on the roster. The on paper roster flaws of a better #4 d man and a better 3rd line C are not near enough to make us the worst team in the league for stretches of every single season.
Sure. Astute point with Pens. The Pens are the outlier. The rare team that wins SC's without elite D although Letang is. But the Pens won cups through being the best puck possession club on the planet. They would dominate puck possession and skill through the lineup to do it.
i don't agree that our D is no worse. Again we lack anything close to a skill D like Letang. Its possible in future Bouchard could be a gem.
The roster construction is the issue whether you accept that or not. This is an org that didn't even set the table for McDrai and took several years even putting something together with them. The entire time Chiachaos was here he was just bombing out the lineup instead of building one. In earnest the team didn't start making actual improvements to lineup until about 2000-2001.
I never said the team was lacking in talent. Comments like that are as if you'r not reading the posts. The roster was constructed in haphazard way with no plan. Lets just add this player, lets just add that player, lets not draft properly, lets not hold onto players we did draft etc. The team is a hodgepodge.
Vegas basically showed us how to have a plan in mind, what type of team you're trying to build and putting that together. The last time the Oilers were able to do something like that is 05 when they had an NHL cap in place and all these teams having to pare top talent. On its own this org can't construct.
Good luck trying to convince me that McDrai etc are "mentally weak". The 15 or so players just thrown into the lineup hoping something ignites, thats what is weak. That the org has no plan is weak.
