The identity of the Oilers: What is it?

[tinfish]

I blame the tier 2 fans for putting too much pressure on the players. There are fans in this city that won't even pay $30 for a hockey puck at rogers place. The sad thing is you can buy oiler brand lube with the puck for only $25 extra and oiler fans still complain.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Being bad at hockey is their identity.
It's been that way for a decade.

 

[Tyrolean]

The way of the loser.

 

[DaGap]

Lottery Winners?

 

[Drivesaitl]

They are a strong transition team with a defense that is good at puck retrieval and transition.

However they are poor at zone control and special teams. Puck cycling is weak. The defense is perhaps league-worst at supporting the offense, mostly when it comes to shooting but in all other categories as well.

Another strength would be at center. At wing they are average or maybe below average.

The main problem with the team is that the weaknesses are so definite that we are very easy to pick apart if the other team forces the issue

With all due respect if you think this is a strong transition team you are now watching much of the better clubs in the league. Just in the WC alone there are 10 clubs with easily a better transition game than us. The Oilers have elemental, and very limited set pieces in transition compared to other clubs and the players are not well versed enough in it to be able to make plan, b, c, d adjustments on the Fly. Watch good teams breakout. They have their sets, but they utilize alternatives in realtime using puck support when the obvious breakouts are taken away. The Oilers are in grade school in puck transition compared to good clubs.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Whatever the identity is its something that departing players don't miss a whole lot being that they, and their teams, are more successful anywhere else and pretty much guaranteed.

How bad is identity that the good news stories are all departing players?

Players that are recruited to play here still largely come here and watch their career prospects die. Few exceptions. Lucic, Maroon and Larsson but two of those guys were considered sure things that couldn't possibly fail here.

 

[Dynamic]

Last year they were a big team that could hit, score, and in general were a tough team to play against. I think we caught a lot of teams off guard and Talbot playing lights out combined with virtually no injuries led to our 103 points.

This year.....we seen the same team at times. But other teams surpassed us in a short time. In my industry we preach “continous improvement”. It looks like the Oilers were complacent alright with just being the same as last year. Chia did very little to make the team better, and actually you could argue they are worse. The players at times look complacent. How many times do we see players just coasting to the bench a game? All this cup contender stuff got to their heads and it seemed everybody in the organization was okay just running last years program.

Meanwhile other teams have obviously scouted us well. They have improved their teams and come prepared to play right from the puck drop against us. This year we have got to be the worst team starting games. It’s frustrating to watch and I’m hoping this is a lesson for next year since this season is done.

 

[StevenF1919]

The team is built all wrong imo. Too many slow, useless players and we don't have a single offensive dman on the back end. When Chia took over he had all of the pieces to build a fast and skilled team and squandered it. He should have complimented our elite forward core with smooth skating puck moving dmen. Instead he traded away our second best player for a dman who has no offensive ability whatsoever and can't move the puck to save his life.

If we had built around McDavid, Hall, Drai, and Barzal this team would be dominating. A top 9 of
X-McDavid-Pulju
Hall-Drai-X
X-Barzal-Eberle
would probably be the best forward group since the salary cap was implemented.

 

[DaGap]

The team is built all wrong imo. Too many slow, useless players and we don't have a single offensive dman on the back end. When Chia took over he had all of the pieces to build a fast and skilled team and squandered it. He should have complimented our elite forward core with smooth skating puck moving dmen. Instead he traded away our second best player for a dman who has no offensive ability whatsoever and can't move the puck to save his life.

If we had built around McDavid, Hall, Drai, and Barzal this team would be dominating. A top 9 of
X-McDavid-Pulju
Hall-Drai-X
X-Barzal-Eberle
would probably be the best forward group since the salary cap was implemented.

Yep he had a chance an piece that could have been moved to improve the team.

I woulda went with

XXX-97-29
4-93-XXX

That woulda been a dynamite top 4 and woulda shletered JP allowing him to develop in the minors

 

[Shibumi]

The team is built all wrong imo. Too many slow, useless players and we don't have a single offensive dman on the back end. When Chia took over he had all of the pieces to build a fast and skilled team and squandered it. He should have complimented our elite forward core with smooth skating puck moving dmen. Instead he traded away our second best player for a dman who has no offensive ability whatsoever and can't move the puck to save his life.

If we had built around McDavid, Hall, Drai, and Barzal this team would be dominating. A top 9 of
X-McDavid-Pulju
Hall-Drai-X
X-Barzal-Eberle
would probably be the best forward group since the salary cap was implemented.

Everything is relative though. Barzal and Pulju would not be on the team.

 

[Mr Positive]

With all due respect if you think this is a strong transition team you are now watching much of the better clubs in the league. Just in the WC alone there are 10 clubs with easily a better transition game than us. The Oilers have elemental, and very limited set pieces in transition compared to other clubs and the players are not well versed enough in it to be able to make plan, b, c, d adjustments on the Fly. Watch good teams breakout. They have their sets, but they utilize alternatives in realtime using puck support when the obvious breakouts are taken away. The Oilers are in grade school in puck transition compared to good clubs.

the big thing is the way the forwards and D interact. They aren't offensive D at all. They are two-way types. They are good defensemen. Russell, Larsson, Klefbom and Nurse in particular can move the puck very well, but it's not offensive strategy. It is the transition game. Our team does not just dump the puck out of the zone. They move it out smartly, and I've watched many teams play and this is a way that our team stands out in a good way. It's just that beyond the strong transition game, there isn't much there. A player like McDavid can make a lot out of that since he can blow past teams with pure speed, but we do have three lines that can make plays on the fly, but even McDavid's line will struggle in the offensive zone on the cycle.

And I get that after a bad loss like this, with it being a signficant losing streak now, that no one is in the mood to say anything vaguely positive about the team. Just know that if we're talking identity, it's about what is positive and negative about a team. In this era of parity, EVERY team will have plenty positive and negative about it, and so EVERY team has an identity. Strong transition is a feature of the Oilers. Almost every exciting play I see from this team is from the transition, from plays that start in the D-zone and involve forwards rushing the puck up the ice, and it's not just a couple forwards involved.

 

[snipes]

I can't ****ing believe a top 5 pick is more likely than the playoffs.

It's sickening. Had so much faith and belief after last year.

 

[Aerrol]

the big thing is the way the forwards and D interact. They aren't offensive D at all. They are two-way types. They are good defensemen. Russell, Larsson, Klefbom and Nurse in particular can move the puck very well, but it's not offensive strategy. It is the transition game. Our team does not just dump the puck out of the zone. They move it out smartly, and I've watched many teams play and this is a way that our team stands out in a good way. It's just that beyond the strong transition game, there isn't much there. A player like McDavid can make a lot out of that since he can blow past teams with pure speed, but we do have three lines that can make plays on the fly, but even McDavid's line will struggle in the offensive zone on the cycle.

And I get that after a bad loss like this, with it being a signficant losing streak now, that no one is in the mood to say anything vaguely positive about the team. Just know that if we're talking identity, it's about what is positive and negative about a team. In this era of parity, EVERY team will have plenty positive and negative about it, and so EVERY team has an identity. Strong transition is a feature of the Oilers. Almost every exciting play I see from this team is from the transition, from plays that start in the D-zone and involve forwards rushing the puck up the ice, and it's not just a couple forwards involved.

Your account name has never been truer. Our team doesn't just dump the puck? RUSSELL doesn't do that?! That is literally his go to strategy man. If you don't believe me I'll count how many times he does it next game. Russell can't pass. He just dumps it out every time. To the other team.

I honestly have no idea what you're watching. The only dman we have that is good at passing it out of our zone cleanly in control is sekera..

Edit: and Nurse most of the time lately. Larsson and Klef used to be good at it. But not so much this season.

 

[McBaevid]

This team should've resembled a team similar to the current Jets. Too bad the management failed drastically by giving away assets for peanuts

 

[Todd from Leduc]

If this team were a food it would be a mayonnaise sandwich on Wonder Bread (Connor being represented by the bread).

 

[oobga]

Rarely ever look ready to play. And be terrible at any special situation hockey (aside from maybe 3v3 sometimes). And be emotionally unengaged except against a handful of teams we have a bit of a "rivalry" (if you can call it that) with.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

they're "supposed" to be a hard team to play against...a tough team that competes hard on the forecheck and makes you pay in the defensive zone
a team with great goaltending with a deadly PP and staunch PK

Instead they are none of that....

They're a mentally fragile team that's crumbled under the weight of expectations. They can't get a save when they need it the most and their Special teams are a disgrace to professional hockey
by far the most disappointing team in the NHL this year

 

[Drivesaitl]

If this team were a food it would be a mayonnaise sandwich on Wonder Bread (Connor being represented by the bread).

Its how I feel watching this team as I fall asleep 6 times trying to watch a period of hockey. I finally gave up on it last night trying to watch the recording.

How on Earth could Chia inherit a club with McD, Drai, Hall, Eberle, Nuge, Yak as forwards and render it boring?

lol at Lucic back to swing and misses. Must have missed 6 scoring chances last night. But hey, people will say "Oh but he's playing well, he's on his career pace" while playing exclusively with Connor McDavid...

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Its how I feel watching this team as I fall asleep 6 times trying to watch a period of hockey. I finally gave up on it last night trying to watch the recording.

How on Earth could Chia inherit a club with McD, Drai, Hall, Eberle, Nuge, Yak as forwards and render it boring?

lol at Lucic back to swing and misses. Must have missed 6 scoring chances last night. But hey, people will say "Oh but he's playing well, he's on his career pace" while playing exclusively with Connor McDavid...

I wouldn't even mind a boring team if they won a lot. But that game last night could cure insomnia.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I wouldn't even mind a boring team if they won a lot. But that game last night could cure insomnia.

I'm astounded, yet again, that the Edmonton Oilers, in a long and proud tradition, could take NYE party night and crap all over it. This is supposed to be a celebration night, not a funeral. Yet the Oilers throughout their history have absolutely sucked in NYE tilts. Whats the alltime record now? 2-13-2 isn't it? Not even counting the two exhibition losses to Russian clubs on NYE back in the 80's.

The Oilers could play Ice Capades on NYE and have trouble scoring...

 

[Aerrol]

I'm astounded, yet again, that the Edmonton Oilers, in a long and proud tradition, could take NYE party night and crap all over it. This is supposed to be a celebration night, not a funeral. Yet the Oilers throughout their history have absolutely sucked in NYE tilts. Whats the alltime record now? 2-13-2 isn't it? Not even counting the two exhibition losses to Russian clubs on NYE back in the 80's.

The Oilers could play Ice Capades on NYE and have trouble scoring...

As frustrating as it is, maybe that's a glimmer of a silver lining: no matter what they're always garbage on NYE so maybe next game will be a win lol.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

I blame the tier 2 fans for putting too much pressure on the players. There are fans in this city that won't even pay $30 for a hockey puck at rogers place. The sad thing is you can buy oiler brand lube with the puck for only $25 extra and oiler fans still complain.

I was at the Rangers game in New York and they were selling Veterans Day commemorative pucks for $25 US with proceeds going to a veterans charity. People there were bitching the same way.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

I think one word answers this: stubborn.

If something's not working, keep trying it until it does. The hillariously few times things do work will be enough to prove that you were in the right all along...

The one game where the PP scores a couple goals, or the PK is perfect balence out the multiple "0 for's" and times where the PK got lit up worse than a Christmas tree on fire (and drenched in karosene)

 

[MoneyGuy]

Identity? This team should go into witness protection.

 

[Kagomeboy]

Identity? This team should go into witness protection.

you not funny.