Your biggest triumph and your worst nightmare this season

[Psychoil]

I am itching for the season to get started. But while I was pondering our season opener, I started to think about what would satisfy me as an oilers fan this year since the playoffs seem less likely now than it did last year. At the same time, I also remembered how I lost passion for watching oiler games into January, which really hit me hard. So I want to know what you guys would consider a big triumph this season and what could potentially be your worst nightmare. I'll start first:

Season triumphs
- Nail Yakupov hits 30 goals and has a huge bounce back season. This would shut up alot of haters and I want Nail to succeed more than anybody on this team.
- RNH reaches near PPG clip while maintaining healthy this year. For me, I want to see RNH take a huge step forward in his point production
- Taylor Hall stays status quo.
- I want our goalies to have good individual years. They both will play crucial roles for the oilers so having good goalies will go a long way
- Leon Draisaitl has a 40+ point season as a rookie with 20 some goals.
- I want us to pound the living crap out of the flames and canucks this year. Nothing makes me happier than dismantling either of those teams in a season series. I don't care if we finish 13th, I want us to destroy the canucks and flames. Oh and the leafs

-Lastly, if we make the playoffs, that would be the greatest triumph but I'd actually be okay with missing the playoffs if the points above happen. Hell, if they all do happen, we might make the playoffs.


Worst nightmares
- we start the year similar to last year and are out by November, even if we are out by January, it will be devastating
- We lose either yakupov, hall, nuge or benoit/purcell to long term injury.
- Our goaltender duo falls apart and we are left sitting with another hole on the team.
- We let the flames finish ahead of us in the standings.
- Yakupov struggles to put up points and critics are chomping at the bit to rip the oilers drafting and development
- WE hypothetically lose the draft lottery after having either Eichel and Mcdavid in our sights.
- I DO NOT want to see taylor hall yell or scream at somebody this year. If Hall continues to show frustration, it'll drive me up the wall. I hate seeing that guy lose and get angry



I'm sure I already cover most of your triumphs and failures this season, but feel free to add some.

Click to read more...

 

[DipsyMcDoodles]

Triumph:
The biggest triumph not only for me but for the entire city is the playoffs. Can't wait to have that crazy atmosphere back again!!

Nightmare:
Repeat of last season basically. I had high hopes for the 13/14 team (too high in hindsight) and the reality of what actually happened hit hard. If it happens again, at least I'll be somewhat prepared

 

[Mcnofool6110]

Biggest triumph: Eberle wins Conn Smythe
Greatest nightmare: Season ending injury to RNH, forcing Drai into #1C, ruining his career. Nurse plays season, ruins his career. Hall requests trade, scratched for last couple of games. Lowe fires MacT, resumes GMness, trades Hall for Joe Thornton. Katz announces Rogers Place building delayed 2 years, Stantec pulls building.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Both involve the Flames and the standings. It shouldn't be too hard to figure it out from there.

 

[rboomercat90]

Worst nightmare is that Eakins really is as terrible a coach as it looked like he was last year.

 

[Replacement*]

Nightmare? Eakins, nuff said.

Triumph? When Gagner scores a hat trick in his homecoming, no wait, Taylor Hall, no wait..

Triumph would be getting by Xmas and still having a realistic shot at a playoff position.

Triumph would be taking a long extended holiday this winter away from the Oilers.

Triumph would be getting the showshoes out of the closet and using them more this winter..

 

[Psychoil]

Nightmare? Eakins, nuff said.

Triumph? When Gagner scores a hat trick in his homecoming, no wait, Taylor Hall, no wait..

Triumph would be getting by Xmas and still having a realistic shot at a playoff position.

Triumph would be taking a long extended holiday this winter away from the Oilers.

Triumph would be getting the showshoes out of the closet and using them more this winter..

I like it replacement, who says you cant leak your own personal triumphs and nightmares into this thread hahah.

Yeah hall asking for a trade would be about the worst thing ever. Would really make me question my life, and whether it's worth living

 

[orangeshinpads]

Katz decides he wants to renegotiate the arena deal again: He gets all revenue, pays 10% of building costs, erects a symbol (phallic) in his honor that is longer higher than anything else and reminds everyone how important he is in Vancouver-oops- Edmonton. Then threatens to move the team again because he wants Whyte Ave renamed Katz' Way. The sign coming in from Wye Road says "Katz' Way or the Highway"

Mike Modano makes a comeback, and Leon Draisaitl hits him 22 times in one game and makes Modano retire again.

 

[thadd]

Biggest triumph:

1 - Nurse is so good that Marincin gets sent back down to the AHL leaving him to play with Klefbom and to compete to be the first guy to be called up in the case of an injury.
2 - Working his ass off over the entire off season turns into a much better season for Yakupov. Flirts with 30 goals and stops making the same mistakes over and over again.
3 - Finishing 10th-12th last in the league. It would be our best season in a long time and it's possible because Calgary still sucks, Phoenix is looking worse, Vancouver is much worse off and the Sharks and Kings haven't done anything to make their team better. The Kings are still a beast to deal with and the Ducks are looking primed.

Nightmare:

1 - Injury bug
2 - LD is way in over his head.
3 - Yakupov fails to take the next step.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Biggest Triumph - We get Mackinnon or Eichel
Worst Nightmare - Calgary gets either (or both).

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Biggest Triumph
1 - Making the Playoffs
2 - Taylor Hall 100pts
3 - Draisaitl ROY and 60+pts

Worst Nightmare
1 - Taylor Hall season ending Injury in Oct or Nov
2 - The goaltending falling apart early (like last season)
3 - Yak gets shipped out of town for Cents on the Dollar

 

[PaPaDee]

Biggest Triumph - We get Mackinnon or Eichel
Worst Nightmare - Calgary gets either (or both).

Assuming you meant McDavid?

 

[CornKicker]

biggest triumph for me would be taylor hall getting 9pts in one game and erasing gagner from the oilers record books

that an crushing the flames and canucks every time we play them. like 6-1, 7-2 drubbings

 

[oXo Cube]

Triumph: Winning the occasional game against a divisional opponent.

Nightmare: Finishing behind Calgary again

 

[Section337]

Triumph - Sniffing the playoffs after trade deadline.
Nightmare - Last year

 

[ToeMcDrag83]

Triumphs:

1) Playoff contention beyond December
2) Steps forward for Yak, Schultz, RNH (30G, 45P, 75P)
3) Play 0.500 against the Californian teams
4) Play 0.600 against remaining division teams
5) Defensive core shows actual competence as group
6) Free agents and acquisitions actually come through for us
7) Hall in top 5 NHL scoring, ahead of Seguin.

Nightmares:

1) RNH, Hall injury ridden seasons
2) Defense still sucks
3) Coaching still sucks
4) Top 5 draft pick again
5) Goaltending tandem fails
6) Pouliot, Purcell, Fayne, Nikitin provide no improvement
7) Hope turns into resentment, anger, indifference etc. by November



Please get better this year. Please...

 

[Oilception]

Triumphs
1. Taylor Hall 90+ points (hopefully 100)
2. Playoffs
3. Competitive all year
4. Marincin Breaks out even more than last year

Nightmares
1. Taylor Hall being injured
2. Having the 4th overall pick in the draft
3. Flames have a really good year

 

[Up the Irons]

Triumph
1. Hall has Hart nomination-type season --> Oilers make playoffs
2. J. Schultz goes Doughty.

Nightmare.
1. RNH goes down early
2. Eakins implodes

 

[GretzkytoKurri9917]

Triumph
1. Hall reaches 100 pts
2.Oilers draft McDavid or Eichel

Nightmare.
1. Hall goes down with a long-term injury

 

[Aerchon]

Triumph:
The biggest triumph not only for me but for the entire city is the playoffs. Can't wait to have that crazy atmosphere back again!!

Nightmare:
Repeat of last season basically. I had high hopes for the 13/14 team (too high in hindsight) and the reality of what actually happened hit hard. If it happens again, at least I'll be somewhat prepared

This.

Although if they do repeat I might be able to just walk away from the Oilers permanently. Last year I watched most games via PVR in fast forward mode and didn't go to a single live game. Another year like last year is too depressing to even think about.

 

[McDrai]

It's as simple as this for me...
Triumph: Our team is actually competitive for once and we finish in the range of 8-11 in the West
Nightmare: We remain the same or regress from last season

 

[OttawaOilers]

We win the Stanley Bowl Cup Thing..

 

[AlowlyMcOilersfan]

Triumph: making the playoffs

nightmare: missing the playoffs by losing to Calgary

 

[Up the Irons]

It's as simple as this for me...
Triumph: Our team is actually competitive for once and we finish in the range of 8-11 in the West
Nightmare: We remain the same or regress from last season

pretty much this.

for the love of God/Gaia/the Force, JUST GET BETTER!!!!

Another season like last year will kill me. I don't know what might happen, but I might be done if that happens again.

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

Nightmare: Fan base manages to embarrass itself even further after the jersey tossing and billboards