News Article: 2015/16 Oilers - The Hockey Writers Predicion
- Thread starter guymez
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guymez
The Seldom Seen Kid
- Mar 3, 2004
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Disagree.
Of course McDavid has a major influence but coaching is right up there as well.
I have no idea how you can state that (even without McDavid) this team coached by Todd McLellan is essentially no better than last years team under Eakins.
Heh. I have no idea what in hell's you're talking about regarding the article.
I didn't even read it.
Aerrol
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- Sep 18, 2014
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Holy optimistic batman. The whole section on the defence especially had me rolling my eyes but this in particular was bad...
I love Klefa but quality top pairing? Seriously?
That said, I can't lie, reading it gave me a grin. It's wildly optimistic but I actually agree with some of his points. It's been so long that I've had any hope at all about this team that excessive hope is a nice change. And like Dorian said, never say never. I can't wait for hockey to start again.
I love Klefa but quality top pairing? Seriously?
That said, I can't lie, reading it gave me a grin. It's wildly optimistic but I actually agree with some of his points. It's been so long that I've had any hope at all about this team that excessive hope is a nice change. And like Dorian said, never say never. I can't wait for hockey to start again.
guymez
The Seldom Seen Kid
- Mar 3, 2004
- 33,099
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Heh. I have no idea what in hell's you're talking about regarding the article.
I didn't even read it.
Okay...were's that gif?
Oh here it is....
http://img.pandawhale.com/161147-ben-stiller-zoolander-pajamas-OTcV.gif
McGoMcD
Registered User
Not sure why you say that. We finished 3rd last year, I am saying with out McDavid we improve to 5-10. I am not counting out the coaching.
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Aerrol
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AlowlyMcOilersfan
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Yeah, I agree that we've added quite a bit, but the growth of individuals and as a team is being overestimated.
I enjoyed the optimism though
I enjoyed the optimism though
Mr Positive
Cap Crunch Incoming
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There is good reason to be optimistic about the team, as in we have a realistic chance at winning more than one cup with this group. This writer is jumping the gun a bit though, but he's also not wrong exactly. I totally agree with the sentiment that we have an extremely rare grouping of talent here to build with. If any team has a shot at being the next dynasty or mini Hawks style dynasty, we are it.
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Thanks. lolol
Where to start or why bother?
What a load of dreck. The Oilers should score more goals next year, that would be predictable but I think they could give up more as well. WE haven't appreciably improved at D, goaltending, and are worse for options for own zone C.
The poster is stating its a given that this club is making the playoffs and that they will win Multiple Championships. The poster is inferring this. Which leads to the rest of the malarkey contained therein.
The writer seems unaware of writing a reaction blog. Reacting to negativity by responsing with positive hyperbole. The writer even acknowledges this dynamic but does it anyway while inferring that his is an objective view.
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The chance of any team, even the very best teams, winning multiple cups in the current era is around 2 teams out of 30. or around 6%.
I guess that can be defined as a "realistic chance" although that is interesting wording and could really mean anything.
For instance evoking the meme "You mean theres a chance"
ChaoticOrange
Registered User
THW is knocking it out of the park with ridiculous articles like this one. First the McDavid to Toronto one, now this.
It hurts me that garbage like this gets pageviews.
It hurts me that garbage like this gets pageviews.
nexttothemoon
and again...
TL;DR version...
No way in hell they win the conference as there's still way too many question marks on this team.
.....
Long winded version...
It's beyond wildly optimistic... basically bordering on a trolljob on the Oilers fanbase so that people can point at the article and say that's what their delusional fanbase thinks their team will do... and when they inevitably come up short they can say how the Oilers only need another half dozen #1 picks to deliver them to the promised land.
Has any team in the modern era ever actually climbed from worst to 1st in their conference in the space of 1 season? Yes I know the Oilers finished 2nd worst in the conference but they couldn't beat Arizona all season who were also intentionally tanking.
It took 109 pts to win the conference... and 97 pts just to make the playoffs... and the Oilers finished with just 62.
I'm expecting 85 pts from the Oilers... and even 10 pts beyond that would be highly optimistic as that would be a 33 pt jump from last season.
I don't think this team is 33 pts better than last season by looking at the roster.
Better coach obviously... McDavid... Sekera and Talbot... the main solid additions.
Even in that group though there are question marks. Will McDavid have an immediate impact... most likely... but not definitely. He could have a 50-60 pt season which would be very good by any stretch for a rookie but he'd likely need 70+ pts along with RNH having a similar type season for this team to grab 1st in the conference.
Sekera is good... but not THAT good. We are all happy we finally have a legit top 4 dman to anchor the d-core... but the rest of the D is still full of question marks and lacking in players that are multi-dimensional.
Schultz has some offense... and that's about it.
Ference is quickly becoming a Strudwick #7D type player.
Nikitin is close to becoming waiver fodder at the pace he is on.
Fayne is ok... but honestly I expected more... but again he's the type of dman that looks good when he's got some support from other at least average dmen... of which the Oilers have very few.
Gryba... again a solid gritty addition but little offense to speak of and yet another bottom pairing type dman. I will say he has the potential to be a surprise though and be our Sutton which we have been missing in the lineup imo.
Klefbom... I'm actually not over the top high on him until I see him develop better offense and defense in his game... he's trending upwards but in no way is he looking like a top pairing dman yet and those that see that are delusional.
Reinhart/Nurse... way too early to tell what they will contribute this season other than they hopefully tread water when they are added to the roster. I think Nurse could surprise to the upside as early as later this season but I think Reinhart will likely take longer... likely another season in the AHL will do him good rather than jumping into a bottom pairing role on the Oilers.
The forwards are better because of adding McDavid for "free". Anytime you add a 60+ pt player into the lineup without giving anything up... the offense has to get better. I'm assuming he cracks 60 pts... 70-75 is possible as well if he has a hell of a year and adapts quickly but so is 50-55 if the uptake is a little slower and teams key on him hard (as they definitely will).
They really haven't improved the forwards beyond adding McDavid. Letestu is a wash at best with Gordon and I think what Gordon gives up in offense, Letestu gives up on defense... so again basically a wash.
I'm not a fan of Korpikoski although everyone points to a possible injury last season... but he wasn't great before last season either. Anyway I don't see his addition as meaningfully impacting the quality of the forwards.
The rest of the improvement up front has to come from internal progression... which is full of question marks. The team up front is still soft, lacking in intensity and their overall 2-way game in the top 9 and especially the top 6 is mediocre at best.
Could this be the softest and most mediocre group of 2-way forwards in the NHL?Likely yes. They have high offensive potential but what's gained in offense is bled right back in defensive weakness.
McLellan obviously has to drill defense into their heads without stifling the offense which Eakins couldn't accomplish. Nelson had them going in the right direction offensively but the team was still inept defensively and of course in net as well.
Talbot could be a legit #1 starter... or nothing better than backup material... aka Scrivens/Fasth 3.0.
I honestly don't know what to expect from the goaltending this season.... especially if Scrivens is still the backup. I guess it couldn't be any worse than the steaming pile it was last season.
If they can improve by 40 goals for (possible) and 40 goals against (possible but unlikely imo).. they can scratch towards being a .500 team.
-85 last season is a hell of hole to dig out of and to think this team can turn that around and be a plus team this year is highly optimistic... and to take the conference title they'd obviously definitely need to be a plus team.
Just too many question marks and too many things that need to all line up this season to expect playoffs... let alone 1st overall in the conference.
No way in hell they win the conference as there's still way too many question marks on this team.
.....
Long winded version...
It's beyond wildly optimistic... basically bordering on a trolljob on the Oilers fanbase so that people can point at the article and say that's what their delusional fanbase thinks their team will do... and when they inevitably come up short they can say how the Oilers only need another half dozen #1 picks to deliver them to the promised land.
Has any team in the modern era ever actually climbed from worst to 1st in their conference in the space of 1 season? Yes I know the Oilers finished 2nd worst in the conference but they couldn't beat Arizona all season who were also intentionally tanking.
It took 109 pts to win the conference... and 97 pts just to make the playoffs... and the Oilers finished with just 62.
I'm expecting 85 pts from the Oilers... and even 10 pts beyond that would be highly optimistic as that would be a 33 pt jump from last season.
I don't think this team is 33 pts better than last season by looking at the roster.
Better coach obviously... McDavid... Sekera and Talbot... the main solid additions.
Even in that group though there are question marks. Will McDavid have an immediate impact... most likely... but not definitely. He could have a 50-60 pt season which would be very good by any stretch for a rookie but he'd likely need 70+ pts along with RNH having a similar type season for this team to grab 1st in the conference.
Sekera is good... but not THAT good. We are all happy we finally have a legit top 4 dman to anchor the d-core... but the rest of the D is still full of question marks and lacking in players that are multi-dimensional.
Schultz has some offense... and that's about it.
Ference is quickly becoming a Strudwick #7D type player.
Nikitin is close to becoming waiver fodder at the pace he is on.
Fayne is ok... but honestly I expected more... but again he's the type of dman that looks good when he's got some support from other at least average dmen... of which the Oilers have very few.
Gryba... again a solid gritty addition but little offense to speak of and yet another bottom pairing type dman. I will say he has the potential to be a surprise though and be our Sutton which we have been missing in the lineup imo.
Klefbom... I'm actually not over the top high on him until I see him develop better offense and defense in his game... he's trending upwards but in no way is he looking like a top pairing dman yet and those that see that are delusional.
Reinhart/Nurse... way too early to tell what they will contribute this season other than they hopefully tread water when they are added to the roster. I think Nurse could surprise to the upside as early as later this season but I think Reinhart will likely take longer... likely another season in the AHL will do him good rather than jumping into a bottom pairing role on the Oilers.
The forwards are better because of adding McDavid for "free". Anytime you add a 60+ pt player into the lineup without giving anything up... the offense has to get better. I'm assuming he cracks 60 pts... 70-75 is possible as well if he has a hell of a year and adapts quickly but so is 50-55 if the uptake is a little slower and teams key on him hard (as they definitely will).
They really haven't improved the forwards beyond adding McDavid. Letestu is a wash at best with Gordon and I think what Gordon gives up in offense, Letestu gives up on defense... so again basically a wash.
I'm not a fan of Korpikoski although everyone points to a possible injury last season... but he wasn't great before last season either. Anyway I don't see his addition as meaningfully impacting the quality of the forwards.
The rest of the improvement up front has to come from internal progression... which is full of question marks. The team up front is still soft, lacking in intensity and their overall 2-way game in the top 9 and especially the top 6 is mediocre at best.
Could this be the softest and most mediocre group of 2-way forwards in the NHL?Likely yes. They have high offensive potential but what's gained in offense is bled right back in defensive weakness.
McLellan obviously has to drill defense into their heads without stifling the offense which Eakins couldn't accomplish. Nelson had them going in the right direction offensively but the team was still inept defensively and of course in net as well.
Talbot could be a legit #1 starter... or nothing better than backup material... aka Scrivens/Fasth 3.0.
I honestly don't know what to expect from the goaltending this season.... especially if Scrivens is still the backup. I guess it couldn't be any worse than the steaming pile it was last season.
If they can improve by 40 goals for (possible) and 40 goals against (possible but unlikely imo).. they can scratch towards being a .500 team.
-85 last season is a hell of hole to dig out of and to think this team can turn that around and be a plus team this year is highly optimistic... and to take the conference title they'd obviously definitely need to be a plus team.
Just too many question marks and too many things that need to all line up this season to expect playoffs... let alone 1st overall in the conference.
40oz
..........
- Jan 21, 2007
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Game 8
Registered User
- Mar 8, 2003
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Mr Positive
Cap Crunch Incoming
- Nov 20, 2013
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it's improbable that the Oilers win the conference, but far from impossible. The Avs won their division the season after finishing 29th overall in the standings, and back then the central was even more grueling and intimidating than it is now. There is immense parity in the NHL. This article is optimistic but it is not unreasonable at all.
I think that it is going to be even more exciting to watch 3 on 3 overtones than it was to watch shootouts when they were introduced. If Schultz re-discovers his game it's gonna be insane
McPuritania
LucicDestroyedHaley
If they demand it...give em what they want!
I demand a fire-lit feast after every win!
When you're having a bad day THW never disappoints....
http://thehockeywriters.com/toronto-can-put-connor-mcdavid-in-a-leaf-uniform-in-3-years/
http://thehockeywriters.com/toronto-can-put-connor-mcdavid-in-a-leaf-uniform-in-3-years/
I do agree with the writer on the overtime format . 14 games lost in over time . Throw a healthy Hall , McDavid and Sekera over the boards and we win more then 1/2 of those games . Maybe most of them . Even if Talbot is not great if he plays average and doesn't let in floaters from the blue line we will be greatly improved . Got to remember bad goalies make everyone tighter and that cause mistakes .
Making the playoffs would be great , but we have to get the Eakins stink off of us first . I think we are close to the playoffs . Not there yet . Next off season we will loss Scrivens , Purcell , Nikitin and Schultz if he does not start playing like a NHL defence man . Losing those 4 opens up 15 million in cap space . Should be a good off season for us . 2016 New arena , Playoffs and the sky the limit after that
Making the playoffs would be great , but we have to get the Eakins stink off of us first . I think we are close to the playoffs . Not there yet . Next off season we will loss Scrivens , Purcell , Nikitin and Schultz if he does not start playing like a NHL defence man . Losing those 4 opens up 15 million in cap space . Should be a good off season for us . 2016 New arena , Playoffs and the sky the limit after that
