2015 Training Camp Will Be Most Exciting For You Since...

[Jimmi McJenkins]

He said "the roster as it stands" and it's hard to disagree although bottom 5 is a bit of a stretch with McDavid and a new coach.
The defense and goaltending right now is AHL worthy and the forward group is way too soft.

It's great to have McDavid but Chiarelli has a lot of work to do otherwise, it's going to be another rough season in all likelihood.
However, I'm confident that Chia will plug at least some of the holes with legit players and have this team pointed in the right direction. Getting the right coach is also key.

Yes, and I won't disagree, but if they only improvements are 1 vet defenseman, 1 vet forward and a real goalie (see Niemi or Ramo) the team is clearly much better then they were.

The right coach, a good coach, I don't see as a difficult thing.

I am excited for the offseason, after that, I will see if I should get fired up for training camp.

 

[CupofOil]

Yes, and I won't disagree, but if they only improvements are 1 vet defenseman, 1 vet forward and a real goalie (see Niemi or Ramo) the team is clearly much better then they were.

The right coach, a good coach, I don't see as a difficult thing.

I am excited for the offseason, after that, I will see if I should get fired up for training camp.

It depends on the vet defenseman. If it's Sekera or Green, good. If it's McQuaid, bad.

Another Pouliot level forward would be a big help.

I sure hope they don't overpay for Niemi, that's Khabibulin all over again.
It seems whatever direction they go in goal, there will be question marks whether it be overpaying a mediocre free agent (Niemi), trading for an overpriced, mediocre vet (Howard, Crawford) or trading for an unproven (Talbot, Jones, Lehner) but they obviously have to do something. My hope is a deal for Anderson but that appears to be unrealistic at this point.

In any event, it should be an exciting offseason.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

It depends on the vet defenseman. If it's Sekera or Green, good. If it's McQuaid, bad.

Another Pouliot level forward would be a big help.

I sure hope they don't overpay for Niemi, that's Khabibulin all over again.
It seems whatever direction they go in goal, there will be question marks whether it be overpaying a mediocre free agent (Niemi), trading for an overpriced, mediocre vet (Howard, Crawford) or trading for an unproven (Talbot, Jones, Lehner) but they obviously have to do something. My hope is a deal for Anderson but that appears to be unrealistic at this point.

In any event, it should be an exciting offseason.

If it's McQuaid and he's playing more then Nikitin (or even Nikitin's gone) that's a improvement on it's one.

Khabibulin, for his issues, was a better starting goalie then the garbage we've seen the last 2 seasons.

I don't know that Anderson is "unrealistic", I think overall improvement of the team seems very likely. I don't see this team being the same bunch of junk we've been forced to endure.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I wasn't around for 2005 so this is probably the most exciting one. However a lot will happen between now and then, so how I feel right now could be very different from how I feel in September.

 

[Aerchon]

Since the year we had HOPE. We still had our vets plus 4 players that had legitimately graduated to the big. That whole season even as bad as we finished was quiet exciting. Eberle's first goal set the tone. The true depression didn't start until the following years. Terrible move to fire Renny.

 

[Spawn]

I don't buy that. This team is junk if you imagine that Nikitin and Nurse will have to be top-4 defensemen and Scrivens is the starter, but that's ridiculous.

I look at Calgary and Vancouver, the Oilers are bad, but the climb doesn't feel as far as it did. I'm not calling them a playoff team, but with a couple of even solid adds, they could comfortably contend for the playoffs.

Don't buy that this roster is a bottom 5 team? Why, because of the addition of Connor McDavid? 18 year old players don't make teams better. Even the very best ones in the world.

The only thing that is going to make this team better is if Chiarelli is able to add multiple NHL roster players. I think that will happen. He seems competent and seems like the type of guy who doesn't go into a season with giant gaping holes on his roster.

But until that does happen, I'm going to refrain from getting overly excited about training camp.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Don't buy that this roster is a bottom 5 team? Why, because of the addition of Connor McDavid? 18 year old players don't make teams better. Even the very best ones in the world.

The only thing that is going to make this team better is if Chiarelli is able to add multiple NHL roster players. I think that will happen. He seems competent and seems like the type of guy who doesn't go into a season with giant gaping holes on his roster.

But until that does happen, I'm going to refrain from getting overly excited about training camp.

If you imagine as the team sits now will be how the team starts next year, only with McDavid, yeah, they are probably bottom-5.

It's unrealistic to just assume that's how the offseason will go.

 

[Mr Positive]

If you imagine as the team sits now will be how the team starts next year, only with McDavid, yeah, they are probably bottom-5.

It's unrealistic to just assume that's how the offseason will go.

Under Nelson we were trending out of the bottom 5. When he took over, we were 30th place with something like a 5 point cushion on 29th. We were going to pass the Leafs for sure, and probably the Canes too if the season continued. If the next season started with the same roster this season ended with, we would probably be mediocre but not bottom 5.

Luckily that's not a hypothetical that we are going to see.

 

[MettleMcOiler]

I don't think I ever been more excited for a training camp. I haven't felt this positive about this team since the dynasty years and I was still a pup still trying to comprehend the history being made during that time. But now I am older and fully fledged oiler fan. I am completely stoked to be able to witness the potentially awesome future of these players that have been accumulated the past 6 years.

 

[Spawn]

If you imagine as the team sits now will be how the team starts next year, only with McDavid, yeah, they are probably bottom-5.

It's unrealistic to just assume that's how the offseason will go.

I just told you I expect Chiarelli to make improvements. But until they happen what we've got is a bottom 5 team. If they happen, and I think they will, I will get excited for training camp.

How is this difficult to understand?

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

I just told you I expect Chiarelli to make improvements. But until they happen what we've got is a bottom 5 team. If they happen, and I think they will, I will get excited for training camp.

How is this difficult to understand?

It's not, it's just a little sad. If can convince yourself the current roster is the same one that will start next year, I don't know what to say.

 

[Aerrol]

I agree with everyone saying never. This is the most excited I've ever been for a training camp in all my years of cheering for the Oil. I might have GOTTEN more excited as the season wore on in 2005-6, but I have never been this hyped before seeing a puck drop.

I finally have real hope that I don't think is unwarranted! THIS IS ALL SO NEW TO ME!

 

[NewBoysClub97*]

I want the summer to fast forward please

 

[NewBoysClub97*]

Like somebody else said. I will really get excited if we get D help. Actual good D help and a goalie. That will put me over the top