Audition Season or Development Year

[Mcnotloilersfan]

How do you guys think Nicholson, Chia, TM and the rest of the staff are looking at this season?

Is it just another development year that will continue into next year on the hopes that McDavid, Hall, RNH, Eberle, Yaks, Nurse, Klef, Reinhart and Schultz are the core for a longtime and continue to grow together?

Or is Chia understanding that this team needs to take a real step next year? Is this the audition year for the new arena team carried by McDavid? Is this the year he decides which star forward needs to be traded? Is this the year that all the garbage is cleaned out at seasons end?

Which one do you think?

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[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I think it's both. Chia will evaluate what he has and make decisions around the TDL or in the off-season.

 

[Aerrol]

I agree with GreatKeith. An audition year is still a development year, any kind of year is really other than one where we trade all our developing talent.

I expect Chia to make at least one big move before next season, and hopefully while we still have a hope of sniffing the playoffs this year.

 

[Mc5RingsAndABeer]

Both. They'll evaluate the need for a major trade. Don't think it'll happen this season.

 

[CupofOil]

It's a year of evaluation. I guess you can say development year as well but with Chia and Mclellan being here for the long haul, this is an evaluation of the previous regimes' group and deciding who fits long term and after this season, Chia will mold the team into his own especially with the dead weight off the books and more resources for him to work with.

I expect substantial moves this offseason, a strong push for a top pairing Dman first and foremost. The 1st rounder will almost assuredly be packaged I would think and I wouldn't be surprised to see a core member moved as well.

 

[Beerfish]

They came into the season expecting at least reasonable results. I think they are now seeing with their own two eyes just how craptacular some players on this team are.

 

[syz]

It's a year of waiting for all of MacT's mistakes to expire.

 

[Supermassive]

It's a year of waiting for all of MacT's mistakes to expire.

This and only this.
Our great players are ready to dominate, all they need is a supporting cast that belongs in the league.

 

[Beerfish]

I'm starting to wonder if our GM who has been on the job not for long listened to his trusted confidants in MacT, howson and Lowe re the Klefbom deal.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

I'm starting to wonder if our GM who has been on the job not for long listened to his trusted confidants in MacT, howson and Lowe re the Klefbom deal.

There's a lot wrong with the backend of this team right now. Klefbom needs to be better but he also missed almost all of training camp.

If you take the Washington game out of the equation where he and Schultz got lit up like a Christmas tree, you get left with:

9 games, 1-3-4, -2, 9 shots, played 20+ minutes 7 times.

I'd maybe point your anger at better targets - Say, Fayne and Gryba(sans Reinhart). To my eye they've been much worse. I've also expected a lot more from Sekera.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

As for the OP, Chiarelli and McLellan don't strike me as 'oh wells season's lost' kind of guys.

Nurse is up to stay IMO and the Oilers were down four regulars and Klinkhammer last night.

Hall-RNH-Eberle
Pouliot-McDavid-Yak
Korpi-Letestu-Hendricks
Klinkhammer-Lander-Pakarinen

Sekera-Schultz
Nurse-Klefbom
Reinhart-Fayne
Gryba

If I'm McLellan, I'm wanting to see that lineup for a few games before I recommend anything major.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Both. This a development year for everyone under 23 and an audition for everyone else. We need to see what we have to get a better understanding of what we need

 

[longtimeoilfan]

As for the OP, Chiarelli and McLellan don't strike me as 'oh wells season's lost' kind of guys.

Nurse is up to stay IMO and the Oilers were down four regulars and Klinkhammer last night.

Hall-RNH-Eberle
Pouliot-McDavid-Yak
Korpi-Letestu-Hendricks
Klinkhammer-Lander-Pakarinen

Sekera-Schultz
Nurse-Klefbom
Reinhart-Fayne
Gryba

If I'm McLellan, I'm wanting to see that lineup for a few games before I recommend anything major.

While I agree with you in principle, I disagree with you on line combinations... Gryba should not be sitting in place of Reinhart or Nurse, and I agree with those that see either Hall or Eberle on the third line. In other words...


Hendricks-RNH-Eberle
Pouliot-McDavid-Yak
Hall-Lander-Korpi
Klinkhammer-Letestu-Pakarinen

Sekera-Schultz
Gryba-Klefbom
Reinhart-Fayne
Nurse

 

[longtimeoilfan]

Both. This a development year for everyone under 23 and an audition for everyone else. We need to see what we have to get a better understanding of what we need

Silly Oilers... all they had to do was start a thread here and work from the recommendations and opinions of the people posting.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

While I agree with you in principle, I disagree with you on line combinations... Gryba should not be sitting in place of Reinhart or Nurse, and I agree with those that see either Hall or Eberle on the third line. In other words...


Hendricks-RNH-Eberle
Pouliot-McDavid-Yak
Hall-Lander-Korpi
Klinkhammer-Letestu-Pakarinen

Sekera-Schultz
Gryba-Klefbom
Reinhart-Fayne
Nurse

I don't agree. We need to get two lines clicking before we can concern ourselves with being a three scoring line team.

Also, you've got Gryba on his wrong side, and I saw Nurse as really good last night. You don't have him up to be your 7th D.

I also think it's time to move Lander down the lineup. The guy is getting nothing done offensively.

 

[Halibut]

They've needed to take a big step every year for the past five and I think even Tambo knew that, the question is can Chiarelli get anything done that makes that happen sooner. Tambo wasn't (accomplished nothing at all), MacT took us one step forward(Pouliot) but also took us three steps back (Ference, Nikitin, bye-bye Dubnyk).

Chiarelli got us a goaltender so far and that's about it. Every step of the way he has to know that we need better defence, the only question is whether we wait for them via the draft (gonna take a long time) sign them as free agents (gonna cost big bucks) or make some trades (tough to do).

 

[Jumptheshark]

Silly Oilers... all they had to do was start a thread here and work from the recommendations and opinions of the people posting.

We now have stability behind the bench and in the big chair. There is a price to pay for 5 coaches(quinn. Renney. Krugar. Eakins and now the new guy) in such a short span. The price we pay is this year while they sort stuff out.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Also, consider this:

The combined record (right now) of the teams we face in the first 10 games:

56-24-8

Combined record (right now) of teams we face in the next 10 games:

44-37-6

It doesn't get a LOT easier, but it does get a bit easier.

 

[longtimeoilfan]

I don't agree. We need to get two lines clicking before we can concern ourselves with being a three scoring line team.

Also, you've got Gryba on his wrong side, and I saw Nurse as really good last night. You don't have him up to be your 7th D.

I also think it's time to move Lander down the lineup. The guy is getting nothing done offensively.

Fair enough... switch Gryba to the proper side but keep him in the pairings. Gryba has been one of 'our' better Dmen.

You saw Nurse as really good, fine. Still, either he or Reinhart should be the 7th D.

Lander and Hall had chemistry when they played together. The lines I proposed are predicated on the two of them playing together. There have been a bunch of explanations as to why, in any number of the threads on HFOil.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Fair enough... switch Gryba to the proper side but keep him in the pairings. Gryba has been one of 'our' better Dmen.

You saw Nurse as really good, fine. Still, either he or Reinhart should be the 7th D.

Lander and Hall had chemistry when they played together. The lines I proposed are predicated on the two of them playing together. There have been a bunch of explanations as to why, in any number of the threads on HFOil.

That's a waste of both of them, IMO. You're not going to stunt Gryba's development by having him as the 7th defenceman, but you ARE going to do damage to Nurse and Reinhart. You send them down to Bakersfield before you do that.

 

[Dorian2]

I agree with most posters so far insofar as much as both Audition and Development are happening this year. I won't list players under each as everyone else knows what's what as far as the 2 words are concerned.

I also agree, on the development side of things, with Choatic Orange here. No way can Nurse or Reinhart be 7th D. They're both part of the development portion and having them sit will stunt their growth. And possibly give them hemmeroids, which would effect their on ice play greatly.

 

[Halibut]

I agree with most posters so far insofar as much as both Audition and Development are happening this year. I won't list players under each as everyone else knows what's what as far as the 2 words are concerned.

I also agree, on the development side of things, with Choatic Orange here. No way can Nurse or Reinhart be 7th D. They're both part of the development portion and having them sit will stunt their growth. And possibly give them hemmeroids, which would effect their on ice play greatly.

I think they should be playing more often than not but as long as injuries dont force them to both be playing I like having the option for Mclellan to send one to the pressbox after a bad game and let them watch what's going on. Of course you'll probably have to tell them while they're watching to take note of what their replacement is doing and do the opposite, that's what you look like when you are playing bad, dont do that.

 

[Mcnotloilersfan]

I think they should be playing more often than not but as long as injuries dont force them to both be playing I like having the option for Mclellan to send one to the pressbox after a bad game and let them watch what's going on. Of course you'll probably have to tell them while they're watching to take note of what their replacement is doing and do the opposite, that's what you look like when you are playing bad, dont do that.

Oh yeah. Nothing wrong with that at all. As long as the plan is to get them right back on the horse for the next game.

 

[voxel]

It's brutally honest with our AHL D that it's not a "contending year" - we are burning up the good contract years of Hall, Ebs, RNH.... we need that top-pairing D next season or our cap window closes very soon.

 

[Dorian2]

I think they should be playing more often than not but as long as injuries dont force them to both be playing I like having the option for Mclellan to send one to the pressbox after a bad game and let them watch what's going on. Of course you'll probably have to tell them while they're watching to take note of what their replacement is doing and do the opposite, that's what you look like when you are playing bad, dont do that.

That's just fine. No issues with that. That's part of the whole development process. I don't want to see something like the Davidson scenario happen though. That would be bad. But they know what they're doing. I'm not concerned. Also what mcnotoilersfan mentioned.